Corruption

Mike and I were the last people to enter the house. My dad had invited most of the crew over for a large party so limos were showing up non-stop. I was seated on Mike’s couch in his room, Mike on his bed. We hadn’t talked the whole time we were home which was now going on its third hour.

Cassandra, which I now called Cass, was seated on my lap. She was snuggled up in a ball, sleeping. I stroked her neck as she slept. I knew I needed to say something to Mike to break the silence, but I didn’t know what to say. What could I possibly say?

Cass groaned in her sleep, rolling to her other side. I decided that was a good a sign as any to say something. “Happy birthday, Mike.” It was all I could come up with.

“Thanks. Happy birthday to you too.” He came and sat down next to me on the couch. I smiled at Cass; she had noticed Mike’s presence and sat straight up. She had grown a great liking to him in the past few hours.

Small white fur covered my black dress. I tried to wipe it off with no success. “You want to talk about it?” Mike asked. The fight we had the night before now disappeared like it always had. But it never left my mind.

I assumed he was talking about the movie my dad had produced. “Not really.”

Cass jumped off my lap and into Mike’s. He petted behind her ears, making her close her eyes in pleasure. “Okay.”

I turned to him. “Maybe I do.”

“Okay.” He said again.

I sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Well—I’ll be here when you make up your mind--just as long as it is within the next two days.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have to leave soon Candace. My mom needs me.”

I looked down at Cass, embarrassed for what I was going to say, but it had to be said. “I need you.”

Mike didn’t answer. He took my hand and squeezed it tightly. I assumed he was saying he knew, but couldn’t do anything about it. I assumed right. “Sorry.”

Maybe now would be a great time to tell him my plans for the future. Maybe he would stay with me to help me through it…but then I would hurt him. He would have to go. I needed to tell him, I just had to. Okay, here it goes, said in my mind, taking a deep breath. “Mike…” He looked up from Cass to look at me. “I need to tell you something—something important.”

He shifted where he sat, nervous about my tone of voice. “What?”

Someone knocked on the door and opened it a little. “Can I come in?” a voice said.

“Yeah.” Mike called in the direction of the door.

My mother walked in. still wearing the dress she had before. Once she us on the couch together, she smiled brightly. Mike starred at her, eyes open wide. “Well…” she said, clearly not knowing what to do. “How has your night been going?”

Cass jumped off the couch and ran over to my mother. She started to jump up and down, trying to get to her face. “Hi, Cassandra.” She said, patting her head. Cass yipped loudly in response, but didn’t stop jumping. Heaving myself off the couch, I crossed the room and scooped her up under my arm. She licked my face instead, giving up on my mother's.

My mother smiled at Cass and I. “It is pretty late, you two. You should be in bed.”

I looked over at Mike, but he was looking at my mother. I looked at her as well, seeing she was again, rubbing her stomach. I hadn’t noticed before, but it seemed a little bigger than normal. I stared at her as she walked over to Mike and bent low over him, whispering in his ear.

He shook his head as she scowled at him. “Why not?” she asked him.

He looked at me, then back at her. “Because.”

“Chicken.” She said.

I stepped towards them, not knowing what was going on. “Am I missing something?” I asked. They both just looked at me, not answering my question. My mother decided to change the subject.

“Did you like the movie?” She was smiling. It made my heart sink, knowing she had no idea what was really happening around her. She had no idea that the movie was really about our family.

I shuffled my feet, looking at the ground. “It was good.”

“I know!” She shrieked. “And the main character, the girl. I think her name was Cheri…anyway; she looked exactly like you. It was amazing. Your father agrees with me. She almost acted like you.”

Mike was watching me, seeing what I was going to do. I didn’t know if I could speak without bursting into tears, so I nodded. I just wanted to tell my mother everything that was happening in my life. I use to be able to do that, but now…everything has changed so dramatically.

I turned on my heal and marched out of the room with Cass still under my arm. When I was out of the room, I let the tears fall. I could hold the secret in for my father for the rest of my life, but it wasn’t my secret to tell. I didn’t know what to do. No one followed me to my room, which I was glad for.

