"Why isn't Alex downstairs yet?" He heard his father speak as he closed his room door and started walking towards the dining table.
"I wouldn't know, Ray. He's probably sleeping." Mrs. Black replied.
"Marissa, you've spoilt our baby." His voice wasn't really friendly anymore.
"He's not a baby anymore. For God's sake, he's officially an adult." She reciprocated his tone.
"Your adult was in jail last night!" Mr. Black raised his voice.
"What?" She looked genuinely surprised at what he had said.
"Mom, I'll tell you everything." Alex finally made his presence known.
"Alex? Is your dad telling the truth?" Marissa turned towards Alex.
"Yes." He replied, his voice barely audible.
"Please can you give me an aspirin first? My head hurts." He added, rubbing his temples now.
"He needs it to cure his hangover. A drunk and drive case. I'm really proud, Alexander Xavier Black. Can I please know why you pulled that stunt last night? You could have been killed!" Raymond tried to stay calm but he couldn't.
"Dad, I'm a freaking adult now." Alex's voice was sharp now.
"Alex... Tell me why did you get so drunk last night?" Before Raymond could reply, Marissa spoke and stopped a storm.
"Mom, it's just... I don't know." Alex sounded defeated and Raymond stiffened when he heard his son talk like this.
"I'm your mother, you can share anything with me." Marissa put her arm around his shoulder and spoke lightly.
"Mom, it's just that I had a terrible fight with Michael yesterday and school is really stressing me out. I didn't know I would do something like that. I'm sorry, mom. I'm sorry, dad." Alex told them about last night when he got drunk at a bar and drove back to the house almost getting killed in an accident. He stayed in jail for a few hours before Raymond bailed him out.
"It's okay." They both replied in unison. The family sat at the table and had their breakfast. It was all going well till Raymond spoke.
"How is Michael doing by the way? Seemed like a pretty nice guy. It's a shame that I didn't get to see him before."
Alex clenched his jaw and tried keeping calm. He was so angry at Michael that even his name was stressing him out.
"I wouldn't know." He replied, faking his calm.
"Why wouldn't you know? As far as I remember, he's your best friend." Raymond questioned in a curious way, something Alex hadn't seen before.
"Why do you even care about him?" Alex shouted.
"Why can't I ask you about your friend?" His father replied in a nonchalant way.
"Cause I freaking hate everything that goes around him. You have met that jerk just once and you're fighting with me over him." He yelled louder than before.
"Alex, mind your tongue. And I didn't raise you to call your best friend a jerk just after a petty fight." Raymond said, trying to keep calm now.
"Did you even raise me? I don't remember seeing you around very often. It was just me and only me. I didn't have anyone. I never had anyone!" He was still yelling.
"Alex stop yelling or I'll throw you out of this house." Raymond raised his tone a bit but he still looked calm.
"Ray, stop. He's not well right now, let him be. Don't fight with him over Michael, please." Marissa finally interfered.
"Marissa... How many times do I have to tell you? I don't like being interrupted. You've spoilt this child!" Raymond stood up, his tall dominating stature radiated anger at that moment.
"Don't blame it all on me! He's your child too and is not only my responsibility. For God's sake, leave him alone. He's not the same kid that you can lock up in his least favourite room to punish!" Marissa stood up and raised her voice at him.
"Marissa!" He raised his voice more than he had intended to and it scared her.
"Stop! Stop it! I am the problem, right? I'm leaving. Just pray that I get hit by a bus on my way so you don't have to see your ill-mannered child ever again!" Alex slammed his hands on the table and stormed out of the house. He expected to hear his parents yelling but they were quiet. Everything and everyone was quiet then.
*******
"I didn't expect you here." Abby spoke and pulled him back to the reality.
"What? Why? Oh, hi. I forgot to say it, sorry." He scratched the back of his head, clearly confused by what had just happened.
"Yeah, hi. You were quite busy staring at me. Do I have anything on my face?" She asked, equally confused.
"Yes, shitty but pretty features." Jason laughed at what he had said and Abby did too. The joke was lame but Jason's laugh was contagious.
They both found an empty bench in the park and sat on it.
"Well I thought you were at Sara's place. I remember you had to return a favour." Abby smirked at him.
"Yeah but I cancelled the plan." He shrugged his shoulders.
"Why?"
"Cause I knew you would be here and I just thought, why not annoy you for a while?" He grinned at her.
"Funny. I'm pretty sure that you would have more fun with that girl than me." She broke their eye contact and gazed at the tree in front of her.
"Why would you think that?" He laughed.
"Cause you are a fuckboy and you'd rather sleep with someone than talk to an awesome girl." She tried keeping a poker face.
"Seriously? You know it? Hmm, I see that you're really interested in me. Wow." He looked genuinely surprised.
"Dude, everyone knows that. I knew it before I even knew you name." Abby smirked at him.
"Now I come to think of it, that's really not surprising. I already know that everyone is obsessed with me so..." He shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
"So why did you choose the latter? Why talk to me in the evening too when we can talk daily at school?" She asked with no hint of humour in her voice.
"Umm, cause maybe I feel that's not enough?" He again gave the I don't know expression that Abby adored.
