Case Reopened

Coming Over For A Visit

Because it's been requested that we haven't seen Link lately and we need some Link and Mason time. Yo welcome!

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It was pointless to look over, that's why he wasn't going to look over. He was going to continue to stay straight in front of him, even if he didn't care at all what Mr. Miller was saying. As The First Son, he should at least look engaged with the lesson. He should set an example.

The fact that he never cared about that before wasn't the point, today he would be the model of a model student. Because after all, there was no reason to look anywhere else. There was no reason to look to the right and three tables down. No reason at all.

Mason turned his head and looked three tables down. Idiot.

Link bent over the table taking notes, beside him, Owens looked bored out of her mind. She had her chin resting in her palm as she focused out the window. Not a model student at all. Though if called, she'd probably do that annoying thing where she knew exactly what the answer was.

Mason cut his gaze back to Link.

Half-brother.

What was he supposed to do with one of those? He'd been a single, spoiled, lonely child up until three weeks ago. How did one shift their entire viewpoint that fast? Annoyingly, Evans had years to deal with knowing who Mason was. Mason was the one lagging behind here.

In his defense, it wasn't his fault. It was the fault of his father, that son of-

That was disrespectful to his grandmother, who he liked. It wasn't her fault that her son turned out to be a horrible person. Even if that horrible person gave Mason a half-brother and didn't tell him about it until it was impossible not to. He didn't even tell him. Mason'd had to find out while trapped in a secure room.

When he'd heard Smith talking to that Keller guy, he hadn't understood the implications of it. How was he supposed to? Who instantly thought, 'you know that random kid is my half-brother and that's why I've seen him a few times and something about him seemed familiar'? Who walks into a closet and expects to be attacked by skeletons?

Though with his messed up life maybe he should have expected it.

He felt bad for raging against Smith when everything clicked into place. The fear that someone was there to take him had been completely overshadowed by the reality of his father's actions and his massive lie.

Mason looked at Smith, who sat in a seat in the corner of the room. A smile almost appeared on Mason's lips, knowing that Smith was half dozing because he was wearing his sunglasses inside. He didn't blame him, chemistry was mind-numbingly dull.

Smith hadn't lied to Mason when he asked for confirmation on who the Evans kid was. When Mason had wanted to punch something, Smith had even hugged him. They didn't hug. Smith had kept boundaries between them. Mason hadn't even reacted to the hug. How did you react to the bodyguard who trailed you everywhere for years hugging you out of nowhere?

Also, Mason didn't do hugs. Other humans touching him made him want to shrivel up and die.

Maybe too dramatic but people's hugs rarely made him feel comforted.

His mother was the exception.

"Mr. Douglas," Mr. Miller said. "Can you tell me what the answer is?"

Mason focused on the board and realized he couldn't. From the corner of his eye, he could see Owens rolling her eyes. She knew the answer like he knew she would.

"No, I can't but Owens can," Mason said.

Instead of coming at him, as he would have expected like she'd done for the entirety of their high school years, Carter didn't. She answered the question, turning away from Mason.