Dangerous Game

8 - Paper Airplanes

By the way, I didn't think that quote described the chapter at all, but I thought that it summed up Adrian as a person.
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Adrian
Bullets were fired. They flew through the air at the speed of sound. I smile, in contentment, as I pull the trigger. Dad had always said I could shoot a gun with accuracy. He had said to me that I could fire a bullet, and scream "I'll see you in hell" right afterwards.

I laughed at that.

I still remember the ghost of a smile she had given me before she died. I hate to admit that I had cried that day. I fell to my knees, and I cried.

I blamed myself for her death. I couldn't help it. It was my fault that she took a bullet to the heart. It was my fault, because I couldn't fight when I was thirteen. All I could do was watch. I watched as a guy with bloodshot eyes gave my mom the bullet that killed her.

Before my mom died, I dreamed of becoming a pilot. At the young age of thirteen, I had plans for the future. Her death changed those plans. I was terrified of flying. The thought of airplanes made me sick. Which happens to be the reasons for my paper airplane tattoo that Aurora seems so hell-bent on uncovering.

Now, I have different plans for the future. I'd like to be in the Navy, just like my father did. I dream of becoming a cop, just like my father did.

My mom was a nurse at the local hospital. She dedicated her life to saving others. And that killed her. You see, I blame myself for her death, because the knocked up rich kids didn't want to kill her. Their gun was aimed at me. But, the bullet never pierced my skin. Instead, the bullet caused the death of my mom.

Dad married another woman last year. Her name is Laura. Like my mom, she dedicates her life to saving others. She assists in the birth of infants.
Laura has a son named Chase.

I'm pretty sure he's gay, but he won't admit it. Every time I ask him if he has a girlfriend, he shakes his head. Sure, the guy could think he's too young for a girlfriend, but I stand by my previous statement.

My gaze is fixated on the bull's-eye located in the middle of the target, as I fire the last bullet. Dad pats me on the back, "I'm proud of you, son." I hand the rifle back to him, and he slides it into his holster.

Living in Canada has restrictions on carrying a firearm, in concealment, unless you have valid reasons. Which I'm pretty sure I do not.

I shrug my black woolen coat over my shoulders, and follow him out the doors of the police station. The wind grazes my face, and I shove my hands into my coat pockets. I hop into the driver's seat of my truck.

Despite my dad's constant whining, I sang along to the Youngblood CD that I had left in the truck, two days prior. I'm sorry I have a mind-blowing voice, and you have the voice of a dying animal, dad. But, even if he constantly denies it, he has a secret obsession with "Empty Wallets."

The heavenly scent of vegetable soup fills my nostrils as I enter the kitchen. Laura makes the best soup I've ever tasted. She deserves a damn Oscar. After washing my hands, I walk over to her, and give her a hug. She smiles at me, but her smile soon fades when I fling water droplets at her.

"Adrian!" She complains, trying her best to dry herself with a dish towel. Needless to say, she fails miserably. I stifle a laugh. Even though I'd never call her mom, I care about Laura. Her love for me is equivalent to a mother's.

Equivalent to the love that my mom had for me.

After I had eaten my bowl of soup, I walked out onto the back porch for a quick smoke. Because of our shitty excuse for a mower, the backyard was unevenly cut. Dad had given up on the mower a few years back, and hadn't coughed up enough money to buy a new one. He said that having a mower wasn't a necessity at the moment.

My gaze shifted to the twinkling stars that make it their life mission to light up the sky at night. Ever since I was little, I thought that the stars are just loved ones watching over us. I can assure you that my mom is up there, residing as one of the best angels by far.

Dad said to me once, "she's proof that you can walk through hell and back, and still be an angel." I'm thinking about tattooing those words on my body in the future. Maybe behind my neck.

My mom was a strong woman who wouldn't let anyone see her break. She tried her best to keep her shit together when the world was falling apart. She had to be strong, of course, if she handled my Navy Veteran of a dad.

"Adrian, can I talk to you?" Chase asked me. He had his hands in his pockets, and a nervous smile at the edge of his lips. I lifted my gaze to meet his.

I crushed the bud of my cigarette under my shoe, and waited for him to continue. Finally, he sighs, "a guy kissed me." I simply shrugged.

Does he think I'd judge him? What is he worried about? Laura wouldn't care, and dad sure as hell wouldn't. He treats Chase like his own son, and he doesn't like to be judgemental. Not even to the people that he has to arrest. I'm pretty sure that's one of the reasons why my mom fell in love with him. She appreciated the soft side to his otherwise bad boy cop aura.

This chapter is strictly in Adrian's Pov, and doesn't reveal much about how he feels about Aurora for various reasons. I wanted to tell his story, without any conversations with Aurora. I mentioned her once, but that's it. I'll switch POVs like this on various occasions. I might even do a perspective from the minor characters, such as Hunter, Poppy, and Emerson. They have different viewpoints from Aurora and Adrian, who I'm now calling Audrian, and they should be addressed.