Chapter 5
Uriah
The next few days were pretty great. Better in fact. Aaron and I spent almost every moment together. He still wouldn’t divulge anything too personal and our make-out sessions never progressed beyond kissing, but I could feel him opening up to me. It was clear from those deep green eyes that he wanted to trust me. Something was holding him back. While sex was always on my mind, I did want to get to know Aaron as a person. Not surprising. He was very engaging. It was hard keeping track of time when we were together. The sadness never completely left his eyes, but there were moments when it would step away. The more he came out of his shell, the more he let me into his world. I really liked his sense of honor. I didn’t get all his jokes, but I adored the fact that he was always trying to make me laugh. He was still self-conscious, but he no longer cringed or shrunk away when I touched him. Our clothes never came off and I wasn’t allowed below the belt, but I still did my best to explore his body. Once, during a make-out session, my hand grazed his stomach and he was quick to tell me he was doing crunches. He can do whatever he wants. I don’t care. His gut didn’t bother me. In fact, I found it endearing. I still had the occasional sex dream about Aaron, but they were all vague. After one particularly foggy dream, I realized I didn’t know exactly how gay sex worked. What little I remembered from my dreams didn’t give me any clues. As time went on, I became increasingly curious. I wanted to ask Aaron about it, but I was afraid of scaring him off. Our time together was softening him up, but he was never completely at ease.
By Wednesday, we’d pretty much fallen into a routine. Seeing as I was “green,” Aaron started taking me to various hang out spots around town. Today, we were sitting across from each other in the foodcourt at the mall.
“So, what’d you do before your mother moved you out of the city?” he asked as he dug into a medium caesar salad with ranch dressing. I was already several bites into the first of two footlong subs.
“Hung out with my friends. Played video games.”
“And you didn’t keep in touch with any of them?”
“For a little while I did, but overtime they moved on. When you have to rely on your mother for rides, hanging with the cool kids is kind of hard.”
“That sucks,” Aaron said sympathetically. “What’s your mom’s story?”
I shrugged. “She’s just trying to protect me.”
“From what?”
I arched an eyebrow. “Haven’t you heard? People get mugged around here.”
Aaron chuckled. The sound sent a tingle through me. For the thousandth time my mind went straight to sex. Our make-out sessions are great, but I longed for more. Just the thought sent my blood rushing south. Shit. I can’t be around him without getting hard. I’ve noticed guys before, but none of them effected me this strongly. Every time Aaron and I kissed, I sprung wood. A couple times I tried pressing my erection against him in hopes of getting him in the mood, but it never worked. He always jerked away.
We both returned to our food for a few minutes. While Aaron was calmly eating his salad, I was struggling to control myself. Looking at him didn’t help. Everything about his turned me on; those deep green eyes, his boyish looks. But most of all his body. While I had yet to see him in his birthday suit, I could tell his worked out. Apart from his belly, the rest of his body was nicely toned. His clothes weren’t form fitting, but they did accent his physique.
When Aaron spoke again, his salad was almost gone. “So, do you ever visit your dad?”
“No,” I replied, eager for the distraction.
“Have you seen him since you and your mom left France?” I shook my head. Aaron looked stunned. “Why not? Are your parents not together anymore or something?”
“No, they’re still together. My mother goes to visit him from time to time.”
“But she doesn’t bring you along?” I loved talking to him, but I hated lying and telling half-truths. For a brief moment, I pondered showing him my wings, but I immediately shut down that notion. My mother has warned me a thousand times what would happen if anyone ever found out the truth about me. It was too risky. While I felt very comfortable around Aaron, we still just met. I had no idea how he would react if he knew what I really was.
“I don’t know why he doesn’t come here to visit,” I said, avoiding his question. “Maybe he’s afraid to fly or something.”
“Does that bother you?”
“Not really. I mean, I don’t really remember him.”
Aaron shrugged. “If you’re cool with it… My dad might as well be in another country.”
I was about to ask what he meant by that, but he had already moved on. “Hey, care for the last bite of my salad? I should’ve gotten the small.”
“Why not?” I’d already finished both my sandwiches and there was still a little room left. I expected him to slide his tray over, but instead he forked up the ranch-soaked lettuce and held it out to me. Leaning forward, I slid the food off the utensil with my mouth while giving him a salacious smile. Aaron’s lips parted slightly, but before he could respond, some guy at the table over said, “hey, check it out.” Glancing over, I found him staring straight at us. His friend looked our way. After a momentary pause, he coughed while muttering something under his breath. I didn’t catch what he’d said, but Aaron was on his feet in an instant, rage emanating from him.
“You got something to say, say it!”
The guy who’d pointed us out also got to his feet, an evil smile curling his lips. “Alright, I’ll say it. You and your boyfriend better go somewhere else. We don’t wanna see that shit here! Certainly not while we’re trying to eat.”
“Yeah,” his friend chimed in, also standing up. “Why don’t you two take your queer asses someplace else?”
They were clearly trying to intimidate him, but Aaron didn’t flinch. Instead he took a step forward, his chin out. “You don’t scare me. You’re nothing, but a couple punk ass hillbillies. Here’s an idea. Why don’t you leave? No one wants your homophobic, bigot asses here!”
