Menagerie

Chapter 21 - Jasper

My phone rang, waking me up. I snatched it from the bedside table and hit the side button to turn the ringer off. Lyle's eyes slitted open for a moment before drifting shut again. He was asleep again in seconds. I looked down at my screen, where the call was still waiting to be answered. It was my parents.

A debate raged through my mind. I could ignore the call and try to go back to sleep, but just seeing their smiling picture on my screen had my adrenaline racing. I had to tell them about Lyle, and the sooner the better. Waiting would only make me more anxious, and they would pick up on something being wrong. I didn't want them to think I regretted this, though I was honestly still coming to terms with it.

I took too long to debate and my screen went dark. I was just starting to relax when the display lit up again and this time, I knew I had to answer. They would worry if I didn't and they would call Penny, who would go looking for me in the room I wasn't currently sharing with Serena.

I didn't want to wake Lyle again but I was still naked, so I was stuck in the room. I shut myself in the bathroom and hoped it damped the sound enough before answering the call. "Hi," I said nervously. How could one syllable sound so tremulous? Maybe they wouldn't pick up on it.

"Jasper, honey? Are you okay?" Mom asked.

I squeezed my eyes shut. "I'm great." I didn't sound great and I knew it, but what else could I do? Blurt out the truth? Maybe that was the way to go. Rip off the metaphorical band-aid.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, sounding concerned.

I bit my lip and tried to come up with a response, but my mind blanked and I took too long. Mom said, "Hold on, Jazz. I'm getting your father."

I could hear movement in the background and my father's low voice in the background. Mom whispered something I couldn't make out before there was more shuffling and static through the line. Finally, Dad said, "Jasper? We're both here. What's going on?"

I took in a deep breath and exhaled audibly. "Everything's fine," I said. My voice sounded steadier this time.

"Something's up, Clark," Mom said. "I know it."

"Maybe Jasper doesn't want to talk about it right now," Dad said to her.

"Is it Penny?" Mom asked, ignoring him. "Owen sounds like a nice man, but is he treating her well?"

"Owen's great, Mom," I said, though I hadn't actually seen much of him. We were shut in a van for most of yesterday, sure, but I hadn't exactly been feeling social. I knew Penny was deliriously happy with him, though, so I didn't feel like I was lying to my parents.

"Rose, you just grilled Ellie about Owen last night. Ellie was singing his praises," Dad reminded Mom. Ellie was her sister and Charlotte's mother.

"She also said that her new son-in-law is loads better than ours," Mom said. I could tell she was pouting and it made me laugh. The anxiety that had been crawling up my throat eased back a little. I loved my parents. There had never been a time I broached a difficult topic with them and regretted it. They were always there for me, I knew that. I could tell them about Lyle.

"Mom, Dad," I said. "I need to tell you something." I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip, trying and failing to keep my heartrate even. Instead, it raced with nerves and my fingers started trembling enough that I feared I would drop my phone.

"We're listening," Dad said. His voice was calm and steady. It reassured me.

"I'm mated."

There. Not so bad, was it?

But then Mom yelped and I heard static over the phone again. Dad's laughter came over the line, but it sounded distant. More static, then Dad said, "Your mother dropped the phone. You still there?"