Four Months

32. Him Part IV

Ashton knocked on the grey steel door four times. The door swung open, revealing a flustered young man with particularly red hair wearing Cookie Monster boxers. "Really Kaiden?" Ashton shook his head walking past inside the condo. "What, dude it's like fucking 4:00 am in the morning and you're giving me attitude?" Kaiden rubbed his eyes, shutting the door behind Ashton. "I told you, it's an emergency," Ashton responded looking around Kaiden's place. 

"By the looks of it, you don't look like you're burning, choking, or bleeding. You're not dying, you aren't drunk or high so what kind of emergency could this possibly be? I was in the middle of a very very important wet dream with the entire cast of Supernatural, you're interrupting things," Kaiden put a hand on his hip. 

"Aren't they all dudes on that show?" Ashton raised a brow at Kaiden. 

"Right, which you know if why I have something to tell you, brother" Kaiden started. 

"It can wait, look I've been keeping this from everyone, well Zaviana and I both, and-- "

"I'M AN UNCLE! Yes!" Kaiden fist-pumped the air and grabbed Ashton's shoulder, "you know I saw this coming, I did. The energy between you two is just so immaculate, I mean it's like a Netflix Original or something. True grit, true drama, real passion. It can't get better than this, I tell you. Your kid is bound to be to D1 now, we gotta get shirts made." Kaiden jogged to his countertop, slapping his laptop open. 

Ashton slapped it back shut. "I'm not having a D1 baby," he shook his head. 

"Then how else are we going to going exploit your child for money? Oh, shit...forget D1 we got D-isney, hell yes that how all the child stars are made, you know they like them young? I'll look up auditions now," Kaiden opened the laptop back up. 

Ashton shut it again. "We aren't having a baby at all you dumb ass, and if we were I would never let them sign to Disney..Have you seen Orlando Bloom? Hell, Nah. Kids signing to Nickelodeon." 

"Uhm, Have you seen Amanda? Plus, doesn't the CEO have like some crazy-ass foot fetish? That's wack, nickelodeon is not the move." Kaiden said as he typed in "Child actors that aren't on Meth". 

"Look, it doesn't matter. This is not the point why I'm here. I didn't tell you before and I should have, but Zaviana is in trouble. It's my fault, you were right. I should've stayed away from her, but I didn't...I couldn't. Now..now my father is trying to hurt her. We found evidence that was not good, police report actually at my old house," Ashton said. 

"Police reports about what?" Kaiden looked at him. 

Ashton swallowed before letting out a dry chuckle. "Uh, ha.. police reports filed by my mother...to...my father. Saying shit like he tried to kill her maybe? Or the baby she was pregnant with at the time... who is me I'm sure. It was a complaint after complaint just a list of her filing for harassment by him. I should've just took them to the police as Zaviana wanted... b-but I just couldn't believe something like that.." Ashton trailed off. 

"So you showed your father..." Kaiden finished. 

Ashton nodded his head. He told me to ignore it all and not to dig any further into any of it. He took them and I don't have them anymore. I need to get them back though. There in his office surely, I know it, but I can't get caught or he'll go after Zaviana." 

"What do you mean "go after Zaviana? What does she have to do with anything?" Kaiden asked Ashton. 

"She's my soft spot. If he hurts her he's just establishing power. The power that he holds over me. Right now I have him fooled that I'm on his side but still I can't just decide not to do anything. He's threatened to ruin Zaviana's entire GPA, reputation, even her life. He made us break up and told us that if he saw us together things would get worse. He's sending letters to her, telling her when to wake up, when to leave the house, controlling her entire life. He adjusted our classes so that we don't cross pathways unless it's orchestrated by him. He wants me to use her as a prop stunt to gain the "ethical" attention of our student body..." Ashton looked down at the floor rocking on his heels. 

"Wouldn't it just be easier to stop lying about your fully black mom? I can't even process this right now. You let her walk into a trap like this and we even encouraged her to get you back." Kaiden shook his head. 

"Kaiden, I love her. I'm going to fix it, this. I just can't do it alone. I need your help. We need to get those reports back and better yet I have to stay on top of my father. I have to play his side, we already got caught once planning against him. I can't get caught this time. You have to help me, man..." Ashton pleaded. 

"Do you think he really killed your mother? I mean.. the motive is there honestly, hate crime easily. But furthermore, do you think he'd kill Zaviana? Have her killed even?" Kaiden looked up concerned. 

"This is gonna sound horrible.. but I don't think I can even answer that." Ashton looked up at Kaiden. 

There was silence between the boys. A gap of confusion and processing. Ashton pondered about the question his best friend just asked him, and it dawned on him the stakes of the matter, after realizing he couldn't even answer the question for himself. Would his dad kill Zaviana? Would he have her set-up? Was Zaviana right about the accident being all his father? 

"I can get the reports back. I'm in your dad's building a lot recently. I'll sneak in and see if I can find them. Sound cool?" Kaiden spoke up after the silence. 

"Yeah, sounds perfect actually. If I went it'd be crazy suspicious anyways, if you go you'll blend more." Ashton said back to him. 

"Great, I'll go in after-class tomorrow," Kaiden said getting up from his navy high stool. "Now, either get out or be quiet, I'm going back to bed." 

"You snore like Godzilla, I'm out for sure." Ashton replied turning away heading towards the door. "aye, by the way, what's at my dad's office? You said you been there recently, I thought they moved your counseling meetings next to the Home and Economics Building?" Ashton raised his brow. 

"Yeah, man. They did move them but apparently some leaking happened again in the room we were supposed to meet at, you know they've been having that problem lately all around, just rooms busting for reason," Kaiden implied. 

"Yeah, I know its crazy. You'd think as much money that's going into the damn place they could make sure the pipes weren't bursting. Hey, wasn't there something you wanted to tell me earlier? Ashton paused with his hand on the door. 

Kaiden leaned to the left side of his bedroom door frame, "No, nothing, nothing. If I did I probably forgot now anyways, trust me your emergency was more solid than I thought. Wayy more. Much more serious than anything I could've said I'm sure," Kaiden crossed his arms and shrugged at Ashton. 

"Alright, well if you remember let me know. Plus, if you need you to know I can come with you tomorrow, be a look or someth--" 

"No! Uhm... yeah man... no, you're good. I got the plan. Like you said earlier it's best if I go, I'll blend. Plus your dad doesn't even know I know any of this so it's best I get caught instead of you," Kaiden rambled while swallowing. 

"Okay... weird, but I won't ask. Get some sleep and a new fucking pair of boxers," Ashton turned the door-knob through this time and left Kaiden's door. 

Kaiden stayed in his position for a few more seconds, before sliding back sluggishly from his position. He turned and strode towards his light grey bed, he climbed it lifting one leg first and placing a knee on the edge then tossing his body backward. He sighed and reached for his phone. He unlocked it and swiped to his messages. 

Lior: "I know this is late and very off-sprung, but I really like you. Like, like you, like you. It's dumb I'm texting you this, but I couldn't say the shit to your face. So...hopefully you'll let me say it now." 

He smiled at the message, his eyes lighting up reading each text. He slid up the keyboard and began typing.

Kaiden: "....I'm glad you said it. I like you a lot too. I'm better at showing than typing...meet me tomorrow. Our Spot? five o'clock?" 

Lior instantly responded within seconds, "then it's a date." 

Kaiden smiled and tucked himself under the sheets before drifting back to sleep.