50 Things I Hate About You

I Hate That You Lie

There was always a part of me that wondered if it were easier not knowing my father. For me, he was just a name, on occasion, an image my mother would vividly craft, but refuse to allow me to have a photograph of. As I watched Onyx on his patio, brooding over his father, I couldn't help but wonder if his life would have been better without Adam in the picture. Hell, he was hardly around as it was, and when he did decide to poke his ugly head in, it was only to stir up trouble before he disappeared again.

Mom had been home less than me, and that was with my overflowing schedule of winter formal prep with Angie, work, and trying to catch up in Government. It'd been a long, emotionally wrecking week and I had slept about as much as Onyx, given I was constantly bouncing back and forth between houses to check on him and my mother.

As usual, Mom refused to show any real emotion; she'd offer a sad smile and sometimes when she was busy planning funeral arrangements, I'd catch her eyes growing misty. The second she'd notice me in the room, she'd blink them away and be back to her usual, optimistic self. Onyx hadn't left his house all week. He'd refused to get up and go to school. He refused to answer the door. He refused to acknowledge his own existence. Unfortunately for him, my mother had a key and had been leaving it with me when she left the house to ensure that I was checking on him.

Tomorrow night was winter formal, and though I knew he had no desire to go, I felt the need to try and drag him out of bed. Olivia's funeral was Saturday morning and I knew, without a flicker of doubt, he'd probably pull a disappearing act afterward.

I waited until Adam had climbed his moody ass back into his car and sped off out of the neighborhood to cross the lawn and jog up his driveway before he could slam the door in my face.

"Onyx!"

He froze mid step in the doorway. "Go home, Aurora."

"First of all, you seriously need a shower. I can smell you from over here." I wasn't going to let him do this. This was far from what I'd promised Olivia. "Second, I'm not going anyway. Tonight is your lucky day. My manager gave me the next four days off, and that means your stuck with me."

"Yeah, I'm good." he muttered, starting to shut the door. I rushed him and slipped through before he could, immediately bringing the back of my hand to my nose when I got a good waft of the rancid smell.

I lifted my head up and met his eyes, but he only shrugged when he saw me, "You invited yourself in."

"Go shower."

"I'm going to bed."

Rather than give him the space I knew he wanted, I trailed a safe distance behind him. "When was the last time you changed clothes? Or showered? Have you eaten?"

"I'm fine, Aurora." he didn't even have enough energy to sound irritated. His voice lacked emotion in general. "Go home."

"Look, Onyx. I don't want to scrub my eyes out with soap, but I will." I ignored his previous comment. "I'll force you out of those clothes and into the shower myself if I have to."

As he lowered himself on to the edge of his bed, a faint smile tugged at the inner corners of his chapped lips. "Are you even tall enough to get this shirt off me?"

I smiled, "No, but with you sitting—"

I trailed off as I edged closer, but he immediately flew to the other side of his bed and shot me a warning look. "Don't you dare."

"Then be the big boy you are and go shower." I answered, crossing my arms. "I miss her too, Nyx, but this isn't what she'd want. This house is filthy, you look even worse than you smell, and I'm really trying not to fall apart right now. So please, go shower and I'll start cleaning."