A Year At The Opera

Chapter 5: What The Actual Fuck Is Going On?

Word Count: 2000 words

Aaron

"Dad?" He walked further down the steps.

"Up so early? What's the occasion?" Ryan said, surprised.

And it was, without a doubt, the voice of Ryan Adler.

Aaron said nothing, simply walked towards him and hugged him. Aaron sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand and hugged Ryan even tighter.

"Well, well. What's the occasion, son?" Ryan asked.

"I...I..." Aaron couldn't even form the words in his head. It was too much, all at once.

But how could it be?

"What is it?" Ryan's tone was serious and he put the cup down on the table.

"I thought you were..." He stopped. "Nothing."

"You thought I was what?" Ryan asked. "Come on, talk to me."

And somehow that gave Aaron the ability to speak again. "Well, I got this call last night and it was from the plant and they said there was a leak and that you were..." Even after last night, Aaron couldn't bring himself to say the word.

Dead.

How could he?

"Dead?" Ryan completed the sentence for him. "Oh, that's adorable. I'm a tough son of a bitch, Ar. It's not that easy to kill me."

He casually turned around to his breakfast before quickly turning back.

"Wait, what do you mean a leak?"

"There was this lady who called and said there had been an accidental leak at the plant. I didn't get all the details but she said you were-"

"Dead?"

"Yeah."

"Weird, I haven't heard anything about a leak. And I was home all night, yesterday, Aaron. It couldn't have been me."

Mary emerged from the kitchen and turned to Aaron. "Oh, what are you two blathering on about? A little father son bonding moment? And why are you up so early?"

"Mom!" Aaron turned to her.

"Yeah?" She said nonchalantly, raising her cup of coffee to her mouth.

"You called me last night. About the leak at the plant!"

"Leak? What do you mean?" She turned to Ryan. "There was a leak at the plant?"

"If there was, it's the first I'm hearing of it. Probably just someone playing a cruel joke."

"Maybe, but who would do such a thing?" She slurped her coffee.

"You called me last night, mom. To see where I was." Aaron chimed in.

"I did not. I was busy all night at the office. I only just got home, Aaron. I barely had time to breathe, much less take time away to call you. The boss has been giving me a shit ton of cases."

"Mary watch your language around the child."

"Oh, he's sixteen. He's not a child."

"Look, mom. You called me." Aaron pulled out his phone and unlocked it but as he opened the recent contacts, he noticed a distinct lack of a call. Anything, really. The entire page was blank.

"What the fuck?" He refreshed the page. Nothing.

"Watch your language, Aaron." Mary said.

"Hypocrite." Ryan whispered.