Chapter 43: Chapter 41: Conflicting Advice

Chapter 41

Conflicting Advice

“Aden, Dinner,” called my mother.

I closed my English book and tossed it on the bed. The yellow envelope was sticking out of my bookbag. For once, I was excited to give my parents something from my teacher. I pulled it out, and the ticket fell on the floor. Kneeling down, I picked it up and scanned the information. I could never go to this, but it still made me anxious. If I went, there was a possibility Chris had something planned, but if I didn’t, he might just use it as an excuse to beat me up anyways.

“Aden,” called my mom.

“Coming.” I shoved the ticket into the bottom of my bag and grabbed the envelope.

Downstairs, my parents were waiting in the kitchen, talking about their days.

“What’s that, Aden?” asked my mother as she dried her hands.

“It’s from Mr. Phillips.”

They both forced a smile as my father took it from me. My mother hurried to his side. He took out the papers, and their smiles were no longer forced. I felt proud of myself, damn proud.

“The test is in the back.”

My dad pulled it out.

“Oh, Aden,” said my mother. She quickly pulled me into a hug. “You’re doing so well. See,” she wagged her finger at me. “All you needed was a little help, and you’re right up there with everyone else.”

My father patted my shoulder. “I’m proud of you. I appreciate you working hard to get your grade up.” He put the envelope on the counter.

“Thanks.”

Squeezing me to her side, my mother kissed my cheek. “Well, let’s eat.”

We sat down and passed around the platter with the roast. The conversation was the usual topics, but it didn’t bug me as much today.

“Aden.”

“Hmmm…” I glanced at my father.

“Your phone and laptop are on my dresser. You can have them back.”

“Really?” I exclaimed.

“Do not be texting all hours of the night?” He pointed his fork at me. “If your grades go down, and I’ll be taking it back.”

“They won’t, I promise.” I jumped up.

“Aden,” said my mother as she cut her meat.

I stopped and watched her eyes go to my plate. I sat back down. “I guess I should finish eating first.”

“Thank you,” she said happily.

***

Homework was done. I shoved everything back in my book bag. I checked the clock. Only nine. Yes! My father couldn’t complain about me having a long conversation with Titus.

I opened my phone to find all my old contacts gone. Only my parents and some relatives remained. It was kind of a relief that they were blocked. One was new though. Smiling, I pressed Titus’s name.

It started to ring. I really hoped he wasn’t out and about doing werewolf things. He had been demoted for a month. He should have his rank back by the end of this week.

“Hello?”

I froze. This didn’t sound like Titus. “Hi, this is Aden.”

“Oh, Aden,” laughed the man on the other side. “This is Darius.”

“Hi,” I said awkwardly. “Is your brother around?”

“He’s moping around the cave somewhere.”

“Did something happen?” I chewed on my bottom lip.

“Nope, just someone didn’t call the moment three weeks were over, or some bullshit like that. The middle rank think has made him rather moody lately.”

“Hmmm…” I moved to my bed and sat down crosslegged against the wall. “Could you get him for me?”

“No need. I can smell him coming this way.”

“What are you doing on my phone!” yelled a voice that was clearly Titus.

“I came by to tell you demotions is over. Hunting part in the morning, oh and Aden called.”

“Give it to me!”

I could hear the two struggling and Darius laughing through the whole thing. Being an only child really wasn’t that bad sometimes.

“I’m going to bite your arm off, if you don’t give it to me now!”

“Do you hear that, Aden,” teased Darius. “You’re dating a bit of an asshole.”

“Hmmm…” I muttered unimpressed. “Are you two done yet?”

“Darius,” growled Titus.

“Oh calm down,” muttered Darius. “Shift already. You’ll end up beak the phone in that form.”

“Give it to me, then.”

“Fine, catch.”

I had to hold the phone away from my ear as I heard a loud crackling sound.

“You are so annoying,” hissed Titus. “Get out of my room, and stop messing with my things.”

“Whatever,” said a quieter Darius’s voice. “Tomorrow morning. Don’t give me the I’m tired excuse either.”

“Get out!”

I heard my boyfriends heavy breathing and laughed to myself. Darius really did know every button and switch to push and pull to get a reaction out of Titus.

“Aden?”

“Are you calmed down now?” I teased.

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. I’ve met Darius. I know what he’s like.”

“A jerk,” muttered Titus. “A grade A jerk.”

I laughed and relaxed. “How’s middle rank life?”

“It sucks. Doesn’t help, I feel like a clumsy giant compared to everyone else.”

“How so?”

“Someone my size was not meant to work in cramped conditions. When I have to clean out the eating chamber, I just feel like I’m about to crush someone and make a bigger mess than what we started with.”

“You poor thing. It’s so hard to be over six feet.”

