A.M
Even though life was amazing right now, my mind, as usual, had to go and make things worse.
"Aaron, honey," I was just chilling in my room one day, bobbing my head to music as my mother came in with an obviously important question, so I took out my earphone to see what it was. My hope was instantly crushed when she opened her mouth, her lips enunciating the one name I wasn't trying to hear.
"How's Zaid doing? I know Katrine mentioned that he was doing okay, but you know him better than we do." I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I sighed heavily, a sense of solemn misery washing over me like a calm waterfall.
"He's fine," I replied, knowing that I just talked to him about an hour ago about this project and how he had several ideas to offer and he gave me a day in which we could start recording, so Maia could edit it for us with her video skills. It was basically a ten-minute preview of our lives and what we learned from each other as we got to know each other, as the prompt suggested. Only difference was that there was no end to us getting to know each other, so at some point, we would have to stop short.
"Do you think you can ask Zaid if he can come by and lift this boulder for me?" I could feel my eye twitching in irritation as I sighed, nodding slowly. "Yes, sure," I mumbled before turning back to my phone, realizing that she really only came in here to ask me that question. It was starting to get on my last nerve with how much these people inquired about this teenager.
"Make sure to check on Zaid."
"Ask Zaid if he can do this for me."
"Ask Zaid if his hair is real."
"See if Zaid cares about us."
"Zaid."
"Zaid."
"Zaid."
Just how much do these people care about him? I mean, I cared a great deal about him and I loved him a lot, but my family and my friends acted as if they hadn't seen this man in years. They were crying his name and asking a whole bunch of questions about him as if he went to war suddenly, but this dude literally lived down the street.
They had his cellphone number and his email. Hell, they even had this bastard's Instagram and Twitter, so I knew it wasn't that fucking difficult to find him.
But whenever I was around, they always made it a point to ask me about him like I was the window to his soul or some shit.
It really made me feel like no one really cared about me, and that was a hard pill to swallow. I didn't even know why I felt lonely in a room full of people, but I guess that it was because they were looking at me, but they weren't talking directly to me. If they were, it wasn't about me.
I knew it probably wasn't their intention to make me feel like that, but damn. It was as if everyone acted like Zaid was all they had to have and it sucked. Was it because everyone was devoting so much to him? Yes. Was it because they weren't showing me love like that? Yes.
It was also because the fucker looked as if he was relishing in the attention, forgetting about me for a while. It was weird because I grew up having all of his attention and to not have the same amount was unsettling.
Yes, screw me for being a spoiled brat.
I knew Kylene was trying to convince me that people knew Zaid through me as best as she could with all of the comfort in the world, but there was no denying what I felt.
And I hated it with an immense passion.
It was time for dinner, my mom decided, so I went down to see if the talk about Zaid Brooks was over and I could bring something new to the table. I sat down in front of my piping hot food, giving everyone a nice smile as I dug in. It was quiet, save for the sound of chomping and crunching, so I took the cue.
"I got an email from a scout today," I started the conversation. Clarissa raised a brow at me before nodding, shoving food in her mouth. My dad nodded in response, not bothering to open his mouth, and whatever crumbling hope I had there dried up into ashes.
"That makes me wonder if Zaid got a scout coming for him too," Thomas threw out the idea and my mother hummed in response. "I was going to ask about that, but he said he couldn't come by for dinner tonight," She replied and I rolled my eyes, wondering why I was ever born if I didn't matter enough.
"Yeah, I think he said he was going to talk with his mom about something," Natalia muttered as she shoved a piece of sauteed chicken into her mouth, oblivious to the clenching of my hand. "Yeah but I—" I was but off by Maia as she started babbling something. "I texted him earlier to see what he was up to, so who knows?" I took a deep breath to stop the impending rage from shooting out of my esophagus, but I couldn't.
All of a sudden, I shot up out of my seat, slamming my silverware down on the table, garnering all eyes on me. "Does nobody in this house give a damn about me and how I'm feeling? Huh?!" I yelled, feeling annoyance tickling its way up my spine. My mom and dad's eyes widened in surprise as Natalia and Maia blinked up at me with a frown. I could tell that they were indeed confused and I just couldn't be in the same room anymore. It was clear that they had no idea and I, for one, had enough.
"Just—" I put a hand up to clench the bridge of my nose, taking a deep breath as I aggressively pushed the chair under the table. Think of Zaid tripping, think of Zaid tripping. "Leave me alone for a while," I grumbled before storming away, shaking my head.