“What’s going on?” I asked, also getting up. Obviously these guys had said something to offend him, but I had no idea what. I didn’t know what was about to go down, but when I rose up to my full height, both boys quickly stepped back.
“Jesus Christ!” one of them hissed, his eyes bulging from their sockets. “He’s a fucking giant! Let’s get out of here, man!” Abandoning their food, the two guys scampered away.
“Yeah, you’d better run!” Aaron called after them.
“What was that about?” I asked as he took his seat, his face still flushed. I also sat down while trying to catch up.
“Nothing. Just a couple close-minded jerks.”
“What’d they say?”
“They called us fags.”
“What does that mean?”
Aaron’s face went from enraged to bewildered in point zero seconds. “You don’t know what a faggot is?” I shook my head. “It’s what jerk wads like that call people like us.”
“They have a problem with our relationship?”
He nodded, now looking amazed. “You’ve never witness homophobia before? Not even at your school?”
“I only attended public school from fourth to ninth grade. I saw a few gay kids, but I don’t remember anyone ever having a problem with them. But then, I wasn’t paying that much attention.”
“Well, then I guess this is one of life’s harder lessons. People aren’t always going to be okay with us. You’ll just have to learn to tune them out.”
We both fell silent while Aaron gathered up our trash. I hated the thought of anyone saying anything to hurt him, but something one of those guys had said caught my attention.
“Hey,” I said, brushing his arm as we got up. “Pug face called me your boyfriend. Is that true?”
He dumped our trash in the nearest disposal unit before turning to face me. I expected him to shy away again, but to my relief he smiled. “Yeah, I guess it is.”
&nb
sp; After what Aaron had said about life’s harder lessons, I expected us to encounter similar resistance, but the rest of the day was uneventful. Before long, I forgot all about those two Neanderthals. Aaron had my full attention. The more time we spent together, the more I learned about him. In general, he wasn't overly emotional, but the way he reacted to those guys at the mall really caught my attention. Most of the time he was light-hearted and goofy, but he was also passionate, zesty and fearless. And that's not all. I was quickly picking up on his various quirks. He’d already confessed to being blunt, but he also had a tendency to make comments or ask questions that would throw me off. Like he was deliberately trying to stun me. He no longer yanked self-consciously at his shirt, but when other people were around, he always sucked in his gut. His voice remained low and masculine most of the time, but every once in a while, like at the diner when I tried to kiss him, he would pull a high pitched girly voice. That was strictly reserved for quick, one-liners. But most tantalizing of all, he would occasionally wink at me if something had sexual connotations. Given his chastely ways, I assumed this was remanence from another time. Still, it took a world of self-control not to pounce on him every time he did that.
When Aaron pulled up in front of my house on Thursday, I was about to go out to greet him when my mother appeared from down the hall. She knew I was getting rides into the city and though she never said anything, I could tell she didn’t approve. When I saw her in the hallway, I assumed her damn had finally burst, but to my surprise she smiled.
“Invite him in.”
“Really?”
“Sure. I’d like to meet the boy who has my son so captivated.”
“Okay.” I wasn’t sure if this was a good or a bad thing, but since she didn’t look upset, I went along with it. Going out onto the front porch, I waved for Aaron to come inside. This was a first so naturally he looked surprised. He looked over his shoulder as if excepting someone to be standing behind him. Of course there wasn't. Turning back to face me, he pointed at his chest with a comically over-exaggerated ‘who me’ look. I couldn’t help laughing. His expression was priceless. Within seconds Aaron was on the porch beside me.
“What’s up?”
“My mom wants to meet you.”
His smile slipped away. “Should I be nervous?”
I understood his angst. He hasn’t said anything, but since I expressed my regrets about being pulled out of public school, I think he sees her as some overbearing, overprotective barbarian queen. He still can't believe we don’t have TV or internet.
“No, you’re fine. She just wants to say hi.” I hoped that was true. While my mother is kind and sweet most of the time, she does have claws. Not literally. I led Aaron into the house where Mom was waiting. When he entered, she gave him a once-over, her eyes resting maybe a little too long on his stomach. I don’t know if she was making a point, but I could already see Aaron starting to squirm. Finally her eyes came back up to his face and she smiled.
“Hello, I’m Uriah’s mother as I’m sure you know.” she extended a hand and he hastily shook it, his dark green eyes momentarily taking in the black markings that started on the backs of her hands and spiraled an inch or so up her wrist.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs…” It was only then that I realized Aaron didn’t know my last name. Or should I say, the name my mother chose when she filed my citizenship papers ten years ago. She was technically illegal.
“Smith,” Mom quickly filled in. “Mrs. Smith.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Smith. I’m Aaron Applegate.”
“Applegate?” she arched an eyebrow. “That’s an interesting name.”
“I’m an interesting guy.”
“You must be.” Mom took a step back to gave Aaron another once-over. “Then again, it doesn’t take much to catch my son’s attention.”
