The Bucket List

Chapter sixteen

Chapter sixteen

-Aaron

I felt incredibly confident and superior. New life, new me. I no longer felt like the little coward who shriveled up and cried. I was stronger and surrounded by people who encouraged me and loved me. My mother, who I assumed had never truly loved me, was gone and out of my life. I no longer had that doubt holding me back. I felt so free.

I hadn't heard from my father for the past week, and it hurt, but I didn't let it get to me. I felt so positive about this, so empowered.

I suddenly felt hands clamp on my shoulders and screamed when someone yelled boo.

"You're spacing out again, baby caked." Tabya giggled.

I held my beating heart and turned to her with a grin. "It's called thinking, smart people do that now these days."

She grinned. "I'm gonna miss you guys when I go back." She was referring to college, which she put off when I first went into my coma.

"I'll miss you to." I admit. I saw her as a sister, one that couldn't be replaced. "I can't wait to go back to school!" I sigh.

"Don't you have to take a special class over since you haven't taken any high school classes? "

Tabya's dog, potato, jumped on my lap and I placed my hand on his head. "No, I'll just start as a freshman in extra credit classes since I missed the first month."

"How long until you stay in the extra credit?"

"Until I show that I can catch up." I grimace. "I'm almost seventeen but I'm at an eighth graders level."

"What are you gonna do when Toby graduates next year?" Tabya grins.

"Toby wouldn't leave me." I huffed. "And if he had to move, I'd go with him."

"I'll be there when you graduate at twenty." She grins.

I grin back. "But I'll be the college freshman that can hook anyone up with drinks."

She throws her hands up. "Calm down, cool guy!"

"My college boyfriend." I purr. "Sounds sexy."

Tabya gags. "You fags!"

"Lesbian!" I grin.

She grins back. "Homo!"

"Carpet muncher!" I shout before blushing. Oh god I actually said that.

Tabya screams before laughing. "I fucking knew you had it in you!"

"You stupid idiots are filling my mind!" I groaned. Potato jumped from my lap with an excited bark and I fell on the coach on my side. "I was so innocent!"

"The word is shielded." Tabya snorted.

I laughed and Tabya leaned over to take my hat off. It was one of Toby's band beanies that I cherished only because it was his. "Give it back!" I shouted.

Tabya pulled it over her head and skipped around the coach. "Aaron's got a boyfriend!"

"Yea, your brother!" I snorted.

She grinned and darted from me room. I was after her almost immediately, savoring the feel of moving my legs in a way I hadn't been able to in years. She threw open the front door and stopped as I jumped and tackled her to the ground, ripping off the hat. Tabya quickly got up and I blinked at the man in front of us. Jackson.

I stood up slowly, keeping my eyes on his face. Tabya stood beside me and took my hand defensively as if daring him to attack me. Jackson's eyes flickered to our hands to my face ad I saw his thoughts running. "Tabya is Toby's sister."