"Humph, humph, is Jason Comprehemmenlik Steiner falling for Abigail Louisa Anderson?" She smirked at him, hoping he'll take it as a joke.
"Hmm our wedding vows will sound like that, right?" I, Jason Comprehemmenlik Steiner, take Abigail Louisa Anderson to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse-" He was interrupted when Abby slapped his back.
"Ow! What was that for?" He whined.
"Why do you have wedding vows memorised? And why were you even saying these?" She completely turned towards him.
"Well I don't remember when I memorised them. But I'm glad I did." He winked at her.
"And how many girls are your lawfully wedded wives?" She smirked.
"99, you'll be the 100th." Her eyes widened at the very obvious fake number he had used.
"Just kidding, you're the first."
"And may I ask why?"
"Cause maybe you are right. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part." He completed his vows and then changed his voice to a very grave one.
"The groom may kiss the bride now."
Abby laughed at this. The boy was really going too far for a joke.
"If anyone heard this, they would think we are crazy." She again laughed.
"It's not that funny." And his face clearly spoke that it wasn't funny for him.
"Why though? You made a joke and I'm laughing at it."
"It wasn't really a joke. We'll do it again sometime in front of everyone, including your parents and brothers." Now Jason was smirking and the grin was gone from Abby's face.
"I'll kill you." And she started punching him lightly (or maybe she was trying her best) on Jason's shoulders.
"Ow, you can't hit me like that." Jason fake cried.
"I can cause congratulations, we're married now and I would like to do a lot of things to you." Abby hit him on the same spot again.
"Hmm, I see you've accepted your fate. So may I?" Jason grabbed both of her wrists and stopped her.
"May I what?"
"Kiss the bride."
"Sure." Abby smirked.
"If you would stop staring at me, you'll know why I'm not making a move. Pick up your phone, it's your mom." Jason pointed at her phone and grinned.
"Sometime soon, maybe just after the call." He winked and she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, Mom?" Abby spoke into her phone and Jason stared at her. She wasn't really his type and wasn't extraordinarily pretty either. But there was something between them and it was enough.
"What?" She shouted into her phone and then without saying another word put it in her pocket.
Jason sensed the mood shift and asked her what's wrong. She didn't move. She didn't say a word.
"Abby what's wrong?" Jason shook her this time.
"Jason..." She finally opened her mouth.
"Yes?"
"Aidan..."
"Yes what about him?" He already knew what was next to come. Aidan was terminally ill with leukaemia and the doctors had declared a week before that he didn't have many chances of surviving.
"He is gone. He is gone, Jason. My baby is gone." And she gave out a shrill scream that scared the children playing in the park.
"He was just a kid, Jason. He is gone." Abby started sobbing louder and Jason hugged her. The tight hug muffled her cries but soaked Jason's shirt. He didn't seem to care about it right then, he was himself traumatised by Abby's crying.
"Let's get you home." Jason said after solid five minutes of Abby's crying.
She didn't move. Jason had to drag her to the car and as soon as he got in, he called Michael.
"Mike, it's an emergency. Contact Elise and be at Abby's home in 15 minutes. I'll text you about what had happened. I'm trying to reach Alex right now."
Alex wasn't picking up the phone. After the 4th try, the phone was switched off. Jason didn't call him again that day.
Everything at Abby's home was a mess. They didn't have any relatives anywhere near so it was just her mother and her younger brother, Dave, at home. Her father was still at the hospital, arranging the funeral since keeping a body was too expensive and they were already short of money.
Jason gave Michael his car keys and asked him to help Mr. Anderson at the hospital. Elise tried calming Mrs. Anderson and she was surprisingly great at this job.
It was just Abby who hadn't stopped crying even for a second. Dave tried calming Abby but he couldn't stand seeing her cry like that so he left too.
Jason just held her and let her cry till her father came home. They were burying Aidan the same day.
No one cried when the priest came home and said the prayers on the little coffin. They didn't take him to the church but instead took him straight to the cemetery.
After the burial, her parents left for a ritual they were supposed to do in another town. This was a little weird for everyone else but they let them be. After Dave had gone to bed, Michael and Elise left leaving Abby and Jason alone.
"You should sleep now." Jason spoke. The very unusual silence was killing him.
"Jason, he won't come back. He won't wake me up by pulling out my hair anymore. I won't hear his laughter again. I wish I had died." She started crying again.
"Never say that again." Jason held her close and let her weep. When she stopped, he helped her get into her bed.
When she was finally asleep, Jason tried to get up only to be stopped by her again.
"Don't go. Don't leave me. I can't bear that."
He was sure that she was half asleep but something inside him didn't let him leave her like that.
"I'll never leave you. I promise."
And he stayed there. He stayed there the whole night till he, too, fell asleep next to her.
*********
A/N
Salam people,
Did anyone expect this EARLY UPDATE?? Consider it as an Eid gift to all those who celebrate it.
The Blacks sure are a weird family. And yes I know that it may seem like that Abby's brother popped out of nowhere but I had planned it. He was here since the start just like a few of you silent readers.
You people can give me a return gift by spamming this chapter with votes and comments *smiles goofily*.
Annndd I totally forgot to say this,
EID MUBARAK!
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