Chapter 2

2 - Apollo Castiello

Some pains are impossible to ignore.

- Basic Instinct 2

The snow beneath my feet caused me to take short steps. The early afternoon covered in ice and cold made me turn back home again.

I had gone out to meet my friends, but halfway there, I simply gave up. I always did that. I didn't like going out much because I knew that once I got close to them, no topic of conversation would involve me, and I'd feel excluded. And I didn't care about going out on weekends. Lately, I didn't care about anything.

My boots were covered in ice by the time I reached my front door. I stomped my feet on the doormat and went inside. The small, well-ventilated house was silent. A nearly destructive silence. The silence that had settled in a month ago, when my mother decided to leave. When my mother abandoned my father and me, making us lonely and almost strangers within our own home. I took off the gloves and cap that had been protecting me from the cold outside. Thanks to the heater, I no longer trembled, and my breathing was less labored.

"Dad?" I called out as I passed through the living room. The silence continued. "Dad, I'm back." I called out again, this time feeling a slight worry.

I climbed the small stairs and peeked into his room. The door was ajar, and I quickly saw his hand hanging off the mattress. I opened the door fully.

"Dad." I ran to him.

"What do you want, Apollo?" His voice was slurred as I placed his arms around my shoulders and lifted him from the floor, putting him on the bed.

I quickly grabbed the bottle of bourbon from his hand and the other two he had emptied.

"Weren't you going out with your friends?" The smell of alcohol was strong on his breath as I fetched clean sheets and a comforter to cover him.

"Yeah, I was," I said, breathing heavily. "But I kept hearing a voice inside me saying I needed to come back."

My dad smiled disdainfully. I squeezed my eyes shut and lowered the window blinds and curtains.

"Seriously, Dad, what are you thinking? Do you want to die too?" I huffed as I felt the cold wind from the second window invade the room.

"If she could, I can too." His voice was bitter when he spoke of Mom.

"But she didn't want to." I shouted and regretted it immediately. "Dad, rest." I sighed deeply. "Get the alcohol out of your veins and bundle up." I placed the white comforter over him.

I was already leaving his room when his calloused hand grabbed my arm. I turned to look at him. The man with fair skin, unshaven beard, disheveled light hair, and blue eyes devoid of kindness made me remember all the times I had seen him as a hero. And now I was seeing him lost and without any reason to live again.

"I'm trying, Apollo." His choked voice made my eyes waver. "I want the best for you, and I wish she were here to help me." Then my dad started crying. Again.

Not a day went by without him talking about Mom and crying. And every time that scene repeated, I saw myself dying with my mom. My heart broke at seeing my dad's state. At seeing the state we both were in.

"Rest." I kissed my old man's forehead and took the bourbon bottles out of the room.

As I closed the door behind me, I closed my eyes and desperately thought about locking myself in my room and drinking, drinking until my blood turned into alcohol and I had hallucinations of my mom again, and imagined our dinners and movies every night. But reality hit my consciousness.

She was gone.

My mom was gone.

Lily Castiello was gone.

She died.

As much as I wanted to accept it, it still hurt.

Going downstairs, I went to the kitchen and threw away everything containing alcohol that I found. I knew that was just an escape my dad found to fill the void my mom left, but I didn't want it to be like that. He had to find another meaning in life. And so did I.

Then, the landline phone in the living room rang and made me finally abandon all that alcohol in the trash. I went to the living room and pulled the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Apollo Castiello?" The masculine and formal voice said my name.

"Yes."

"Hello, Apollo. We're from NewScene and all the blah blah blah you already know. We're just calling to let you know you've been accepted for the role in our new film."

No... No... It couldn't be.

"Are you sure?" I heard myself asking and sat down on the couch.

"Talent is your middle name, Apollo." The director's voice sounded cheerful.

Man… How long had it been since I acted? How long had it been since I had created such high expectations?

"Yeah, thank you." I said, and a short smile spread across my lips.

"You'll be acting alongside Mia Lauren Hudson; we've already contacted her a few..."

"No, no, wait..." I stood up, too confused. "Mia Lauren Hudson? But isn't she married to a rival director?"

She was. Mia Lauren Hudson had been married to Bradley Hudson for about two years. She was married to the biggest traitorous son of a bitch. And it was strange that someone like Mia Lauren had a relationship with someone like him.

"NewScene never lets talent go to waste, Castiello." His voice was animated. "We'll have a meeting today at 5:00 PM."

"But why..." I shook my head. "Never mind. 5:00 PM, I'll be at your office." I hung up.

I ran my hands through my hair, messing it up, and a short smile spread across my lips again, and the first thought that came to my mind was to tell my mom. Yeah, I still wasn't used to it enough. But I was still happy to be back on screen, despite knowing that acting alongside Mia Lauren Hudson was still going to give me a headache.