The Mayor's Kids

2

A loud crack in the air struck vibration through a house, causing a rapid awakening of a blond boy who was already verge of awakening. Though there was a storm, his waking up in a hurry wasn't an uncommon occurrence. It happened more than once that night.

The blond boy wasn't always like this. There once was a time when this boy could sleep through hell on ice but that boy left not too long ago along with his mother.

Before the blond could dwell on his speedy awaking and the panicked thoughts that always came with it, he lightly ran to the hallway bathroom and slashed water on his face.

The cold water woke him up instantly making him more aware of his surroundings. He checked his watch that read 6:48. Seeing as though he always tried to wake up at or before 7 for school, he felt this was the perfect time for a long shower.

After his shower, he dried his blonde hair and wore some dark jeans and a dark green colored sweater with some beat-up chucks.

He turned on his room light to see if he had left anything but instead was met with the mess that was his room. Clothes were everywhere, there weren't much trash just empty and almost burned-through cigarette packs scattered around a full ashtray that lay next to his bed. There were a couple of nibbled meals, that had been swapped for a cigarette and a nap, just next to his small overflowing trash bin. He hadn't noticed it until now but he indeed had developed some type of nicotine dependency in the past month. Even though he did have a habit of smoking for a while it had only been weed and maybe a cig or two a week, never been this bad. But the blond didn't intend to stop smoking or clean his room that moment so he instead slid a lighter and an unfinished pack of cigarettes into his back pocket, closing his room door, saying that he would clean it later.

The blond boy wanted to eat breakfast for the first time in a while to break his habit of chain smoking his hunger and thoughts away but didn't want to risk waking up the mean old dying man on his couch.

"Hey, champ.." His father whispered from behind him causing the overly alert boy to almost wince.

"Dad you scared me." The blond whispered back turning to face his father who was holding two small bags of breakfast food that smelt delicious.

His dad frowned at his son's jumpiness, hating to put his son in the living position he was once forced to live in.

"I'm sorry, let's go eat in my car. I'll drop you off at school since it's raining and I know you 'hate the rain'. Plus I need to use the car today." His father finished still whispering but in a mocking tone while rolling his eyes, grabbing his coat, key, and umbrella quietly.

Aidens father was a truck driver and he never really used his car so when he would leave for trips he would leave the car allowing Aiden to use it for whatever, whenever. His mother of course also had an automobile but with her now being dead it hadn't been touched since. Neither of the two was even ready to touch any of her belongings.

The blond followed wordlessly, opening the front door for both him and his father and closing it gently.

As they ate in the car they listened to the morning News station on the radio. Though it was a nice vibe, something in the air was still weighing on both of their shoulders.

"I'm going to get him out of the house by the end of the week." His father said while he took a bite of his hashbrown.

The blond boy nearly choked on his dad's words knowing that must have taken a lot of courage. His grandfather had been staying with them for years since he stopped going to work, losing his house and his mind.

His father thought that he would have loved for his old man to just die as payback for the way he treated him as a child but after seeing his father in that state; he just couldn't turn him away no matter how hard he tried.

He thought 'maybe he would change seeing as though I am making sure he doesn't die in the wilderness?' And he was mostly right but at the same time oh so very wrong.

The grandfather's mean, broken personality was mainly put away because of his son's wife. She reminded him of his passing wife and it brought him so much joy after all of these years. So you can imagine after she died, he spiraled. He felt as if he was living through losing the same thing twice, a living hell if you will. Though the two men had lost the same people Aiden's dad pledged that he would never let his emotions make him like his dad.

"Are you sure you can handle him?" The blond boy replied pulling his breakfast sandwich from his face.

"Of course, I can handle him, Aiden. He's old and almost dead." His father replied in a duh tone.

"I'm not talking about physically but mentally and emotionally. After all, he is your father with a known image of abusing his spouses." Aiden said biting into his half-eaten sandwich again.

His father's body tensed which was released by a sigh. "See that's the thing Aiden you shouldn't have to worry about this. You shouldn't have to fear doing stuff in your own home. Especially after just losing your mother." His Father finished with a determined look in his eyes.

Though Aiden wasn't worrying too much about his granddad, it was mostly just his dad doing that. The blond had always put logic into a situation before emotions, which made him seem like he was worried or interested when he truly wasn't. More of him just trying to get an explanation of the situation. But with his mother's death, he just couldn't seem to do that, which worried him the worst. Not the intimidating half-dead man on his couch but the feeling that one of his first strong emotions in a while was somewhat a depressing grieving that forced him to find emotions within himself.

Aidens heart started to beat faster as he thought of his mother.

His food started to look gross.

He felt his stomach turn; he was going to puke.

"No, no, no, not in the car!" His dad spoke with worry for both the car and his son.

His father leaned over Aiden, opened the door, and pushed Aiden's head out but nothing came up, it was just air mixed with a bunch of coughing that came with choking. Which confused both him and his dad because he had been puking all month at the thought of her.

After his father's initial shock, Aiden pulled his head back into the car. He still wiped his mouth with a napkin that came with his breakfast and ate a mint that his dad gave him for his breath.

"So that's why you are willing to go to school today?" His dad stated as he started the car.

Aiden just nodded as he sipped on water.