The Boy Who Cried Wolf《Abused! Aarmau A.U.》

《4》

"Do you believe in things you shouldn't believe in?" Aphmau inquired, holding one of Aaron's hands with both of her own.

They were at the park a few days after their identities were revealed. They had just begun talking, and Aphmau was already digging into Aaron.

"... I don't really know..." Aaron shrugged. "I believe a lot of things I shouldn't."

"What's the main one?"

Aaron hesitated. He already knew his answer but didn't know how to word it.

"I believe that... Um... That nightmares... Nightmares come true before dreams..." Aaron looked away from Aphmau.

Aaron sometimes had bouts of low moments, moments when anything and everything got to him and anything and everything could be coaxed out of him. This was one of those moments. He felt useless and like he was a burden and was just a waste of space. 

"What about you?" Aaron inquired. 

"Hu? Oh... Well... I believe that some people grow up to be heroes. They save lives, inspire people, and live righteously. Most people live productively. They help others, do good work, and have plenty of people that love them. Then there's me. I'm useless. My work means nothing. They all hate me, but can't bring themselves to say it to my face." 

Aaron twiddled his thumbs and refused to meet her eyes. "I don't hate you." He mumbled.

Saying that Aaron touched a nerve was an understatement. Just with four words, he sent Aphmau into a crying fit.

"Yeah, right! You totally don't hate me! After all that you've done to me at school, you think I'm going to believe that? You only like me because I'm Shu!" Aphmau choked. Aaron flinched when she suddenly stood up.

"Aphmau... C'mon, I was just-" Aaron started.

"Just what? Just what and when?"

"I was just scared when I first saw you at school! You took a picture and I was in it!"

"So you hip-checked me? I could've just deleted it! You could've just asked me to delete it!"

"I didn't know how to talk to people! I mean, I would talk to the pack every once and a while, but I wouldn't talk to anyone else!"

"Don't talk like you got past that! You still don't talk to anyone!"

"What about you? I talk to you! Doesn't that count?"

Aaron's world came to a screeching halt. It happened in slow motion, but the pain moved quickly. Aphmau had slapped him and showed no remorse. Her eyes were almost hollow and the burning amber was frozen, keeping the fossil of their friendship trapped behind them. 

Aaron was just as empty as Aphmau's eyes.

***

When peoples worlds come crashing down, they are supposed to get time to rebuild them before it collapses again.  Aaron wishes that was his case, but it seemed more like his attempts to rebuild were for null. It was wrecking ball after wrecking ball, the rising dust left no time to breathe.

The red slap mark was still prominent on his face when he got home. He could not face his dad, so he hung his head as he walked in.

"What's on your face?" His father, Derek, inquired. They stood in front of the stairwell, Derek blocking Aaron's path. 

"Nothing." Aaron replied, trying to step around his father. 

"Aaron Lycan, look me in the eyes." 

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I got into a fight, okay? Just let me go to my room."

"A fight doesn't last hours, Aaron. Where were you?"

"No where! Mother of Irene why don't you trust me?!" Aaron looked up,  his eyes untamed and his blood boiling in anger.

"This is why I don't trust you! Look at you, Aaron, you're out of control, again!"

"I only get out of control with you! I never have to worry about my anger because no one pisses me off like you do!"

Aaron slapped his hands over him mouth. He was almost proud to stand up to his father, but his choice of words was what was going to get him in the most trouble.

"Is there something you think I'm doing wrong by trying to protect everyone?! You were hanging out with that Aphmau girl, hu? What if you turn her? Oh! I can already see the headlines! Son of huge company turns student into werewolf-"

"What I think you're doing wrong is putting the family  business first! Before the whole if people find out I'm an ultima then we're to get locked up thing! Do you ever think that maybe I would have better control over my eyes if I wasn't a prisoner?! If I was able to learn to calm myself in other ways than locking myself in my room and crying until I physically can not cry anymore!"

Derek glared down Aaron before sighing and pushing him back,  just enough to make him stumble, and walking away.

Aaron was shocked. He knew he should not be so upset about that,  he was blocking his father, but the shove hurt. He stormed to his room and slammed the door.

He had no one to talk to,  no shoulder to cry on, no one to do a dungeon with, and no one to heal him. Then again, no one's going to help a monster, a no one. The only time he was able to be a hero was in his game,  but even then Shu did the most.

He now saw what Aphmau meant. Of course their perspectives were different and the revelations were not the same circumstance, but Aaron somehow saw her belief.

And he wished he did not.