“6’5, so yes it is,” he chuckled. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.Sorry about not calling sooner. My dad didn’t give back my phone until today. I got a B on my math test.”

“That’s great, Aden. How’s the rest of school? Chris isn’t trying anything else, right?”

I ran my hand under my shirt to touch my scar. “He’s left me alone since I talked to the principal. But today he…” I sighed.

“What happened?” he asked a little heated.

“He didn’t hurt me, so don’t freak out.” I glanced at my bookbag on the floor. “He gave me this ticket to a concert on Saturday.” I groaned. “I just don’t know what to make of it.”

“At Base Acid?”

“Yeah. You’ve been there?”

“With Darius a couple times,” he took a deep breath. “Look Aden, I don’t think you should go.”

“Yeah, me too. I’m just worried it’ll make him mad.” I rubbed my forehead. “I should have said I couldn’t go and never took it from him.”

“Why did you?”

“I panicked, Titus,” I snapped. “When Chris and all his stupid friends are staring at you, you do things without thinking.”

He laughed. “True. I’d prefer if you didn’t go, though.”

“Yeah,” I breathed.

“Instead you should spend all Saturday night talking to me.”

I smiled. “That does sound like the better option.”

“Of course it’s a better option,” he stated. “It’s me.”

I scoffed at him. “Maybe I will go to the concert.”

“Aden,” he whined. “I was joking.”

“I know.” I laid down as my mind wandered back to the conversation I had with my father a couple weeks ago. It as my first night to hear him again. I didn’t want to deal with a pissed off Titus. At the same time, I wanted to know the truth about where I would stand as a werewolf.

“Aden?”

“Yeah?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” I whispered. “I’m just really happy to hear your voice again.”

“Me too. I love you.”

I smiled. “I love you too.”

***

“Alright,” said Comrade. “Let’s see what I’m up against for this week.”

I put my bookbag on the table.

“Rumour has it, you’re only coming Saturdays now, so I have to take on a another student next week. Did my pep talk piss you off that bad, Aden?”

“No,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “I’m caught up now, so I just need help with homework and studying for tests.”

“Oh yeah,” he smiled at me. “Someones got a B on the last one.”

I sucked in my lips. “Yeah, so I don’t need your help as much.”

“My god,” he pretend to be hurts. “Thanks a lot.”

I shrugged and took out my book.

“What this?” Comrade picked up the ticket for tonight. “You’re going too. Ricky is taking me.”

Taking the ticket back from him, I tossed it into my bag. “No. Someone gave it to me. I haven’t even asked my mom if I can go, and she’ll say no. I already know.”

“Base Acid isn’t a satanic gathering,” he groaned.

“Well my mother thinks so,” I opened my notebook. “That’s where you go to get high, and come home with either a tattoo or a piercing.”

Comrade slumped over and tapped his pen on the table. “I’ve been many times, and I have neither.”

“Drugs?” I glanced over at him.

“One time, Aden. One time, I smoke some weed.” He sat up in his chair. “I was stupid and trying to impress a guy.”

“Did it work?”

His shoulder dropped. “No, we dated a week, and he cheated on me within that same week.” He put his elbows on the table and rest his head in his palms. “He was on other stuff, though, so his brain was fried. He probably didn’t even remember we were dating. He was really cute.”

I smiled. “And this is why, my mother will not be letting me go. Besides, I’m taken.”

“I’m not telling you to go to hook up with someone. As your tutor and guidance counselor, that would be highly irresponsible.”

Raising an eyebrow, I stared at him unimpressed. “Good to know you’re a guidance counselor now.”

“Watch it.” He smacked my arm with a notebook, before leaning back in his seat. “Anyways,” he breathed. “I think you should go. Ricky’s cousins coming too with his friends, and he’s gay.”

“So what,” I exclaimed. “I’m taken.”

“I’m guessing your boyfriends isn’t going to the same high school, right?”

“Nope.”

“So why not make a friend that knows how bad high school sucks. You can complain about the homophobes together. I had a friend like that growing up.”

“You’re not that much older than me,” I shot back.

“Old enough to teach lazy high school students how to count,” he replied adding a little sass.

“Whatever,” I sunk down in my chair. “Chris gave it to me. The guy who told the school I was gay.”

“Oh.” Comrade thought for a moment. “That does make things a little iffy. Well, if you come, I’ll be there, and Ricky on the football team at our University. There are no gay commits permitted around that guy. So if you’re worried about Chris harassing you, Ricky isn’t afraid to get in a homophobe’s face. He’s done it for me tons of time, and I can also introduce you to Kyle.” He flashed me a smile with a shrug. “But it’s up to you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Sounds good. You have my number, so send me a text if you need anything.” Comrade pulled over my book and looked at the lesson. “Solving for x and y, I love this sections.”

I groaned and laid my face on the table. I won’t never understand his fascination with math.