Together As One

Chapter Two - Dinner Disagreements

Hayden stood in front of his personal bathroom mirror, the purple and black bruise was like a stain on a white shirt across his pale freckled cheek as he carefully slid a band-aid over the small puncture. His dull forest green eyes sunk into his tired face, he deserved to be punched by his cousin, he just hoped his uncle hadn't called his dad already. He looked at the evening headlines that scrolled across the top of the mirror, text boxes suggested what medical treatment he should use in case his wound goypt worse.

Sighing the 15-year-old stalked out of his bathroom and into the hallway. Passing under the tall looming ceilings the walls bearing the weight of old oil paintings resembling his ancestors, staring down at him with solemn and emotionless expressions. Hayden often wondered if he really was a Haddock, entering the lavishly decorated rustic small dining room Hayden felt like he was on his way to the slaughter block and his father's hulking bear-like shape sat at the head of the table while he was two seats down. Hayden sat down and stared at the plate of food before him, he honestly knew he wasn't going to eat it. Steven Haddock looked up from the various screens he had around him and gestured for a house worker to take them away before turning to Hayden.

"Evening Hayden, how was school?" He asked, picking up his fork and beginning to eat the roasted yak chops, Hayden quietly gulped. He despised that question more than anything else, besides his father's constant disapproval of his best efforts to impress his high standards.

"It was...pretty good, " Hayden kept his gaze on his food, his appetite already disappearing as Steven raised an eyebrow at the boy. He had received a rather long and frustrating call from his brother-in-law Simon, Steven was more than disappointed in Hayden and the lack of respect he had shown.

"I got a call from your Uncle...Hayden, I'm not impressed with how you publically humiliated Samuel," Steven began, Hayden looked up as his brows furrowed together in shock, was this even happening. Of course, it was, Samuel had gone home and complained to his father about how his cousin apparently humiliated him in front of the whole class.

"Dad...I didn't do that...I swear Samuel is lying," Hayden quietly fought back, he honestly was a loss for words, his father's deep sigh and angered gaze sent shivers down his spine. Steven cut a chunk out of his yak chop and shook his head, Hayden knew where this conversation was going to go.

"Hayden, I don't see why I should believe you, your cousin works hard and has brought honour to both his name and ours while you..." Steven ate the piece of Yak as he finished his sentence, Hayden was internally fuming. His cousin was a screw-up and failure at least, he was only passing because of his father's donations to the school.

"You're kidding me, I'm the one who gets straight A's and has studied to your satisfaction!" Hayden stood up, his chair skidding on the wooden floor, he couldn't hold his emotions inside of him. Steven looked up at his son and clenched his fist around his fork, this was not going to end well.

"That means nothing, you shouldn't be humiliating your cousin in class!" Steven yelled back, Hayden gritted his teeth and turned his head away. He hated how he always had to think of Samuel, he could never think about himself, it was always his so-called "perfect" cousin who could do no wrong. While he was pushed to the side, all his academic awards meant nothing to his father, so much so that his father had Simon send him copies of Samuel's sporting achievements just to hang up around the house.

"He humiliated himself, he was the one who fell asleep and doesn't know the material," Hayden crossed his arm and rolled his eyes, or was pointless now, his father was set on a lie. Steven set his cutlery down and stood up before striding over to the roaring open fire, his crimson beard basked in the orange glow.

"Your uncle isn't happy and neither am I, there are videos circling around the internet and it isn't good for our image this close to graduation," Steven held his hands behind his back, Hayden scoffed and wished his father would see what was right in front of him. Ever since Hayden could remember his father had been hard on him, pushing him to do better, but Hayden could only do what he could and his father was never happy.