I bristled, but I didn’t want to make a scene in front of my boyfriend. Boyfriend. I like the sound of that. I’ve had a few girlfriends, but never a boyfriend. After what happened in the foodcourt yesterday, it hit me that I didn’t know how my new relationship would be viewed on my home world. Would I be shunned or accepted? During my studies, my mother has told me countless facts about Antomia, but there was still so much I didn’t know about the place that she wanted me to call home.
When Aaron didn’t respond, my mother continued. “So, what exactly is your relationship with my son?”
He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He clearly wasn’t prepared for an interrogation. I felt bad. Had I known my mother would act like this, I never would've introduced them.
“We’re dating,” I quickly supplied. “We’ve been seeing each other for almost a week now.”
“Really?” The idea of her son being with another boy didn’t seem to faze her. I was certain her only beef was with the fact that he was human. “Uriah told you we’d be leaving soon, right?”
Aaron looked stunned. “Leaving? Where?”
“My mother is getting a little ahead of herself,” I interjected, casting her a warning look. “As far as I know, there are no immediate plans to relocate. Unless she knows something I don’t.”
“You know what, you’re right,” Mom said, her eyes now fixed intently on Aaron’s protruding belly. “We don’t have a specific departure date, but sooner or later we will be taking off. If you kids want to have fun in the meantime, go right ahead.”
“Where are you going?” Aaron asked, eyeing my mother before turning his attention to me. As he did so, he started tugging at his shirt. It had been a while since I’d seen him do that. He’s regressing. Un-freaking believable! I tired to control the anger that was rapidly building in my chest.
“Nowhere. Mom has been threatening to move us back to France for years, but nothing ever changes.”
“You know what, I shouldn’t have said anything.” she was now feinting regret. “Who knows what the future holds. You two have a good time.” With that, she disappeared down the hall. I knew what she was doing. She didn’t want me getting involved with anyone and she was trying to sabotage my relationship. I was so mad my hands began to shake. This wasn’t the first time she’d imposed her well on me. She’d brought my last relationship to an abrupt end. The memory sent chills down my spin. I should’ve known she wouldn’t be okay with this.
“Hey, man. I’m sorry,” I said, turning to Aaron who still looked stunned. “I had no idea she’d act like that.”
“Are you really moving back to France?” His voice was soft, that same almost incoherent tone from when we first met.
“Of course not. My mother is just trying to scare you away. You wondered why she moved us out here and doesn’t allow me to watch TV or have internet? It’s to keep me isolated.”
“Why does she want you isolated?”
“I have no idea. When we moved to the United States, she said it was for a better life, but now she does everything in her power to make my life miserable.” I was practically in tears by the end of this spiel. I didn’t want Aaron to see me cry, but I wasn’t sure I could hold back the tide.
“Well, you’re almost eighteen,” he said, coming over and plastering himself against me. “Soon she wouldn’t be able to control you anymore.” I nodded silently, still trying to get my emotions under control. “Come on,” my boyfriend said, pulling away as he took my hand. “Let’s get out of here. The negative energy is giving me dandruff.”
I laughed. My mom might bring me down, but he knows how to lift me back up. Hand in hand, we left the house. I couldn’t wait to get back to the city. I had to get away from the painful memories of my past.
“So where to?” Aaron asked, backing out of the driveway.
“The library.” I knew this was a place he liked to go and although at first the thought of going there intimidated me, I was determined to get over my fear. Now that he knew about my problem, maybe he could help me. I would never be able to read like normal people. When my wings are out I can’t read at all, but at least I wanted to get
a handle on my public reading anxiety. I hate the fact that words become jumbled when I’m excited or nervous.
“Thought maybe you could help me out with my reading anxiety.”
“Are you sure?” Aaron cast me a look.
“I’m sure.”
We were both silent for several minutes before he spoke. “So, what’s up with her tattoos?”
“Sorry?”
He glanced at me before returning his eyes to the road. “Your mother, on the backs of her hands. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was badass. Don’t know a lot of moms with hand tats.”
I hesitated, not sure what to say. What he called tattoos were more like birth marks, classifying her as a Teacher. That’s how she’s able to download me with information. People like her can either learn something on their own or upload it from others. They then have the power to download that knowledge to any individual.
I finally shrugged. “We all have a past.”
“You got that right,” Aaron replied, a far off look momentarily dominating his face. Fortunately, he didn’t pursue the subject further.
When we arrived at the public library, he took me to the kids’ section. “We should start small. No point jumping in too deep.” I silently watched as he perused the shelves for a moment before choosing a book. “Here. Pickles’ Pink Powder Party.” He held the cover up for me to see. “Can you read the subtitle?”
“A tantalizing tale of…” my voice trailed off when I noticed a mother and daughter a few shelves away. I don’t think they saw me, but my heart began to pound. Very quickly the brief subtitle looked jumbled and confused. I couldn’t discern a single word. My face flushed as I struggled to read a simple sentence.
“Here.” Aaron gestured to a couple of chairs near the window. “Try and relax. You’re getting too worked up.” When we were seated, he told me to take a couple deep breaths. “Don’t worry about getting through the whole thing. Just focus on one word at a time.”
The Flyer (The Flyer Series Book 1) Page 6