Dawn With Him

Chapter 4 (Finale)

Friday, 10th February.

6:02 a.m.

The silver car drove off on the black asphalt, dragging leaves as it moved. Inside the car, Aaren fidgeted on his seatbelt. The morning talk show on the radio was no different from the leaves dragged on. Soon enough, the wheels stopped spinning in front of St. George Academy's massive gates.

The father exhaled. "Behave yourself!" he turned to his son, although Aaren eyed his oxfords instead. "Ignore any scoundrels dragging you into their useless games!" The father dug into his wallet and pulled out fifty pounds. "I want you to excel in life, so don't let me down." The father handed the cash to Aaren.

The lad pocketed the cash. "Yes, father." Aaren unfastened his seatbelt and disembarked the car. A firm grasp on his shoulder halted him halfway. Aaren averted his gaze to the rear mirror, ashamed of the eyes staring at him in the mirror.

"Your mother told me about your camping plan," Aaren's body tensed. He didn’t expect his mother to tell his father so soon. Mr. Fairbarn giggled as he caressed his son’s anxious shoulder and massaged it lightly. "You can go if you want to."

Trumpets serenaded in the lad’s heart. Aaren finally gazed at his father's blue irises, too. "Yes, father, I want to go." Mr. Fairbarn smiled and released his son. Aaren hopped off the car as if he won an award and the world became a better place.

The father lowered the window, "We love you." he waved a hand. Aaren smiled and waved back as his father left him at the gate of St. George Academy. The academy was the father’s first choice, but not Aaren’s mother's first choice, because all those strict rules could choke anyone.

The lad turned to the gate with a thin smile, and some students walked past him. What was purplish red yesterday was blackish blue today. Through his sore eyes, Aaren gazed up the sunlit balcony, and even from a distance, he could hear the familiar breezy symphony.

"No one’s there..." His grip on his backpack fastened.

Aaren brought himself up to his class, earning some stolen glances at his face or, rather, eye and giggling. The lad sighed and shrugged it off. As far as he concerned, those people in the background, they might be unreal, like someone he knew.

After placing his bag, Aaren went into the dusty storage. He peeked through the usual window and Ash sat on the edge of the balcony with a flock of doves surrounding him, looking down, but as if he knew Aaren was watching him, he smiled and waved directly at Aaren's way. The lad left the storage for the bathroom. He stared at his reflection, only looking not bothered to style his hair, fixing his tie nor polishing his oxfords like usual, but his heart decided.

Aaren stomped, 'I'm mad!' he ventured to the sunlit balcony where his blue eyes lost in the puddle of pure white doves, but he’s not questioning their reality.

Lasha turned to Aaren, "Good morning, Aaren!" Ash smiled while swinging his dangling feet, a dove rested on his lap and two others fluttering around his honey-brown locks.

"Morning..." Aaren said with uncertainty. 'He's as real as any person I saw....' he stopped next to Lasha, looking back to see doves claiming Carmia and Sawyer's usual base-camp. The lad peered at the air vent with caution. ‘I hoped Core would be absent for today or perhaps forever….’ Aaren looked ahead, letting the wind chattered between them.

Untill...

"You should get down. It's dangerous to sit there..." Aaren squinted to where his friend sat.

The doves arranging irises in his hair, creating a floral crown. "I like this way too much!" Ash glanced at Aaren, but the boy closed his eyes, reluctant to make eye contact with the boy next to him. Soft fingers circled Aaren’s cheek. "Look at me when I'm talking to you.”