Aurelio's Dilemma

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

"What's this crazy scumbag doing here?"

It wasn't a mutter. It wasn't a murmur thrown carelessly behind Aurelio's back. No. Leslie's mom said it in a loud, firm, unashamed voice, and her eyes were still rooted to Leslie, completely ignoring Aurelio as if he really was the scum of the earth, not even worth addressing.

Leslie's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. "Mom!"

The woman finally set her seething eyes on Aurelio. "Out," she said. "Now."

Before Aurelio could react, Leslie grabbed his arm, keeping him in place. "You can't kick him out," Leslie said. "I invited him over and he can stay here as long as he wants and you can't talk to him like that and....this. Isn't.Your. Business! You can't keep doing that! How does it even affect you? How the hell does it even affect you? It's not like we're gonna trash this damn house!"

Aurelio looked at Leslie, startled. Sometimes he forgot that not everyone was like him. Not everyone ran away from confrontation. Not everyone was terrified of conflict.

Leslie's mother listened to Leslie's rant, motionless, wordless. Then she raised her eyebrows in that condescending, scrutinizing way, and Aurelio knew nothing mature would come out of her mouth next.

"Why can't you even pick good friends?" the woman asked. "Why did you the pick the worst boys in this neighborhood? First Matt? Is that his name? That whiny, stupid, useless boy who thinks he's the only one suffering in this world? Huh?"

Leslie shook her head. "Stop. That's not what he thinks. You don't know him. You don't get to judge him like that."

"And now this one, right?" The woman gave Aurelio a dirty look and snorted. "Can't you tell that he's lost his mind? Half the neighborhood saw him panicking all alone on the street for no reason! And how many therapists has he seen? Three? Four?"

Holy shit, this hurt.

This hurt so much Aurelio nearly flinched.

"Therapists couldn't fix his problem," Leslie's mom continued. "You think you can, Leslie? You think you can fix him? Him and Matt? I know that's why you're friends with them. Because you like to control people. You like to fix them and change them and tell them what to do. You're exactly like me. But go ahead--yell at me. Pretend you're any better."

The comparison hit in a nerve in Leslie. Aurelio could tell by the way her fingers dug deeper into his arm for a second, frustrated at the accusation, then her grip loosened and fell off. Doubt. She was doubting herself and her intentions and Aurelio hated that.

"Bullshit," Aurelio mumbled. "So much bullshit."

"What?"

Aurelio sighed. If this woman had insulted him alone, he would've brushed it off. He would've left without a word, because he knew negotiation didn't work with these people. But Leslie was involved. And Leslie chose confrontation, so confrontation be it.

"Everything you just said is bullshit," Aurelio said. "That's what. You're projecting your issues onto your daughter. A therapist can help with that, you know."

Aurelio expected a negative reaction. He expected a louder voice, perhaps, or more hurtful accusations.

He definitely didn't expect Leslie's mother to grab him by the hair.

She wanted to drag him out but Aurelio dug his feet into the floor and locked his knees and refused to move an inch.

Nah.