4

Had he been eavesdropping on what Christina and I had been saying about him?

My mouth fell open.

He sneered. “Close your mouth. It's weird to have you standing here like this.''

My face heated up, and I wished the floor could just swallow me now.

''Look at your face! It's so red.” Aaron laughed, and I felt as if I was about to cry.

''You prick!'' I said, then immediately left to go back downstairs.

"You think this prick is hot!!" He yelled after me.

I ignored him as I made my way down the stairs and sat around the table. He was so irritating.

Aaron prepared himself a plate without saying a word, and all I could do was sit there and stare on his stupidly cute face, that I didn't know if it wanted to ride or slap.

Johnathan kept glancing over at him with a look of hate.

Mom refilled her wineglass and took a big gulp. She didn't drink that much, but I knew all this might just turn her into an alcoholic. And I didn't see why she didn't tell Johnathan to get his son out of here. Clearly, he hated the kid, so just get rid of him, send him back to juvie or his mother.

I cut into my beef, but my mind was too much on Aaron because he had overheard my conversation about him, which meant he was at my door, probably with his ears pressed to it.

I felt like screaming because why was I even attracted to this punk?

Clearly, he was no good, yet I couldn't get my heart to stop racing around him, and I couldn't get my mind off his wonderful naked body.

 

“Aaron, how do you find the place so far? I noticed that you haven't been out exploring.” Mom tried to make conversation with him.

“Its ass, I hate places like this. Just rich snobby people and their pretend perfect life.”

Johnatan slammed his fist doen on the table so hard I'm surprised it didn't break. “Can you show some respect to your stepmother? She is trying her best to make you feel welcomed.”

“Can she stop with her drinking problem for a second? It makes me uncomfortable, but I guess you really know how to pick them, don’t you? A train wrack who is not over her late husband and a nerdy daughter who can't see past her own nose.”

“You worthless piece of shit,” Johnathan spat.

Wow, I am not used to things like this. My parents never argued before, and I never talked back to them either, but here Aaron was... he was something else.

I guess the hate was real because who says those things about their own child. Even if he was being a piece of shit, you just don't say it, especially with people around.

I glanced at mom; she gulped her drink down, and I know she wasn’t comfortable with this either. Feuding isn't our thing.

‘’You will turn out to be nothing but a gangbanger, be locked up for all I care. See who will have the last laugh. I still can’t believe I have a fucker like you as a son, such a damn disgrace.’’

Holy shit, I thought mom would have said something, but she just sat there with a blank expression.

"Sometimes I wish I never had this responsibility, your mother is the reason you are like this but I'll be blamed as if it's my fault you are a fuck up."

Aaron was surely being an asshole, but it still shocked me to hear this kind of language coming out of my stepfather’s mouth.

He never striked me as a calm man, but I'm still shocked by all this. I mean, couldn't he had done this in private?

Aaron stood up so fast, it caused his chair to topple over and made a thud sound as it fell to the marble floor.

“I’m cant do this anymore.”

He looked over at mom. “Thanks for dinner, mom.”

The word “mom” rolled off his tongue with such hate.

After he left the table, the silence grew deafening. Mom put her hand on Johnathan’s, and I am left to wonder what could have happened between Aaron and his father.

I mindlessly got up and walked upstairs. My heart was pounding as I knocked on Aaron’s door. He didn't answer, so I slowly turned the knob and found him sitting at the edge of his bed playing a video game.

I stood just past the doorway and watched him. He didn't seemed fazed by what just happened, I guess he was used to it or just good at hiding things.

Then I saw it, he was upset, no doubt hurt from what is father had said to him.

"Aaron," I called to get his attention.

“Aaron!” I shouted.

He jumped and removed his headphones. “What the fuck do you want, Duckie? I'm nit your friend so you have no reason to be in here."

“Sorry.” I mumbled. "Johnathan had no right to say those things to you.

He glanced at me up and down, a look of hate married his handsome face as he said. “Leave!”

“No.”

He rolled his eyes, shook his head, then returned the headphones and went back to playing his game.

I went to sit down beside him.

I held out my hand. ‘’Can I have a go?’’

Aaron took up his vape, took a long, hard pull and blew the smoke in my face. "No."

“Don’t be so mean. I'm trying to be nice to you.”

“Please leave me alone? I don’t need you are anyone.”

“Okay, fine.”

I got up to leave the room then paused at the door. ‘’By the way, my dad died in this room. On that very bed, I don’t think mom changed the sheets since.’’

I smirked at the horrified look on his face.

I went back downstairs, thinking that I needed answers, because there is noway, just noway he got like this just because of his mother.

If I could remember correctly, from our previous school, Aaron’s father was never there.

He even said it, he was hardly in his life and wanted to make things right.

I passed at the entrance to the kitchen, not knowing what I could say.

 

'I need to know if this is just a façade or if Aaron truly is an asshole.'

No, I couldn't say that and I wouldn't want to get yelled at either.

So I thought against going in there, besides, I didn't want to interrupt their discussion. I could hear mom's voice and Johnathan agreeing to most of what she was saying.

I guess it wasn't my place to say anything, maybe mom had it all under control and Johnathan would go apologize, but boy was I wrong. He left, he just got in his car and left.

Now I felt sorry for the kid, his own dad insulted him and clearly he had no intention of making things right between them.

All I could think of doing was message Christina so I could vent, because what better way to get this all off my chest?

Me: I swear, Aaron is such a jackass!''

Christina: Yes, I'm sure he has a nice ass.'' She texted back.

Me: No, this is serious! There was an argument just now at dinner.''

Christina: Oh, about what?''

Me: Mom simply asked Aaron how he was finding the place and he gave a rude remark as an answer then my stepfather got upset and somethings were said.

Christina: Like what? Why don't you call me? I'm painting my nails and can hardly message back.

Me: No, Aaron might listen at my room door again.

Christina: What a jackass.

Me: That's what I said.

Christina: I have to go, I think my dad is calling me.

I groaned, this wasn't going anywhere, or making me feel better.

I threw the phone in the corner of my bed and decided that I had to get Aaron to talk to me. So, I marched over to his room and swung the door open.

He was still sitting on the bed, but this time he had put the game down and was vaping.

I snuck up on him and grabbed the vape out of his hand and ran out, heading for my room.

Aaron didn’t hesitate to kick my door in.

“Give me my shit back, you little nerd bitch!"

What the hell, did he just call me a nerd bitch?

"Give it back!"

‘’Not until you start talking to me and be nice about it.'’

“Give me back my vape,” he said through grit teeth. "I have no time to play around with you.''

 

I shook my head. “No, I refuse until you have a decent conversation with me.”

‘’Listen nerd, you are not my type, so if this is a tactic you are trying to get me to fuck you, it won’t work.’’

I frown. ‘’Why do you think I want that?’’