I went back to my room, the one place where I felt sane enough to think, plopping down on my bed with my hands on my knees. I growled low to myself, knowing that I knew that it wasn't anybody's fault that they cared for Zaid. It was just my shitty luck, it appeared.
I wouldn't admit out loud to myself or to anyone, but I wanted to be the only one that occupied Zaid's view. Call it selfish, call it needy, but I wouldn't call it any of that. He was my best friend damn it, and now that we finally got things back on track, I couldn't hide behind my veil of hate anymore. "Got to be fucking kidding me," I mumbled to myself as my phone lit up with a message from the most honored man.
Dumb bitch: hey.
Me: ...hi?
Dumb bitch: Natalia said you were upset, so I'm here to make you feel better.
My twin was now a traitor for outing me to the one person I didn't want to be involved. I was going to slit her throat and then slow cook her in a rotisserie. She had no right, that little rodent. She was just made because I was the first one to be born.
Me: pray tell, how are you gonna make me feel better?
Dumb bitch: A sleepover with birthday cake ice cream, some video games, and a bunch of mystery movies at my house tonight?
I smiled to myself, knowing that he really did know me best. It was quite scary how accurate his mind was about me and how he remembered every single detail. See, when he was like this, it was so easy for me to just forget about everything around me. I knew our friendship was beyond normal friendship levels, but I didn't care because it felt nice that someone took the time and the effort to really know me.
Me: I'll be there at 8.
I wasn't your typical dude who just played games and yelled to feel better. Contrary to popular belief, I was incredibly sensitive about the smallest things, and I hated that trait about me. I was so emotional for no reason.
I threw my phone back down, recalling why I was upset in the first place. it was a constant reminder when I looked around my room and I saw the various pictures of Zaid I together. I didn't know who I was kidding. As long as he was around, there was no escaping someone asking me about him, and I was starting to be okay with that if it meant that somewhere along the way, they asked him about me too.
"Hey Aaron, it's us," I heard a knock on the door and I paused, deciding nothing. I didn't say come in nor go away, so they took it as the former and entered, shutting the door behind them. They were silent and I could feel their eyes on me as they approached me, signs quietly exiting their mouth. "I guess our obsession with Zaid has gotten on your nerves, eh?" Thomas took a seat next to me and I stayed rigid, not moving and not looking at him. I kept my mouth closed as I glared at the wall, sensing my mother sitting in front of me.
I still said nothing though.
"Not gonna say anything, Aaron?" The man next me teased and I narrowed my eyes, glaring harder. "We made you feel lonely," Clarissa put her hand on my knee, pulling it away from me so she could look me in the eye and I could see sorrow and regret becoming prominent emotions in her own eyes. "We're very sorry, baby."
I let the frown turn into a grim set line as I nodded, acknowledging and accepting their apology because everyone else made mistakes too. They both continued on, explaining everything and I listened and sat there quietly.
"We already knew that a scout was coming for you because they had called us first. We know how successful you are going to be, son," My dad reached out to grip my shoulder. "We don't need to know that you're going somewhere because we have tons of proof," He pointed to the wall of endless trophies and medals. "Someone is bound to want you, so we aren't worried," He turned my face to look at him, chuckling at the pout on my face.
"You still act like a kid sometimes, heh. There's no crime in wanting to know if the person who has been by your side this entire time will remain there forever," He uttered ominously and I raised a brow, wondering if he was planning on killing Zaid or something.
"We notice the positive change that Zaid brings out in you, so it's only natural that we want him in your future," He explained and I grunted, knowing that I was acting like a kid indeed. "I'm sorry..." I pushed out of my throat, the words staining my tongue and Thomas ruffled my hair. "There's no need to be, son. You are our pride and joy and we've been slacking off on our love and affection for you."
I blinked as he placed a kiss on my temple, and I could feel the crack in my heart healing line by line.
"You're our baby, Aaron," Clarissa rubbed the side of my face, offering me a smile. "There's nothing that I wouldn't do for you. Please don't forget that," She ruffled my hair and the scowl left my face as she and my father came beside me to hug me tightly. "You're the one we always count on, so please don't ever feel like you can't talk to us." She squeezed me tight and I felt all of the tension just floating out of my body like air.
"And if we ever do, just tell us bluntly like you tell us everything else. We promise not to leave you out again." I nodded, unable to stop the stupid smile on my face. Everything was finally fixing itself and yet, my mind was wandering elsewhere, thinking about a stupid bastard that was probably enjoying himself right now.
Zaid, that idiot.
Score for Aaron Moore.