Hedon

Hedon - Chapter 4

  Malachi was confused. He was angry and hurt and so confused. He felt like his emotions were a revolving door in a New York city building.
  Deep down, he doesn't think he cares that Hunter is gay. And a little less deep down, he regrets the things he said to him.
  He would probably feel bad about Caston as well, but even though he hasn't known him long, he knows that Caston doesn't give two shits about a few insults.
  Malachi paced his room, rubbing his face and messing up his hair. He took a deep breath and mouthed words as he walked down the stairs.
  Hunter, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it.
  He turned around and sighed. Nope. Way too insincere. Almost condescending.
  Malachi resumed pacing and the guilty feeling in his gut slowly faded. He stopped in his tracks and his brain, that hadn't stopped for hours, had landed on a thought.
  They lied to him. Why would they lie to him? His mom lived and breathed honesty and she pulls this shit?
  Malachi doesn't know why he's so pissed. Hunter's sexuality has nothing to do with him, but it feels like it does now. Sure, he's not the poster boy for allies, but he doesn't recall ever being mean to Hunter.
  In this moment, Malachi felt as if he knew what an overloaded internet server must feel like with the way his brain was running through 800 topics at once, none of which were coherent enough to make sense.
  He groaned and pulled on his hair, flicking his eyes around his room. He eventually stormed down the stairs and put his shoes on at the front door.
  "Where are you going?" His mom asked from behind him.
  "Out." Malachi said, making himself feel like a certain black haired boy.
  He hated how Caston so easily entered his mind. He also hated how it wasn't the first time it had ever happened.
  "I dont need to know every detail of what you're doing, but you are my son and you live in my house. I would at least like to know where you're going." She said calmly.
  Malachi sighed and stood up straight. He'd never heard the explanation from his mother, as he always told her where he was going and what he was doing without being asked. But right now, he didn't feel like talking to her at all.
  She lied to him. His best friend fucked his little brother. His little brother also lied to him. Apparently so did his best friend. There is so much for him to process and he's still a teenager, so he impulsively did something he's never done before.
  He yelled at his mother.
  "For fuck's sake, it has nothing to do with you! I can do whatever the fuck I want and go wherever the fuck I want! I don't need you breathing down my fucking neck all the time and ruining my fucking life!" Malachi slammed the front door behind him.
  He took a deep breath and shook his hair out of his face. As much as he felt guilty for it, it still felt fucking good. If there's one thing his psychologist mother taught him, it's that you should never bottle up your emotions. And he has been doing exactly that. Every time his mother brings home a new client, introduces them, and said client turns out to to have been told Malachi is gay and shy, he just shuts up and brushes it off.
  He's starting to wish he yelled at his mom weeks ago, when she first introduced Caston to him because now he has unnecessary drama taking over his life. He's angry and hurt and...so confused.
  Malachi sighed and floored it without blinking. He gripped the steering wheel too hard and tried to think about anything but those fucking blue eyes.
  Luckily, he couldn't think of anything right now because there was red and blue flashing behind him.
  "Shit." Malachi sighed, pulling over.
  Fucking Caston goes 95 in a fucking school zone, but does he get pulled over? No.
  Malachi shook his head and grabbed his license and registration. He turned to the window when the officer walked up and he immediately felt relieved.
  "Do you know- Malachi?"
  Malachi gave a shy smile. "Hello, officer Smith."
  "The hell were you driving so fast for?" He asked, ditching the pen he had reached for.
  "Um..I'm gonna be honest..I didn't really know I was going fast. I'm a little distracted right now." Malachi said.
  Officer Smith nodded. "I understand, but you have to pay attention when you're driving, you know that."
  "I know, sir. I'm sorry. I'll do better." Malachi said, nodding slightly.
  "I'll let you off with a warning if..you come over for dinner tonight. Katie has been talking my ear off about you. And we all miss having you over." Officer Smith said.
  "Okay." Malachi chuckled, "I'll be there. What time?"
  "Six, but if you're a little late, it's fine. No need to rush over." Officer Smith chuckled.
  Malachi rolled his eyes playfully. "Yes, sir."
  He didn't feel like driving anymore, so he headed home. He ignored his mom's attempt to talk to him and stomped his way upstairs. Since he has yet to calm down his newfound desire to express his emotions, he slammed his bedroom door.
  He sighed and changed into basketball shorts and a hoodie. He heavily sat down in his desk chair and got online, thankfully seeing that most of his teammates were also on at the moment.
  "Anything new with you?"
  "Yeah, how's your summer been?"
  "You with your mysterious guest again?"
  Malachi rolled his eyes after the mention of Caston, who never listened when Malachi would tell him to shut up or wave his hand when he'd drop something. "Summer's been fine. I can't wait for the season to start, I've been bored as hell."
  "Even with your special guest?"
  "For fuck's sake, can I not have friends without you dickheads being weird about it?" Malachi sighed.
  "No." Everyone chorused over their mics.
  "Every time she's there, you play like shit and barely talk to us. You can't tell me there's nothing going on."
  Why do they always assume Caston is a girl? He's never corrected them because obviously there's something making them think he has a girl over and he would be damned if they thought he was with a boy.
  "Let's stop talking and play. I have to be somewhere at six." Malachi huffed.
  "Ooh where you going?"
  "To Katie's for dinner."
  "Oooohhhh!" Everyone chorused again.
  "Katie Smith?"
  "She's so hot."
  "Dude she's had a thing for you for like ever, you better bag that."
  Malachi felt relieved at their reactions and played a better game than he has in months.