Aron's Ghosts Of The Past (boyxboy)

1. Cliché

I'm up even before my alarm clock goes off. I lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. I'm still tired and I hate the foresight of having to spend a whole day surrounded by people. Especially people my age. People that haven't seen death and crime with their own eyes. Normal people.

I scroll through my phone, as always, to check up on my 'friends'. Just a few slashed tires and no murders. Sounds like everything went fine.

My phone starts to ring. It's Jason. I hesitantly pick up. Just when I thought everything was fine, he calls.

"What is it?" I grumble.

"Just checking to see if you're coming tonight."

I sigh. "I have homework." I lie. It's a bad excuse but better than telling them I want nothing to do with them.

"Seriously? Homework? Man, who cares?"

"Who cares if I'm not there tonight?" I say.

"We all do. Come on, we're a family. We're supposed to stick together."

"I know, man. Some other time, alright?"

My dad walks by my room into the bathroom. I turn down the volume on my phone.

"Come on, Aron. Don't start bailing on us now. We've always been there for you. Through everything."

I don't like the way he emphasized that word.

"I know but-"

"And it would suck to have to find a replacement for you. You know, I hear it's always good to keep your enemies close." Jason's tone is casual. Cheerful, even. "Maybe we could befriend some cops. Let them in on a few secrets if you know what I mean."

I close my eyes and sigh. I ball my hand into a fist. "I'll be there." I say through gritted teeth.

"There's a good boy! Bring some cash, yeah? We're running low."

When are they not?

"Yeah. See ya."

I hang up the phone and light a cigarette. How long are they going to hold what happened over my head?

"Arón." My dad's voice comes from the hallway.

I roll my eyes in annoyance. "I'm up." I grumble.

"Hey," He sticks his head in the door. "You better do your best this year. If you fail again I'm cutting you off."

And then my sweet friends won't have a benefactor anymore.

"I did do my best last year. You know why-"

"Eso no es una excusa. We all go through hard times, that's life. No reason to have to repeat because of that."

"How about having the world's worst father?" I mumble.

"Qué?!"

"Nada." I look out of the window.

"Arón, don't make me repeat myself. I don't care if I have to drag you out of bed every morning, you're not going to embarrass me again!" Xavier is full on yelling at this point. "Do you know how stupid it sounds that my son can't even finish high school? How do you think my backers would respond, huh?"

"Yeah, cause that's what matters and not how I'm doing! I'm your fucking son!" I yell back.

"Yes, you are! And yet you treat this house like a goddamn hotel, you use my money, you use my name but you won't put in the effort so I can keep providing those things for you. I work myself to death for you! You ungrateful-"