#SOTUS Continued: Book Two A BoysLove Tale

Working From Home

Oak's POV

"What's the matter, 'Prang?" I ask, walking into the kitchen, finding my girlfriend stomping her foot and tugging on her ponytail as she listens to something on her phone. I pause when she holds up a finger to me. I watch as whatever is being said makes her madder. I grab the phone from her when she goes to throw it.

"Give it to me," Maprang snaps.

"No," I tell her, "What is with your family and throwing phones? First, Ai'Kammon, and now you." I wait as Maprang glares at me. I do a mental fist pump when she looks away first. "'Prang, why did you want to kill your phone?"

"Because my uncle is an ass!" Maprang growls. I have never met Kammon's father, but I hate this man already.

"Was that him on the phone?" I walk over to stand in front of Maprang.

"He is insisting Kam and I come home," Maprang grumbles, "I could hear Mom in the background telling him to leave us alone."

"Your uncle is staying at your house?" I question. Why would he be there?

"Whenever he is in our town, he stays with my parents," Maprang sighs, "I don't know why he does. It is not like my mom likes him much."

"Or you," I add, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Or me," Maprang confirms with a small smile. "What am I going to do, Oak?"

"Go home," I say, and I shake my head when she starts to protest. "'Prang, all of us are going to have to. We have been gone for more than two weeks."

"And we are no closer to finding this person, Oak," Maprang points out, "And you want Kam and me to go home?" Stepping forward, I pull her into a hug.

"We won't stop looking," I assure her, "We will just be working from our houses."

"Like working from home is feasible," Maprang sulks, "How are we going to discuss stuff? And if I am home with my mom and uncle, how do we hide it from them?"

"Your mom already knows," I shrug, "As for your uncle, I don't know." I feel her sigh. "We have to go home. I am sorry, 'Prang. But we do."

"He is right, 'Prang," Kammon says behind me, and I hiss when Maprang raises her head, clipping my chin. I keep from yelling, but I can taste the blood from where I bit my tongue.

"Warn people," I grumble at Kammon.

"Sorry, Ai'Oak," Kammon says contritely, and I find myself wanting to feel his forehead to see if he is well. Kammon snorts, "I am not sick or anything, Oak. I can be nice, you know."

"I know," I agree, "Just catches me off guard when you are."

"Why is he right?" Maprang demands, "Do you really want to do what your father says and go back home? To your home? Where that freak can find you?" Maprang jabs his chest, "You want to go back to that?!?" She points over his shoulder, "What about him? How will he feel if you go back?" I look over and see that P'Bright is standing in the doorway. Kammon turns and looks at his boyfriend and sighs when P'Bright gives him a shrug.

"We talked about it, 'Prang," Kammon says, looking back at Maprang. "P'Bright and I both agree if we are going to catch this person..." Kammon runs his hand through his hair, "I have to be the bait."

"Bait? Bait? BAIT?!?" Maprang shrieks, "You want to be BAIT!"

"Calm down, N'Prang," P'Bright walks over and lays a hand on her shoulder. I have to give it to him. He is braver than me. My girlfriend is about to lose it. "We have hit a wall here. Nothing has changed, and how long do you think we can hide here at Ai'Knott's Gran's house?" He ruffles her hair, "I wish we were all back on campus so we could work on this like we did N'Wad's case, but it is summer, and we are supposed to be with family."