Destiny's Witch (BxB)

Chapter 5: Fatherly Advice

Perry

A quick hike to Wardwell Park proves the easiest task of the day. My newfound powers still amaze me sometimes. When I arrive, Alan reminds me I am late as he slides on a pair of black leather gloves. The willpower it takes not to roll my eyes almost causes me a vein in my forehead to burst.

Alan takes me past the empty playground and the recreation area, down a long hiking trail. He stops when we come to a rest area not too far from the path where yellow police tape has been set up around the apparent scene of a vicious crime.

Alan hands me a pair of black gloves as he ducks under the police tape and moves closer to the small placards the police have set up. Each placard has a number attached to it, marking them as evidence.

Alan confirms this to be the site of a gruesome attack on a couple of 'teenagers' last night. I ignore him reducing the victims to a couple of teenagers. Alan confesses I know the teenagers. One is a girl named Sarah Reid, who I can liberally say I know. The second victim hits closer to home.

Alan's announcement David was part of the attack catches my attention. It becomes clear I am surrounded by the remnants of an attack on my—on David.

Alan continues to inform me of the attack as he examines a long blood-red stain on the grass. His words begin to drift as my mind creates scenarios. The likeliest scenario is David and Sarah came into this part of the woods to 'be alone' with each other. The thought makes me violently ill. It is almost somewhat worse than David being dead.

His words gain prominence in my mind as I convince myself if David were dead, he would have said so.

Alan looks up at me. "Hey! You're quiet. Is this about our college talk? Or did something else happen?"

"Sorry, I guess canvasing through the scene my friend's bloody attack isn't the feel-good time you expected."

"Yeah, sorry. He's okay. The other victim, Sarah, will be okay. She survived but she was mauled pretty bad." Alan says. "But that's not it, is it?"

"Not sure what you're talking about."

Alan stands, centering his attention on me. "I've known you since you were an embryo. I know when something is wrong with you." He says.

"I don't really want to get into it."

"In general, or with me?" He asks.

I sigh at him. "Dad, just—don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to, okay?"

"Wow, that was quite the attitude. Now I have to know." Alan says. "Does this have to do with a boy?"

The question is uncomfortable to both of us. Alan and Penny are aware of my attraction to other guys, but I have done a marvelous job in not involving them in my issues surrounding the subject. My friends are my most loyal support when it comes to boys or other issues with that facet of myself.

Alan, in general, always seems uncomfortable when the subject is brought up, even when he protests he is not. It is the reason I hesitate to tell him what is on my mind.

His reluctance to let the issue die forces me to confess to him that I am having issues with a guy, and this outing has made it more complex in my mind.

Alan listens intently as I ramble about having feelings for a guy who does not fully reciprocate the feelings, or at least does not want to. He waits until I am exhausted from speaking before he offers his opinion.

"Maybe it's for the best." Alan says. "Your calling is important and dangerous. Things like this could distract you."

His response is in line with what I could have guessed. I ignore him and wander over to a wallet on the ground. I pick up the wallet to find dried blood splattered over it. The part of me that wonders if the blood is David's is pushed down as far as it can go.

I open the wallet to find all the normal things one would find in a wallet, including cards and a condom. I almost sit the wallet back in its place beside the placard when I spot my face sticking out of one of the compartments.

I pull on a picture to find it is a picture of Parker, Eva, David, and me. Parker and Eva had dated for quite some time, even roping David and I in on some dates near the end, when neither were as enthused about the relationship as they once were.

The night the picture was taken was the Spring Carnival, which happened to be more fun than it had been in previous years. It was the one night we were all able to get along. It was particularly hard for David and Nate.

David and Nate were never directly friends. In fact, Nate's contempt for David was born from the latter having a fling with Nate's girlfriend at the time, if you could call her such a thing. Nate never got over it, and I do not blame him.

The photo is larger than normal, folded to fit in the wallet. David and I had gotten close, to the dismay of Nate and Charlotte. In the photo, we were near the center. The photo is folded in such a way that it appears we are the only two in the photo.

"Besides, any guy who ghosts you doesn't really deserve you." Alan says.

"Who taught you about ghosting?"

"Who says someone taught me? I'm up on the lingo." Alan pauses as I stare at him. "It was Porter, okay?"

"Dad, is that the only reason you think it's such a good idea?" I ask. "Cause just this morning you were trying to get me to realize my life wasn't all about this destiny."

"If you are asking if this is because you're gay, then no. Your mother and I have always known you are gay. It's definitely still strange to hear and say, but—I want you to be happy." Alan says. "I have to ask...speaking of David, you and he got close, right?"

A shiver runs down my back as his question sinks in. I stuff the photo back in the wallet. "Why would you ask that?"

"You're affected by this. You were distracted when you got here, and when I told you about what happened here, you disappeared completely." Alan says. "The way you're looking at that picture and the fact he has a picture of the two of you in his wallet—"

"Okay, I get it."

"So, when I walked in on you two and I asked if anything was going on, I was right?" Alan asks.

"I would rather not talk about it."

"So, Porter was right, too? The kid is bad news." Alan says. "What exactly did I walk in on that night?"

"Dad, David is not a horrible guy. He's been a really good friend to me."

Alan nods. "What about to other people?"

"Okay! No, he's not the best to other people! What do you want me to say? I—I care about him."

"He's not the best to you either. You're smarter than that, Perry." Alan says. "I'm sure he's an alright kid but I don't approve of David. I don't want you to see him."

Alan's comment angers me. The idea of him telling me not to see David is appalling. He does not know David like I do. While Alan does have a point, it is already too late in many ways.

"Well, Dad, I don't think that'll be an issue. I'll be the slayinest, decapitatinest soldier of destiny you've ever seen." I hiss.

Alan stares at me. "That's not what I mean."

"You know, it's been a long day and the sun is going down. If I'm going to be the destiny's witch, I need a nap." I say.

I toss the wallet to Alan as I turn and leave him at the scene. He calls my name as I run down the trail. I yell back I will meet him at home as wolves howls in the distance.