Mirror Soul

Chapter Nine: Soul's Awakening

Bruce walked into his home exhausted from the day's events.

“Yes, yes I'll tell him he said hello. Adam, stop talking like a hooligan and raise your son. Yes, I love you as well, goodbye.” His mother was sitting at the kitchen table, cluttered with documents. She wore her glasses and her brow was wrinkled as usual.

“Hey mom, miss me? Don’t answer that, I don’t think Nikkie’s poor heart could handle it to learn that I’m the favorite.”
His mother chuckled as she looked over some papers. “I love you both equally. Oh yes, that was your uncle on the phone. Your cousin Ruben says hello.”
Bruce opened the fridge and grabbed a soda. “Tell him I said his afro looks stupid.” 
She turned to face him and gasped. “Whose clothes are those?”

Whoops. “ Umm, Kai’s dad let me borrow them.”  He was never good at lying to his mother, or anyone he cared for. Which was clear from the hard stare his mother gave him.
“Brayken is barely 5 foot 10, and those clothes are baggy on you.” 

He was so distracted that he forgot to think up a reason for his attire.
“I wanted a new look and Kai can drive now sooo.” He changed the subject.

“Don't try to change the subject, young man!” She then changed the subject. “I called you ten times last night, where on Earth were you? Why do I spend my hard earned money to buy you a phone if you don't pick up.”

He took a sip of his drink before he apologized. “I guess we got caught up in gaming, it won't happen again.” He gave his mother his best puppy dog eyes. She rolled her eyes and went back to looking at her work. 

“Give the sad face up sweetie, it stopped working once you hit puberty.”

He put a hand over his heart in fake offense as he kissed her cheek. “Rude! Oh, and, um, can I stay out later tomorrow to...study?”

Jean gave him those eyes. “Studying with…?”

“A friend,” he said slowly.

“Just have Kai or Autumn come over here. No need for you to stay out late.”
“No it’s not with them. It’s with someone else.” God he was terrible at this. He was a great liar, and he knew that, but when it came to his small list of loved ones…not so much

Jean narrowed those brown eyes at him, eyes that were identical to his. “Sweetie, take no offense to this, but you don’t have any friends besides Autumn and Kai.” His mother had never been able to lie to him either. And after sixteen years he still didn’t know if he liked it or not.

“I made some new friends yesterday.”
His mother sounded skeptical as she responded. “Describe these new friends. I don't need you hanging out with…” She paused. “Bad people,” she finished.

Never again. Bruce forced his face not to drop. “They are good people, weird but not bad.” He failed to mention how one tried to cut his head off with an axe and another held a magic knife to his throat. But that probably wouldn't get his mom to let him go back for a friendly visit.

“Weird but not bad huh?” His mother asked. “ Sounds like a badly dressed boy I know.”

A real grin took its usual spot on his face. “ You know mom I'm starting to   think you just gave birth to me so you could have a verbal punching bag.”

She gave him a similar look. “ I guess we'll never know. I'm going on a trip to Colorado in two weeks to talk about selling that old property to a (insert name) representative. So your sister will be watching you.”

“ Good luck with the property, but I don't need Nikki to babysit me, I'm a grown man.”

His mother rolled her eyes. “Oh Mr. Grown man I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you paid any bills in this house. She will spend the nights here and that's final.”