Two Of A Kind

8. What you know, will hurt

Rider's pov~

       My mind was going crazy. I couldn't stop thinking about my confession to Aiden last week, after our walk. I've been avoiding him like the plague. In the hallways at school, in the cafeteria, even when I saw him at the park yesterday. I had to hurry up and hide behind a slide just so he wouldn't notice me. I didn't know what came over me; what the hell possessed me to tell him that? He probably thought I was a nut job. Shit, I would think I'm a nut job too. Why would I be thinking about him in that kind of way when our friendship was just starting to be repaired? Not even a month goes by, and I go and fuck it up. This is what I hated about myself, boy did I know how to ruin the moment.

        That wasn't the only reason why my mind was going crazy though. I've been preparing for this day all week, and so has my mother. We both knew what it's been a year since, and we both dared not to mention it, but the silence was overbearing between us with unspoken thoughts, like a grey cloud full of rain hovering over the world. It was September 24, Eanraig's death day.

         This was a different kind of pain. I'd been hurt many times before by many different people, but Eanraig's death hit the hardest. The second hardest was his birthday. We were more tolerant on his birthday though, because that's when we got to celebrate his life, something we did in all his 18 years of living. Today was the complete opposite, we had to think about the life he would never get to live.

     "Earnest, what are you doing here?" I heard my mother's voice through the thin walls.
"I came to spend today with Rider, I promised her we'd hang out soon, and I feel like this is the best time to get her mind off things." That was my dad speaking indeed.
"But we were supposed to hang out today, you know what today is." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. I understood where she was coming from completely. Eanraig meant a lot to all of us and it would only be right to spend today together, I couldn't leave my mother alone at a time like this. My dad must have sensed this too.

    "You're right Regina, let's hang out as a family." I took that as my cue to exit my room and join my parents downstairs.
"Good morning sweetheart." My mother stated when she noticed me.
"Good morning ma. Dad." I kissed my mothers forehead, and turned to face my father next.
"So, what brings you here?" I asked even though I heard the whole conversation already.
"We're going out today, your mother and I decided that it's best that you and her get out of the house for a while.

        There was nothing I wanted more than to be in the comfort of my own home, but I knew that if I refused, my dad would've had a heart attack.
"Sure, let me go freshen up, I'll be done in a bit." I didn't wait for a response, I just rushed up the stairs to my room and shut the door. I didn't think it'd be this weird seeing my dad again. I mean he left almost a month ago and hasn't even called, then he shows up the day my brother died, and expects for us to just do as he says with no argument. It was all too much. I thought about going back down there and telling them that I didn't want to go, but I decided against it. I threw on a oversized hoodie and made my way back to the front door.

      "Shall we?" My dad asked, reaching out his hand for me to take. I grabbed it reluctantly as we headed out the door.
"Where are we going anyway?" I questioned, wondering if I was dressed properly for the occasion.
"Nowhere special, just this new brunch place that opened up a few days ago." My mother was silent, I got the impression that she didn't want to be here, and neither did I.
"So how has school been?" My dad was asking too many questions, and I was trying my best to be patient with him. If he wanted to know so much why didn't he call or show up weeks ago.

     "So Earnie how has work been?" My mother felt that I didn't really want to talk, so she saved me.
My dad realized her actions, but didn't think too much on it.
"Uh great actually, we just signed a contract with D&J firm, their gonna help us expand to California." His face lit up when he talked about work but any other conversation didn't have this effect on him. I mentally rolled my eyes.