Pretenders

SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN
( IM NOT OKAY )

  THEO STARTLES AWAKE FROM YET ANOTHER NIGHTMARE. He looks around and notices that everyone else is asleep. He slowly gets up, careful not to wake anyone, and stumbles into the kitchen. Pulling out his headphones, he sits on a chair by the counter. He puts on his matte black solo3 beats and presses play. Theo stares into space for what seems like eternity. He jumps when a small hand land on his shoulder. He turns to see Liam's mother.
After pausing his music, Theo takes off his headphones. "Hi, Mrs. Geyer."
  The woman frowns. "What's wrong?"
  Theo shakes his head. "Nothing."
  "Then why were you crying?" she questions.
  Theo moves his hands to his face to wipe the tears. He scoffs. "I didn't even notice."
  "Are you okay?"
  Theo smiles sadly. "I'm not sure what okay is anymore."
  "Why don't you talk about it?"
  He shrugs. "I stopped talking about how I felt a long time ago because I knew no one cared anyway."
  "You have a room full of people," she gestures to his sleeping friends, "who care about you. You can talk to them."
  "They will never understand."
  "They don't have to."
  Theo tries to read Mrs. Geyers face. "It'll hurt them if I do."
  Mrs. Geyer gives him a sad smile. "You're afraid to tell people how you feel because it will destroy them, so you bury it deep inside yourself where it destroys you." She stands. "Don't let it destroy you." She leaves leave Theo to his thoughts for the second time that night.

+++

Liam slowly awakes and notices Theo siting in the kitchen. The clock reads 7am and everyone else is in a deep sleep, even Gabe. Liam gets up and sits next to Theo, who takes off his headphones.
"Are you okay?" Liam asks.
Avoiding the question, Theo says, "Your parents came home last night."
"Why are you up?" Liam presses.
Theo shrugs. "Thinking."
"About?"
"Everything and nothing," Theo answers.
"Talk to me Theo. You know you can," Liam tells him. "Now answer the question. Why are you really up?"
Theo sighs. Liam's stubborn and finds out everything, he can't lie his way out of this. "Nightmares. About hell." He fiddles with his fingers. Theo tenses when Liam wraps his arms around Theo's  body. "What are you doing?"
  Liam scoffs. "I'm hugging you, Theo. It's called a hug."
  Theo leans into Liam's touch. "I know what a hug is. It's just," he sighs, "Alex is the only person who has ever hugged me."
  Liam responds by hugging him tighter. "Not anymore."
  They sit in silence for a few minutes before they hear someone clear their throat. They quickly jump apart to see a grinning Mason and Corey, a smirking Gabe, and a confused Nolan.
"What's going on here?" Gabe questions smirking.
"Nothing!" Theo and Liam deny in unison. Gabe can smell the embarrassment wafting off the boys.
Nolan chuckles. "Hugging for 4 minutes is not nothing."
They hear Liam's mom coming down the steps and Liam breaths a sigh of relief.
Liam's mother looks at the boys. "What are you boys all doing up so early?"
Mason shrugs. "Just teasing Liam and Theo about how in love they are."
"Mason!" Liam scolds while blushing madly.
Theo groans softly, a light blush covering his face.
Liam's mom just nods slowly while walking to the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Why are all the curtains closed?" She moves to open one, not hearing the protests from the boys. She turns to see Gabe in the corner, away from the sun, a scowl on his face. "What?"
"Gabe's a vampire," Theo explains.
"He'll die in the sun, Mom," Liam adds.
Her eyes widen as she closes the curtain. "I'm sorry. To be honest I forgot all of that stuff happened." She looks back. "Are all of you supernatural?"
Mason shakes his head. "Me and Nolan aren't."
"Okay," She rubs her head, "Can you guys explain a little more?"
Liam nods. "As you know I'm a werewolf. Scott bit me to save me from falling off of the hospital roof."
Theo exhales. "When I was nine, people called the Dread Doctors convinced me of two things. 1; that I was special and 2; That my sister wanted me to have her heart. I believed them and went with them. They made me a medical chimera by giving me my sisters heart. They they made me a chimera in the supernatural sense, a hybrid of a werewolf and a werecoyote. The two are very similar. I'm just faster and stronger than a regular werewolf. Mountain ash doesn't trap me but, I heal slower. They trained me to be a weapon and I did bad things. I hurt Scott's pack. And," he takes a deep breath, "I went to hell for it."
"I was a hunter," Gabe explains, "died with vampire blood in my system, the vamp that turned me force-fed me human blood and vóla," he bows, "vampire."
"I'm a chimera," Corey says. "I can turn invisible and I have enhanced senses and healing."
Liam's mom sips her coffee. She nods. "Okay. I can deal with that. I also," she looks at them, "spoke with Scott's mom, Melissa, and she explained a few things to me. I understand that you boys have super strength and healing, but no rough housing. You may have super healing but this house does not." She raises her eyebrow. "Understand?"
Liam's eyes widen, then he nods. "Yea, of course."
"Good." She walks back upstairs.
Liam turns to the rest of them. "That went better than I thought it would."
  "That's because she talked to Mrs. McCall," Theo says. "And I don't know about you, but that woman scares the shit out of me."
  Liam laughs. "You're scared of Scott's mom?"
  Theo smiles, a real smile, and Liam loves it. "What? She's terrifying."
  Masons gapes at Theo. "Theo Raeken smiling? Who knew?"
  Theo rolls his eyes. "Shut up Mason."
  Mason just mumbles something no one can hear, not ever with supernatural hearing.
"What did you say Mason?" Theo asks.
"Mhm. Nothing," Mason says absentmindedly.
"Mason," Theo growls.
"What," Mason laughs, "I didn't say anything. Nothing. I said nothing."
Gabe laughs at the interaction between the two.
"What's so funny?" Theo questions.
Gabe smirks. "You. You're pissed off because your emotions are showing. You act like you don't have them when we all know you do."
Theo rolls his eyes and huffs. "Whatever." His phone rings. He looks at it. "It's Alex. She wants me to come back home and talk to Deven." He stands. "So, I'm just gonna go." He leaves.
  Mason smirks as he stares at Liam.
  "What?" Liam breaks.
  Mason chuckles. "Dude. It's so obvious. So come on ask him out already!"
  Liam blushes. "No! No way! I don't like him like that." Liam never thought he'd be talking about boys with Mason.
  Corey sits down and leans into Liam's space as Liam moves back. "Then why are you blushing."
  Liam blushes more. "I-" Liam groans "shut up, Corey!"
  Nolan's eyes widen. "Wow, you so like him."
  "I-I; No! No way! Theo- Theo Raeken, never!" Liam stutters. He groans and covers his face with his hands.
  "So," Gabe starts, "Are you gonna ask him out?"
  Liam looks up, blush lightened. "I can't."
  "Why not?" Corey questions. "You like him and he obviously likes you."
  Liam rolls his eyes. "What will the pack think? And I don't think he likes me."
  Mason sighs. "Look Liam," he placed his hand on Liam's shoulder, "the packs not going to care, as long as you're happy. Sure, they'll be worried, but they won't be mad or try to stop you."
  "And," Corey butts in, "Theo definitely likes you back."
  "Are you sure?" Liam questions.
  Nolan nods. "Positive."
  Liam smiles. "Then maybe I will ask him out."
  "You should."