We Still Reach For The Stars

Part 3

As they reached the bottom, they didn't expect to find what they did. And what they found was complete silence. But not a good silence. It was the kind of silence one could hear. Like it was whispering ominous messages into your ear.

Their hands untangled as the walked into the kitchen/living room.

It was almost worse than they expected.

Mason's father, mother, and older brother were gathered around a book. A raggedy, ripped up cover, ink stained, yellow-pages book, wide open on the wooden dining table. The journal.

Mason's breath hitched in his throat. His family. All of them. Reading his private life. This had to be a nightmare.

Aaron was frozen, and none of the family had looked up. They all had unreadable expressions on their faces. Except for maybe the two youngest, who appeared to not give a shit.

Aaron's gaze drifted to his mother in the corner, and was startled to see she was looking directly at him, her hands clasped over her mouth, her eyes holding back tears. It broke his heart.

The cake that had been baked and so strategically decorated was left abandoned and stale on the kitchen counter. It's icing was now drooping off the cake in some places.

Aaron was distracted when a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Son?" Both boys snapped their heads to return Sir Alder's threatening glare. There was such a silence, and now everyone was looking at Mason. "Explain."

Mason took a deep breath, shaking his head, and everyone was surprised to see tears fall out his eyes. "I'm sorr-" he started, then stopped, glancing at Aaron. The beautiful chocolate-skinned boy. He could never regret this, could he? He couldn't be guilty for the best thing in his life. That was when he realized he WASNT sorry. He wasn't sorry he liked this boy. This was the thing he was least sorry for. "No, I'm not sorry," Mason continued confidently, standing up straighter, "I'm not sorry at all. I love him. I love him so much and you can't-"

Everyone jumped when the sound of metal stabbing wood echoed through the small house. Sir Alder had just slammed his knife down into the table, his eyes lit with fury.

"NO SON OF MINE WILL COMMIT SUCH SINS!" He bellowed, and Mason looked like he was about to lose it completely.

"WELL IM SORRY IM SUCH A- SUCH A SCREW UP! IM SORRY I COULDN'T BE THE SNOTTY LITTLE RICH BOY YOU WANTED ME TO BE, IM SORRY IM IN LOVE WITH A BOY AND IM SORRY YOUR PATHETIC ASS ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO ACCEPT IT! Mason screamed, snapping, his face red with anger and frustration and betrayal. Aaron grabbed his shoulder, trying to comfort him before he lost his control, but it was too late.

"WHY CANT YOU SEE THINGS LIKE HOW I SEE THEM," Mason continued, tears running in a thick stream down his face. "WHY CANT YOU SEE THAT LOVE IS FUCKING LOVE, AND THAT IT'S NOT A CHOICE, I DONT CARE WHAT YOU SAY! I DONT CARE THAT YOU GET BURNED FOR IT! I DONT CARE I COULD GET HANGED! I DONT CARE IF YOU FUCKING TAKE MY DAMN LIFE, BECAUSE I LOVE HIM AND HE'S THE ONLY REASON I WANT TO EVEN BE ALIVE ANYMORE! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT-"

He stopped suddenly, and before people even realized what was happening, he was being pushed again the wall next to the staircase. His father was in front of him, hands grappling his sons neck, eyes red with fury.

"Say one more thing boy, one more word, and I will squeeze the life out of you." Aaron watched, horrified, and completely useless, as Mason's tear-stained face glared right back at his father, with equal fury. It was obvious now where Mason got his anger-issues from.

"Do it," Mason whispered, almost mouthing it, barely able to form words. "Do it, I dare you. Take your sons life. Watch everyone shame you. Watch them label you a murderer. Watch them hang you for your own crimes. I can see it now 'Father kills his own son because he had a temper.' It'll be lovely, Father, oh it will be so DEVINE," he snarled the last word, and Sir Alder almost lost it, almost.