Born Confused: Malec AU Sequel

A Real or Fake Life

Malik's POV
The party was a disaster! I people were breaking windows and picture frames all over the walls and when my mom got home she just laughed. She was crazy in her youth. She helped me clean up, which I told her she didn't need to but she insisted...

As I was cleaning, I couldn't get that boy, Alexander, out of my head. I was so comfortable around him. I gave him my number but it's been almost 2 hours since he left and I still didn't get a text from him. As I begin to think of thoughts, my mom taps my shoulder.

"Everything okay, sweetie?" She smiles as me, softly. "Yeah, I'm just thinking about a boy. His name is Alexander. He was here tonight but he doesn't go to my school. He came with that red head, Clary. Plus a small group of friends. We talked for so long..." I pause to take a deep breath. "It was nice. He was just different... angsty yet polite, stubborn but so caring. It was easy to talk to him..." I ramble and ramble, my mom, Dannie, never letter her eyes off of me.

"Well, if it was so easy to talk to him and he even felt the same way... he should call or text. Don't stress sweetie..." We sit in silence for a little until she breaks it. "You want to get some milkshakes from Jerry's?"

Milkshakes always make me feel better so I nod my head. "Can we finish the cleaning when we get back?" I ask and she nods. She walks into the kitchen to grab her purse before we walk out the front door to the car.

Jerry's is a little ice cream shop open 24 hours. It has a giant ice cream tower behind that is the final hole on a miniature golf course that they have. My mom would bring me here all the time when I was younger.

We drive to Jerry's, singing and laughing. My mom is like my best friend so it's easy to have fun with her. When we get there, she parks the car in the usual spot. The one right next to the ice cream tower. It's almost two in the morning so no one is playing and no one is here... but Jerry.

"Hey Malik and Dannie! How are my favorite customers?" He walks from behind the ice cream counter as we walk through the door. He gives my mom a tight hug and pats my shoulder. "We are wonderful. Have you eaten?" She asks him as the three of us walk a booth in the back of the shop. "I haven't, I was swamped until about an hour ago. There were some drunk teens coming from a 'killer' party." He air quotes and nudges my arm.

I always think my mom has a thing for Jerry. He's really nice. Buff, slender, talks politely, sweet, funny... all things my mom loves in a man. They flirt sometimes too so there's that too.

"Malik, we are going to cook. If you want to make yourself a milkshake, go ahead." As the two get up from the table and walk towards the kitchen he adds, "if you can come up with a random milkshake that I can sell as a special... let me know." I smile at them before I walk behind the corner.

Right as I scoop ice cream into a cup, my phone vibrates which causes my heart to skip a beat.

"Hey Malik, it's Alec."

From that moment... the texting did not stop until I went home at 4 in the morning. I learned that he's from my home town, goes to Alicante High School, is on the archery team, has siblings, but most importantly is single. He also likes sunrise watching, which I do too.

He doesn't come out and say he's gay but I have a feeling that he is. When we get to the subject of family, I tell him about my mom and our relationship but then he asks if I have a father... I can tell my tone shifts in the texts before he says anything.

My father was a horrible man. He abused my mom and I for years. My mom was too afraid to leave but when she completed her online psychology degree and found a job, she called a company to uproot our house and move the house from Birch Street and place it in the suburbs of New York. They did the move in one weekend.

We changed our names and never looked back. I don't even know if he's alive now. He had an alcohol and drug problem.

"Well I'm going to go to bed, we have school in the morning. I'll text you tomorrow Malik."

Malik... that's not even my name. If I want this to work, I'm going to have to tell him the truth... the whole truth. How would he even react? Would he even want to be my friend?

What happens when he finds out that my name is Magnus Bane and I'm living a lie?