FULL ECLIPSE (Book #2)

𝕿𝖜𝖊𝖑𝖛𝖊

There's a flash of white light before I have my vision again. I've jumped. My memories are getting pretty good with each jump. I'm back in the school hallways of Brentwood High with Coach and Ms Mills in front of me and Carmen behind them. Coach escorts Carmen away and Ms Mills stands there, glaring at me like I just killed a student.

❖

"As I was saying," the principal proceeds, "your son has been a hot topic for the teachers this past month. Distracted, disrupting, truancy – you name it."

We're seated in front of the principal's desk. Ms Mills really had the nerve to call my mum on me and have me taken to the principal's office. This is bad considering it was Mum's day off. Either way, can they all not just give me a break? I'm fighting battles, quite literally.

"Are there any problems at home?"

"'At home', what are you suggesting?" Mum takes offence. "We have a perfectly healthy environment at home. How about is there any hidden issues at school?"

"No, ma'am," the principal tells her blatantly. "We've tried our best to help your son, suggesting counselling and whatnot. He's spiralling out of control and my teachers have 30 other kids at a time to take care of."

"Right, I understand," Mum gives me that 'Mum look' where she's gonna give me the fattest hiding once we're outta here.

Me, on the other hand, I just have my arms folded and am slouching in the chair. I gaze out the window and I see some of the boys training on the field. Brah, I should be out there with them in that heat. I miss baseball. Maybe I should take on that offer with Jace and go have a match to relax for a bit.

"...I trust it'll be very beneficial to him," the principal rambles on. "It's a way for him to concentrate and co-operate with not just productivity but with..." Blah de blah blah.

❖

"You're going," Mum gets in the driver's seat and slams the door shut after herself.

"I'm not going to summer camp, Mum. It's basically summer school and I wanna enjoy my summer."

"Well, you should have thought of that when you were doing all this mucking about at school."

"Not goin'."

"I've almost had it with you, Dean! Is there something bothering you that I need to know about? What's the issue? I won't know if you don't tell me. Because it's either summer camp or you talk to me."

"No issue," I slump down in the passenger seat. "Just not goin' to that shit."

"Is it a girl?" she asks, all worried. "Did you get a girl pregnant?"

"Mum, no."

"Relationship problems?"

"No."

"A fight with Brayson?"

"Nope."

"Gonna keep me guessing?"

"Yes."

"Dean!"

"Mum! I don't wanna talk about it, okay?! Why's that so hard for you to understand?"

"Fine," she puts her hands out in front of her, "fine with me. But you've got some explaining to do when your father gets home tonight."

❖

"Sit down."

Why should I sit back down? Does Dad know I have more pressing matters to attend to such as saving the world Mum, his wife, is dead in?! There's no time for lectures and all that. Truancy is nothing to life and death. Why don't they get that?

"Sit back down!" Dad slams his glass on the coffee table.

I don't even flinch, nothing. I'm so used to bullets blasting above my head that anything remotely close to triggering my flight or fight response does nothing for me in this world. I'm trained and he's trained but only if Dad knew the foundations of what trained me. Nevertheless, I sit back down because I have to remember who I am here, a boy.

"Amber, sweetheart, go upstairs," Dad orders her.

"Dad-" she decides to speak up on my behalf.

"Amber, what'd I say?"

She rolls her eyes and obeys him.

"What?" I grumble while Mum takes some dishes to the kitchen.

"What's going on with you?" he gives me the chance to explain.

"Like I said to Mum," I head-nod to where she is, "nothing."

"'Nothing' doesn't cut it when your mother has to be called in on her day off."

Whatever, dude, at least, she got a day off. Wish I could get a day off from saving the world, how about that? I stare at the coffee table, all this is doin' is wasting time, adding time to time I can't get back.

"Hey, eyes on me!" Dad snaps his fingers. "You were doing good, great even, now the sudden absences, grade drops, phone calls home? So to make this easier for the both of us, tell us what's going on and we'll sort it out."

This shit, this shit can't be sorted out!

"There's nothing going on, Dad! And if there was, it's not like you or Mum or anyone for that matter would FUCKING understand!"

"Son, do not raise your voice at me! Only me and your mother are the ones that get to do that because we are the ones that provide what you just ate on that plate!" he points to my barely-eaten meal. "Now, I was being patient, I was tryna be lenient, but that's it! You and your sister, yous both are going to summer camp! Maybe that way one will learn manners and the other will learn to be on time for things."

"Are you done?" I purse my lips in a fake smile.

"Go, get outta here, I don't wanna see your face."

I aggressively push my chair back, letting it scrape the floor. I'm pre' sure he's taking it out on me from whatever's going on at his workplace which is unfair. Why do we have to go summer camp and learn a bunch of useless rules when it won't matter if we're all gonna die?

In my room, I crash onto my bed. There's no telling them. Bray laughed and thought I was on drugs, Ella won't even say a word to me, and Carmen just watched it all happen. So do I just pretend? Pretend everything's alright and they'll eventually hop off my back? Go crazy alone or go crazy on everyone?

I blink.