The Jock, The Nerd and The Geek

6

Paris smiled, resting back on his chair. "I suppose I'd love to go into the world of acting."

Sebastian scoffed. "You're joking. Do you want to wait tables for the rest of your life? Because that's where you're heading."

The smile on his face vanished. "You don't even think I could be more than what you plan for me. I can survive well enough without you."

"Don't let your stupid pride get the best of you. Just because you're dating the Minister's daughter doesn't change the fact that one slip up of yours would cause to regret your whole life's choices."

"But the difference is, I'm not you."

Sebastian Holmes stood, his hands slamming the table. "Say one more word, and you'd regret it."

And his son, knew it wasn't an empty threat.

Still, he felt a little bit glad that he managed to get some sort of reaction from his Father. Standing, he pushed back his chair and walked out of the dining hall and up the stairs.

The bastard always succeeded in making him feel like a piece of shit. Like it was his fault that Zephyr wasn't here and he wasn't Zephyr. Not like it mattered anyway, Paris could barely remember him.

Reaching the hallway, his eyes moved down to the farthest room. The door was mostly shut, and it was rare for the owner to leave that room.

He walked into it.

In the past, Paris remembered always seeing his Mother sleeping and never fully awake, and when she was, she was so drugged that she couldn't remember him.

But with the years, she had stopped fighting Sebastian and instead, gave in to him. It meant him having a chance to see her awake.

Today, she was sitting on her wheelchair, staring outside the glass window. Her pale skin looked a little bit more alive, though it didn't count for much, but it felt nice to see her awake.

"Mom," The voice he used to speak with her, was a voice he never used for anyone else. Because she was different, because she was Mom. "Are you— How are you feeling?"

"The garden looks beautiful from here." Elise Holmes voice was incredibly soft that her speaking made it sound like she was whispering. In truth, Paris found it a talent that he could hear her more this days. "They're taking care of it quite well."

He walked up to her and rested his hands on her shoulder. Even through the layer of cloth she was wearing, she still felt cold. "Not as you would, of course."

The smile on her face stayed. "Who would have thought? The one thing I thought I was good at, wasn't actually my talent after all."

That wasn't true. Sebastian had probably drummed it into her head and made her think that. It was her specialty anyway. "I'm sure you have many talents, Mom. You just haven't been given the chance to... explore them all yet." Then for good measure, he added, "Maybe, if you decided you would leave Father—."

"It's depressing how we keep going on this same topic everytime you realize I'm strong enough to actually conversate with you." Her voice still held no power in them. Just something as soft as the wind. Brushing across your face on a summer day. "I'd like to talk about school, if you will. Do you have a girlfriend? Do you watch porn, my love?"

He couldn't help the smile that came to his face. "That's not what anyone should talk about."

She turned around to look at him. "But I barely know you."

"You do." He touched her cheek. "I'm still the same boy you used to make origami for whenever you felt I was sad."

"Well, now he isn't six anymore. Is he?"