The A Boy (Scolex)

Chapter 19

Mom: be home by 4pm today please. Your grandparents are already here.

Scott: Allie is coming too.

Mom: I know. Remember to not take anything he says to heart.

Connie sent the text and received another.

Alex: Do you think it's a good idea for me to come? I don't want to make things worse.

Connie: If Scott wants you there, there is no changing him mind.

Alex: I just think back to last time, and that's when Scott wasn't even out as gay then.

Connie: I know honey but don't take any notice of him. He's just a grumpy old man.

Alex: Scott had to listen to music to sleep last night. He said that he's been doing it a lot recently.

Connie: he's just worried. You know how sensitive he is. Let's just hope it doesn't get too out of hand. He won't say much when Rick is there though.

Alex: okay, thank you. See you later.

----

"You ready?" Alex ask as his mom pulled up at the blonds house.

"Nope, I would much rather go back to your house" Scott confessed.

"I know" Alex said sadly. They both got out of the car thanking Julie.

"Great your here. We were just about to start a bored games" she pushed the boys lightly into the living room where most of Scotts dads side of the family was.

"They can play scrabble with Richard, David and I. Or would Scott rather play with the girls" Alex looked over to see the little kids running around laughing, and decided to just take deep breaths and pretend he didn't hear that.

"Scott actually has never lost a game of scrabble" Rick informed.

"You go too easy on him" the boys sat down on the table while Connie and Jean and Scotts aunt: Sarah were in the kitchen. Scott wasn't even listening to what he had to say.

Alex was kinda panicking because English was his worst class and they wanted to play a game that you basically need to know how to spell to play. He grabbed Scotts hand and gave it a squeeze praying the blond would look his way. He did, he shakes his head now praying again that he would understand what he was trying to tell him but of course the blond couldn't read his face. He gave up and whispered in his ear.

"I can't play scrabble, I can't even spell" Alex whispered.

"None of that when I'm here boys" Robert said as he gave everyone there letters. Alex swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Alex is not playing" Scott said looking at his dad.

"Of course he is." Robert interrupted. He finished setting up.

Robert went first spelling the word 'fella' going down earning 8 points. Alex was up next and thankful he was able to find a word in all his letter. He used Robert 'F' and added 'Rog' spelling the word "frog". It was easy at the moment but he knew it would get harder.

Soon the board was getting fuller and Alex was getting more and more confused. Letters jumbling up in his head. He hadn't placed down a letter in 3 turns saying he couldn't.

Alex looked over his letter pretending to try and find a word. He shakes his head. "Can't go"

"What? Are you sure that's like the forth time you have passed." The old man peeped at the brunettes letters. "You have two 'S' and a blank you could have gone ages ago. "

"Um I d-didn't know"

"What do you mean, boy? Just add and 'S' to a word you can make plural." He said angrily. They were opposite each other so there was no escape for Alex from his eyes.

"I don't know" Alex felt like crying. It suddenly reminded him of middle school before anyone knew he was dyslexic.

"What do you mean you don't know?!" Robert raised his voice slightly making Alex flinch.

"I don't know okay! The letter are all just one big jumble mess in my head! I can't read them! I can't read. I didn't even want to play this stupid game! Who finds scrabble fun!" Tears were running down Alex cheeks and Connie had come into the living room to see what the commotion was.

"You don't raise your voice at me!" Robert roared.

"Alex, sweetie come with me" he got up wiping the tears off his cheeks. Connie took him upstairs to the bathroom for him to calm down and clean up. "It's okay, a lot of people struggle with dyslexia honey"

"But it's so stupid. Why can't I just be able to see words like everyone else why can't I just read. It's so stupid. I'm 15 and I bet the 5 year olds out there can read better than I can. "

"It's not your fault though. People are good at all different things. You happen to be an amazing artist, who cares if you find reading and spelling hard sometimes."

"He's think I'm stupid." Alex said wiping at his tears.

"Maybe but we all know the truth. You are a handsome, smart boy. Who is amazingly creative and is so kind and polite. Your mom should be so proud of the boy she has raised."

"Thank you ma'am but I have to go back out there now when I just started crying in front of everyone, and I shouted at an old man."

"Yeah but your gonna walk out there with your head held high and forget the last 10 minutes didn't even happen. You only stood up for yourself and it's more than I have done, you were very brave." Alex nodded and took the wet cloth off Connie to wipe his face and dried it with a towel. "Come on" she held a hand out and they both walked down stairs together. Scott was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you okay? I wasn't sure if I should go up there but dad said you needed a minute, I think he meant longer than that so I gave you 5." Scott rambled.

"Yeah, I'm okay" Alex smiled. Connie walked past whispering to Scott.

"Hug him"

He wrapped his arms around the brunette and Alex relaxed.

"I told him about your dyslexia but he said that it was nonsense. Don't worry he says the same thing about my autism." Scott admitted.

"Silly old men" Alex shook his head smiling at Scott.

"Dinner is ready!" Connie announced.

The boys made their way into the dining room and sat down next to each other. Alex and Robert made eye contact but Alex didn't flinch.

"Lucky we didn't go out to eat, we would have had to read the menu for him" he laughed.

"That enough dad. A lot of people in the world are dyslexic." Rick defended.

"Come on, let's just eat" Connie said sensing the tension.