Demon: Book 1

Chapter 57: Late

Chapter 57

Late

I sat in one of the main hallways, up against the lockers. My nearly empty lunch bag was on one side, and my metal tin of pencils was on the other. I was trying to finish a landscape I had started a couple weeks ago, and the foreground wasn't cooperating. Checking my phone, I saw the bell was going to ring soon.

Gathering up my art supplied, I put them in my bookbag and dumped the crumbs from a chip bag into my mouth. I washed it down with the rest of my juice before climbing to my feet. I tossed my garbage into the nearest trashcan.

Familiar voices sounded down the hall. Chris and his group of friends were walking my way. I quickly marched on ahead of them.

"Hey Aden."

"Go away," I muttered back, opening the door to my next class.

Chris jogged over and pushed it closed. "Don't ignore me." He nodded to his friends to keep walking.

I sighed and leaned against the wall. I really didn't care what he had to say.

"Took Katy skeet shooting yesterday, and that faggot boyfriend of your car was parked outside your house."

"Well, I'm marrying the man," I said plainly. "So that is to be expected."

He leaned in close to me. "You're really going to go through with that."

"Why do you care?" I replied. "When does who I marry ever affect you?"

"I know what he is, Aden," he hissed at me. "You can deny it, but I know. He's a monster."

"You're still delusional as ever," I raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to marry, Titus," I stated with a smile. "So you're going to have to find some other fairy tale creature to obsess over. Titus is taken."

I heard the crack of my head hitting the wall before I felt the pain in my jaw. I slid to the ground with my nose pouring blood.

"I'm not a faggot, Aden. I just wanted you to know I got a new scope for Christmas and can't wait for hunting season."

The classroom door opened, and Chris marched down the hall.

"Mr. Harper!" she called after him. "Mr. Harper, you stop right there."

Chris kept going, and the teacher came back to help me to my feet.

"Come on, let's get you to the office."

***

Titus was fuming. He had nearly beat us home when I texted him from school. The werewolf stood against the wall with his arms folded and jaw clenched. My mother handed me an ice pack.

"So are you going to tell me why Chris came at you this time?" she asked, getting a wash cloth to clean my face with.

I glanced at Titus. "I kind of called him gay in a non-direct way."

"Aden," she scowled.

"He came at me," I muttered.

Titus cocked his head to the side. "So he attacked you?"

"I told you no." I narrowed his eyes at him. "You can't kill Chris. I can survive a few more months, and then I'll never have to see him again."

My mother tipped up my chin. "But can your face survive?"

"Mom," I batted her hand away. "It's not that bad."

"I don't get joy out of bring my son home bruised and bloodied."