Red Alert/Red Notice (The "Super Jerk" Prequel)

11 - Policy of Truth

^^Above, chapter title credit: Song by Depeche Mode. (You'll see the irony of it when you read the chapter, the reason I picked it.)^^

{Geoffrey}

"So bringing home a girl, are you?" says Dad, when I finally get around to calling him, just a few days before the Thanksgiving break starts.

"Yeah, Dad, I am." It's kind of exciting in a way, getting to be with Raina for a while without having everyone else around.

"That's it? You aren't going to tell me anything about her?" Dad asks impatiently. "I'm a busy man, Geoffrey, I don't have time to sit here and listen to you breathe."

"She's really great, Dad. Smart, and kind, and beautiful. We hit it off pretty quick, actually."

"What about where she's from? Anyplace I'd know?"

I suppress a groan at that question. Of course that'd be the first one. He didn't really care about her personality, or anything, really. As long as she wasn't poor, that's all that mattered.

"Somewhere in the Midwest, Dad. We didn't really go into any details." I could have kicked myself the second I said it. If I really cared about her, I'd have told him the truth right away, instead of trying to save my own neck.

"Geoffrey, we've been over this," says Dad with a sniff of disapproval. "You know mixing with those people will only turn out badly."

"What people, Dad?" I scowl, even though he can't see me.

"Those...Midwestern people." I can hear the dismissive hand-wave in his voice. "I hear some of them still farm with plows–"

"Dad, Raina's not, like, Amish or anything. You won't see any of that when you meet her, I swear it." Somehow I doubted it, because Dad hardly forgot anyone, let alone their bloodline and connections, but there was a small hope that this wasn't such a bad idea.

"I'm counting on it," he says, and without even saying goodbye, he hangs up.

I wait until I set the phone back in the cradle before clenching my fists and shoving them into my jacket pockets. If Dad had really wanted me to be happy, he wouldn't have said those things. If I wanted to be with Raina, I would. Ridley, I might have been able to buy off with excuses and keep him away with force. With Dad though, I knew it'd take a little more effort. But either way, I'd still have Raina in the end. There were no doubts there.

≈

Matt's waiting for me when I finally get out of the Intro to Econ exam. He looks kind of shifty, much more than usual.

"What's wrong, Matt? You okay?"

"Ridley," Matt answers, his eyes drifting up to a spot to the right of my face.

"What?" I say, right as Matt takes my shoulder and spins me around, where I see Ridley emerging from the classroom and coming towards us.

"Oh, good, I thought you'd abandon me," he says, jogging over. "You know, that last question was really hard, I couldn't answer it completely."

"Neither could we," Matt says quickly, his hand tightening painfully on my shoulder. "What's this private thing you've been wanting to show us?"

"Yeah, that." Ridley's eyes glint strangely. "It's in the Chemistry building, so..."

"Lead the way, then." I gesture for him to go ahead, and then slide my shoulder from under Matt's hand. I turn around and block his path, leaning forward so only he can hear. "What's up with you, man? You're acting really weird."