I got out of my fur covered dress and into my pajamas. Cass started to bark at the double doors while I was changing, but I didn’t mind. I wasn’t listening; I was thinking. Mike and my mom have been spending a lot of time together, and I didn’t get why. I knew it wasn’t a surprise party because Aiden and Mike were doing that. What would my mother want to talk about with Mike?

When I got out of the closet, Cass ran to me, barking frantically. “What?” I asked her, bending down to her height. She ran to the double doors of the balcony, then back to me.

I followed her to the double doors, and opened them. Cass ran to the railing and looked down, still barking. Aiden’s head popped up from the railing. “You little rascal.” He said to Cass. He pulled himself over the railing, and strode over to her, picking her up and stroking her head.

Like she usually did when someone was petting her, she closed her eyes. Aiden set her down on the ground, patting her head on last time. “I was going to surprise you.” He said. I didn’t smile. I was to upset to smile, but he already knew that. I figured that is why he was here. He had those ‘hunches’ all the time. He usually just didn’t act on them.

I walked over to the railing, looking at the moon above. It wasn’t a full moon, but was getting there. Maybe tomorrow… I learned to hate full moons. Something bad always happened on full moons.

Aiden followed and stood next to me, looking at the moon as well. Cass had sat down at my feet, watching as the bugs whizzed around us. She snapped at a few of them as they went by her face.

“I could tell you were having a bad night, so I thought I would come over.” He turned his back on the moon, clearly hating how close it was to a full one.

“That was nice of you.” I said. I hadn’t seen him for a few days. It was weird not seeing him, but it was weirder seeing him.

“You want to tell me what’s up?” Aiden asked casually. He didn’t want to push me, but he didn’t want to act like he didn’t care. If I said no, then I might regret it later and actually want to talk. If I said yes, then that would mean that he would expect me to tell him everything. I didn’t know if I could do either.

I decided to start with what was bothering at the moment. Then I would really be saying ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ “We all went to see the movie my dad produced today.”

Aiden nodded. “I heard about that.”

“It was just really weird—how everything was about my life—I mean. I don’t know. It just upset me to see it on screen, telling me that it really did happen.”

“I’m sure it was hard.”

“And my mom still doesn’t see it!”

“That’s because she doesn’t want to.”

“She doesn’t want to see anything. She is so oblivious to everything around her. I don’t think she even knows that I’m not here more than half the time. She doesn’t care about it either.”

“I’m sure she cares. She just trusts you.”

“A little too much.” I mumbled. “I don’t know how I am going to tell her.”

“Tell her…”

“Everything! About us, about that night, about what I want to be, and about me and Mike.”

“Is there a Mike and you?”

I looked up at Aiden’s face. He didn’t seem to be accusing me; he didn’t seem to be mad either. He just looked curious. “I’m not sure.” I said truthfully.

“You don’t have to tell your parents anything.”

“But I do. I want to be with you.”

Aiden embraced me in a hug, tightly wrapping his arms around me. “You can be with me.”

My words weren’t that audible because I said them into Aiden’s chest. “Not forever.”

Aiden led me over to the bed and lay next to me. I stared at him, as he brushed strands of hair behind my ears. “Mike and my mom have been spending a lot of time together. I think they are planning something.”

“Maybe it is a surprise for your birthday.”

“But it’s not. You and Mike are doing that.” When Aiden raised his eyebrows at me, I smiled. “I’m not that oblivious. I’ve known for awhile, but I swear; I will act surprised.”

“Alright.”

“My mom has been acting weird too. It is killing me not knowing.”

“You’ll find out sooner or later.”

I watched as he smiled a little. “Do you know something?” I asked him.

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

I sighed in frustration. “This stinks!”

Aiden laughed and kissed me lightly on the forehead. “Don’t worry about it.” He got up to leave, but I grabbed his face and brought it to mine. It seemed like ages since we kissed. It felt good to do it now.

Aiden lay back on the bed, smiling into the kiss. “I love you.” I whispered in his ear.

“I love you too.” He said before bringing his lips back to mine.