Floating Face Down (boyxboy)

Chapter Twenty Two

[A/N] I realised only just now that people thought this book was ending last chapter. Sorry about the misunderstanding. The Wattpad Creators Program people allowed me to continue writing this book to its natural end, we're only a little way into the book!

There is plenty yet to happen... huhu ( ≖▿ ≖ )

Fair warning this is a somewhat short chapter!  I'm writing another chapter tonight but I have to leave now and will get back late and wanted to post something now rather than later!

The following morning I walked to school so fast that I accidentally arrived just in time to see Irene's car pull up in the road outside the school gates, and the moment she spotted me I saw her freeze.

Colby only noticed me after stepping out, looked a little put on the stop, looked around to see if anyone was watching, smiled awkwardly at me and then hurried off into the throng of students moving in through the school gates ready to reach their lessons right on time.

Irene crooked her finger out of the half open driver's side window and I stared at her, and then slowly closed the space between us, mildly annoyed to see her face.

"Elliot are you doing this on purpose?"

I raised a brow.

"Really, I don't know how long a tantrum this has been but if this goes on for any longer we're going to send you to a therapist. We care about you, but we have two sons."

"I've mastered counting, but thanks for doing all the hard work for me."

He mouth opened and she shook her head, disgusted. "You're not the only one that matters in this family, the world doesn't revolve around you. You have a brother, top of his class, he's doing all the things that need to be done to do well in life, please don't make things difficult for him."

She had the gall to make the kind of expression that one would make when persuading someone into donating to a good cause, a genuine, concerned expression.

"Irene the world doesn't revolve around Colby either. I walked fast because I'm excited to learn. I've decided to turn my life around and be a better student. You'd like that for me, wouldn't you?"

She was struck between being immediately defensive from my first statement, and shocked into mute by the second.

Instead of replying she stared at me. I counted in my head a full minute before she put her hands back on the wheel and exhaled.

"If you mean that then that's... good... I hope that new attitude lasts longer than a few hours. But you still have to keep your distance from Colby..."

"If I arrive at the same time what connection are people making other than the one you're presenting by calling me over to your car in front of everybody?"

No one was looking, rightfully, no one cared, but her eyes still went rather wide and she stepped on the gas, quickly driving back out of the temporary parking spot without saying goodbye.

I watched her go, one of the first years looked at me as they turned the corner into the gate very slowly while I stood and stared. Maybe she was looking at the bruises on my face, who knew. I looked back at her.

"That's my step mother." I smiled. "She had an affair with my father at work and then moved into my house after my mother died."

The girl didn't even really react, her eyes barely widening and her feet slowing down momentarily and then speeding up.