38.
The walk to his house is short.
Shockingly, Marcus doesn't initiate small talk, he is lost in his own world. It gives me time to think about what might be wrong at his home.
His mother has chickenpox?
His cousins have come over?
I refuse to believe these. I know there is something gravely wrong.
The door is opened by a middle aged woman dressed in a black tunic. Aiden and her do not like very alike, but the eyes are the same shade. It doesn't take me much time to realize she is his mom.
Upon seeing Marcus, his mother immediately breaks down. There aren't any visible tears but her voice is cracking. "Mark, I am glad you came. Aiden hasn't come out of his room for the whole week. We have been pleading him to. I want to break the door but his dad tells me Aid needs time. Come talk to him, Marcus."
I am shocked to hear this, but Marcus doesn't look stumped, like he has been hearing this for quite a long time. All he asks is, "6 days? That's very long."
He rushes inside and streams up the stairs, covering three steps at a time. With my short legs, I struggle hard to keep up. His mother closely follows.
Marcus knocks vehemently. "Aiden. Aiden. Open the damn door, Aiden. I swear I will break it. OPEN THE DOOR."
The tapping of knuckles breaks the deathly silence, but there is no response from the other side. I could hear shuffling feet, someone pacing in the room, but no one opens the door.
I am amazed when I hear myself mutter, "Let me try."