Dark Angel

Chapter 7

Alexander went through the door to see Bobby waiting for him at the entrance.
"What do you want idiot?"
"Ooooh, you wound me Alex." He replied sarcastically.

"What did you do with her anyway, make out?"

"Bu-uh-no!! Get out of my face!" He sputtered and Bobby laughed.
"You did? Ooh Alex my man, you've got game!"
"It's not like that..." Alex replied.
"You like her?" Bobby asked and he reluctantly nodded. "Invited her to the BBQ."

"Then, it is like that. Look man..." Bobby said as he placed his hand on Alexander's shoulder. "You deserve to be happy too. Besides, she's quit-"

"What's that?" Alex interjected, sniffing the air hoping to catch the familiar scent that just escaped him.

"Yeah, I forgot to mention this... Alex!" Bobby called as he chased his cousin through the house.
"Don't freak out okay?"
"Ridiculous. Why would I freak out..." He ran out of words when he went into the dining room to see a man sitting and staring at him.

"He was here when I got in." Bobby said. "I didn't know how to tell you..."

"What are you doing here?" Alexander asked him and he raised an eyebrow from under his messy mass of hair.
"I'm out. Clean bill of health my Doctor said."

"That's what your 'Doctor' said last time." Alex replied.

"Oh don't do that kiddo! It's different this time. Didn't you miss me?" He asked with a childish smile but Alex remained nonchalant.

"No." He replied

"I didn't miss you at all Father."

************************************

"I really don't want to be seeing you or smelling you the moment you bounce back." Alex grumbled. "So, please live on the other side of the house. You can do your... 'stuff' there."

Michael just smiled as he stared at his son. Alex was growing up so fast. But he was still emotionally distant.

He had to change that fast.

"Whatever you need kiddo." He then  smiled that smile that said 'Or I could kick you out of my house' and Alexander sighed out in frustration as he stormed off to his room.

"Impatience..." he muttered softly but loud enough for Bobby to raise an eyebrow, "That's new."

"Why are you here Uncle Al?"
The only person who called him that was the child he pulled out of the wreckage of the accident that took both his parents.

The only one amongst the two boys who knew the truth.

"I've not told him anything about where you really were-"

"I know that Bobby." He cut in. "I had to be here for the memorial. I need to be here. I also need get an update from you."

"What if he found out?"

"He won't." Michael said. His mind wandering to the things around him, the coffee that was cooling, the sounds of the fan that kept irritating him, the beating of Bobby's...

"Uncle Al!"
He came back to the right focus and saw Bobby staring at him with concern.
"If you do that around him, he'll notice."
"Yeah, yeah..." He muttered.

"It's quite funny how they celebrate her death. I mean," He started correcting himself when he saw the shock on Bobby's face.
"She was a National hero and everything. But, they do it for them and not her. They don't know how it hurts him... What has he been up to since I was away?"

"Nobody knows we are related in school." Bobby grumbled. "He made sure of that."

That intruiged Michael.

"How?" He asked and Bobby shrugged.
"I honestly don't know." Nobody knows it. Well, except for the new girl-"

"New girl?" Michael asked and Bobby gave him the 'I know right?' look.

"She's awfully pretty. Her mom is no slouch either. They actually look like sisters. And..." He paused and checked around to make sure Alex was not around. "They have someone in there who is suffering from the same condition she had."

"Ohhh..." He rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "How did he take it?"
"Quite well actually. There's nothing else I can report."

"I need to meet those new people..." Michael grumbled. "Their being here speaks all kinds of bad omens."

"They are coming for the memorial."

"That's great!" He smiled, his mind already calculating like it always does.

"That's really great."