Uriel: The Inheritance (Airel Saga Book Five)

Chapter XVI

Boise, Idaho—Present Day

ONE THING I DECIDED—yeah, Earl Grey's not my cup of tea. I wrinkled my nose.

Michael laughed. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse. Who would like this stuff? I mean, besides Ellie. She's weird, so that doesn't count."

"I like tea," Michael said, defending her even though she wasn't there. "A good black tea with honey in the morning can be quite refreshing."

"Ha. You two can have it. I can see why they tossed it overboard." We sat across from each other in the Cheesecake Factory. Michael wanted to take me out on a "date" and this was the first place he had ever taken me. But that awesome dress and that naïve life seemed like ages ago. I changed the subject. "So, how is your new foster family?"

Michael's eyes darkened and his bad mood returned. "Okay, I guess. I should leave—blow this town and live out on my own."

"I know, Michael," I said, touching his hand, "but we only need to make it to graduation. Then we can go together." Because Michael was a minor, the State of Idaho had placed him with Child Protective Services until everything with his father got ironed out.

"I should have skipped out before the cops took all my stuff for evidence. Now I have nothing." He cursed. I still didn't understand what was going on and how they could do that to him.

"What is probate, anyway?" I asked.

"Who knows. It means I'm broke and have to put up with stupid foster parents." He made air quotes around this last word. Michael had been distant the past few weeks. I was trying to be supportive and understanding, but it was starting to get old. I had my own problems and I needed him; I didn't have much left to offer before my heart gave out. I could feel it.

He gave me his trademark half smile. "It'll be okay. Besides, you hear all the talk around school? Or the lack of talk—it's like I grew a third eye or something. Between the kidnapping, Kim's death, and my dad, we're the local freaks."

"Hey, that's not true." I knew it was, though; people avoided even making eye contact with me. I was glad I had Ellie to hang out with so I didn't look like a total loser.

"You know it is, Airel. Even the guys on the team are acting weird. I find out about parties the day after, and nobody talks to me anymore in the locker room even though I'm the guy who's getting us to state this year."

"Well, at least they found you a home in the same district so you didn't have to change schools. And you guys are killing it this year."

He seemed to brighten a little when I said that. Since they had "lost" James, their star quarterback, Coach Dennis offered the job to Michael and he filled in, doing better than James had ever done. In Michael's first start, our team beat Boise High 38-0. He passed and rushed for over a hundred yards each. And yeah, the quarterback's girlfriend can totally memorize the stats and brag on her guy. I had hoped his growing fame on the field would translate to the halls, but I wasn't so sure.

I listened to Michael talk shop, the different plays and all that. I let myself enjoy the moment. He was happy, and even if it would only last until the end of the conversation, I would take what I could get and hope he would get something out of it too.

It went without saying that Michael and I were important to each other, and that, in spite of my parents' wishes to the contrary, we were still together. It was also true that I loved him, but things were not the same between us. I had faith that things would get better eventually, but that got harder to believe every day. Mostly, I felt like I was the only one rooting for us. Every time I saw him, it was like he was less Michael and more something else. I worried that he was really depressed, that he wouldn't be able to pull himself out of it on his own. Worse, I didn't know how to help him.