On My Own Time

Chapter 37

"Oh hell no."

"Please, Max! It's important!"

"Diego, you are my best friend and something traumatic just happened to you. You're telling me you want to go to the guy's house who caused this to happen? It hasn't even been a day! It's been hours! It's barely two o'clock and we got in a fight at seven something! It's literally been a couple hours."

"I need to go though!"

"Why?" Max asked, still refusing.

After I told him that it was Victor's house that we needed to go to he immediately pulled off to the side of the road and has been arguing with me. I didn't want to tell him why because his dislike for Caden would not help in convincing him to go. So, I said the next best thing.

"Closure?"

"What?"

I cleared my throat and said, "I want to know why. If I have to deal with bullshit at school from now on, I want to know why."

I felt guilty because I could see him feel a little bad but I needed him to go. I still didn't have a plan for when we actually got there but in order to go there I needed to convince Max which is harder than I thought. I saw him glance away and look down and that's when I knew I won. He sighed and began to drive again and I shouted thank you about five thousand times. I grabbed his phone and began putting in Caden's number which to my surprise was already there. Though he did have his name under 'Asshole.'

"So what? You just walk in and have a talk?" Max asked and I told him to park on the side walk by my old house.

"Actually, you have to call Caden and demand he comes outside and into the car," I quickly said and dialed Caden's number, jumping into the backseat and hiding as it rang.

"What?! Oh you little-"

"Max?"

Max stayed silent and I had to smack his arm to get him to talk. He glared at me but sighed and grumbled. Caden didn't hear him due to his grumble which made Max pissed off even more.

"I said come out here and get in the car, asshole!" Max yelled and hung up.

"Thank you."

"I'm killing you for this," Max grumbled but sat up to see when Caden would leave the house. "Shit, Victor came out too."

"I'm crouched down but if looks through the window he'll see me!"

"I know that!" Max said and dialed Caden again.

"I'm coming."

"Leave the other asshole. I'm just here for you and if he comes near the car then I'm killing you both," he said and hung up immediately again. "Okay, Victor won't get back in the house but only Caden is walking over."

"Don't even drive towards his place. Just make a u-turn."

"I know, now shush!"

A knock on the window captured our attention and Max unlocked the door. Caden opened the door and he first made eye contact with Max and then he saw me. He cursed silently under his breath and looked like he wanted to run but Max threatened him to get in the car. He sighed and sat down and Max was quick to do a u-turn and leave. I sat up properly and turned to him but Caden was only avoiding eye contact.

"Where to now?" Max asked me.

"Home."

He nodded and continued to drive while Caden still ignored us. I could tell this was bugging Max from the tapping of his fingers against the steering wheel. He wanted Caden to say something and so did I. Yet, Caden still looked out the window, his shoulders slouched and he looked defeated.

"Why are you leaving?"

This seemed to grab both Caden's and surprisingly Max's attention. He had to silently remind himself that he was driving before he lost complete focus. Caden's shoulders now tensed up and he no longer looked sad but rather upset. By his reaction I could tell it was not his idea to go back right now. So, was it Daniel after all that demanded he go back?

"It's not like I have a choice," Caden snapped slightly. He noticed his tone of voice and sighed, saying. "I'm sorry. Just upset."

"Where are you going?" Max asked.

"Back home with the mother," he mumbled.

"So that's it?" Max scoffed.

"I don't have a choice," he snapped back.

"I can convince, Daniel."

Caden sat up and turned to look at me, a look of suspicion on his face. "Why are you doing this? I ruined your life today."

"Just because you ruined mine doesn't mean that I want yours ruined too. I'm not mean."

"Why did you do it?" Max asked, his tone soft now, almost like he didn't want to ask.

"I just. . . It started the day you guys were packing. I noticed Diego staring at Victor a while back and I told him that Diego might like him. Victor didn't believe me but after a while he was. . . Well disgusted I guess. I was so upset that my dad married someone and I took it out on Diego by making that prank with Victor. We began it as a joke and well. . . Slight anger on my part. We officially started the day we helped you pack up, that's why he came over and talked to you. We told our friends about the prank and they were in on it.

"After a while, Victor started becoming more friendly and I confronted him about it. He said I was mistaken. Then. . . Something happened that I started to slowly lose my own anger. That camping trip. That's when we realized our mistake. I could tell it definitely wasn't a prank to Victor anymore and he had actually caught feelings. I lost my anger and so Sunday, well, last night we called it off. A friend of ours didn't get the message and some didn't agree so they still went on with it. I just. . . I was so filled with anger that I thought that if I did something big then my dad would send me back with my mom. I didn't think we'd actually. . . I'm so sorry."

By the time Caden finished Max had pulled into the parking lot and we sat in silence. Max was also processing what Caden said and all Caden did was drop his head in his hands and slight sniffles were heard. I swallowed hard and blinked the tears away. So, Victor was disgusted at first. He never began talking to me out of his own enjoyment. He never cared at the beginning.

"I saw the look you had last night. The look of happiness. You want a family, a true family," I stopped and unbuckled my seat belt, opening the car door slightly. "I'll convince Daniel to let you stay. But nothing changes between us. You took something precious from me. You outted me. You didn't let me come out on my own time. So no, I won't forgive you yet."

I got out the car and ignored his apologies. His anger and Victor's disgust did this. Both didn't care so they don't deserve my time. I was going to hold my head high. I was out now, nothing could change that. I may have not come out on my own time, but I will decided my own fate from now on.

From now on, I am going to do things on my own time.

The End