Rebel Knights

Chapter 9

"Fuck!" I holler, throwing my notebook across the room, where it bounces off the wall and onto the floor. 

I'm trying to complete my calculus homework and I'm totally frustrated since I can't figure out the last problem - I've been working on it for the last fifteen minutes with no success. I'm back living at Gabriel's house, since I stayed for Christian, and let's face reality, Jaxson didn't want me there after my outburst at him two days ago. I left without an argument as I didn't and don't want him and Jamenson fighting about me. Walking away from my homework, I join Christian in the living room. 

Gabriel has laid down some rules for me, though: I have to speak with Chaplin once a week at his home. I have to finish high school this year and then find a job or attend either trade school or college. If I leave the house, other than for walks on his twenty acre property, I have to be with Christian, Gabriel, Roman, Chaplin or the Cline's. These are the rules currently, but Gabriel said he can change or add at to these at any time until I turn 18 years old. 

Christian and I are curled up on the couch together watching a movie while Gabriel is attending a Rebel Knights meeting at the Golden Knights returant. I refused to attend the meeting as I don't see the point, so Christian choose to stay with me. Christian ordered a pizza for us, and we've already consumed the entire pie. 

'Are you going to give Roman another chance?' he asks once the movie ends. 

"Um, I dunno. My head is scrambled right now," I admit while chewing on my lower lip. 

'I think you should as he knows he fucked up, and he wants to fix it with you,' he tells me with a small smile. 

"If I let him back in, what do I do if he breaks me again?"

'Then you pick yourself up again, and forge on to someone better,' he shrugs.

Fiddling with my fingers for a moment before saying; "I'll give him another try - one last time and we'll see where it goes."

Biting my lower lip, I get off the couch to grab the empty pizza box to place in the recycle bin in the garage; completly lost in thought as to if I'm making the right decision about Roman. As I turn to walk back inside the house, the garage door opens to allow Gabriel to ride his motorcycle inside. Once he's cleared the garage door, I press the button by the house door to shut it. 

'Thanks, Colten,' he signs with a bright smile, while pulling his helmet off with his left hand. 

"You're welcome," I reply before entering the house as I know Christian will launch himself at Gabriel once he's inside the house - which is exactly what my brother does once Gabriel shuts the door behind him. 

Chuckling lowly as I shake my head while making my way to my bedroom with my laptop that I grabbed off the kitchen table, to give them some privacy. Turning the laptop on to check my new social medias, since I created new one's with my new name - Colten Cline, and I don't upload any pictures of Christian or I, so no one from home can find us if they are even looking for us. Quickly checking Facebook and Instagram, I like and comment on a few post of famous people that I follow - as I don't have any friends since we came to NYU. 

I follow missing children pages and I notice a post on Facebook in one of those pages from my grandma, who lives here in New York; "I'm looking for my two grandson's, as they have ran away from their home in Gary, Indiana several months ago. Their names are Colten Lee Allen and Christian Jay Allen, and they are 17 years old and 16 years old. Please help me find them."

Below the written post are several current pictures of Christian and me, completly freaking me out. Grabbing my laptop, I rush from the bedroom to the kitchen, where my brother and Gabriel are each filling a glass of water from the tap. 

"Look at this!" I holler, thrusting the laptop into Gabriel's chest, once he's placed his glass on the counter. "That's our grandmother and she's looking for us," Christian instantly pales as they read her post and see the pictures, and my little brother starts to shake like a leif in the wind from fear. 

"How do we handle this?" I ask Gabriel nervously, while bouncing between my feet. 

He places the laptop on the counter next to his glass before pulling Christian into his arms and against his body, as he signs with a hand and speaks out loud; 'We're going to contact her and set up a meeting with her.'

"Grandpa will come to that, too," I tell him not knowing how this meet-up will go. 

Gabriel seriously nods as he tightly hugs Christian to him while rubbing his large hand over my brother's back - effectivly calming him down. Taking my laptop off the counter with a weak smile at him as I nod; "I'll private message her. When should I set this up, where and what time?"

'Saturday, 11 a.m. at the Golden Knights,' he signs with his right hand while holding Christian tightly with his left arm. 

Nodding, I gently kiss Christian on the back of the head before telling him; "Love you, Chrissy. Everything will be fine, I promise."

He nods slightly while tightening his arms around Gabriel's waist and digging his face into his man's left peck. Turning around I make my way back to my room to private message our grandma. Clicking on her name, I then click on the message button, and type out with shaky hands; "Hello, I think I'm your grandson, well one of that is. Please meet us at the Golden Knights Italian resturant on 48th and Main, this Saturday at 11 a.m."

She instantly replies; "How do I know you really are one of them? You share the same first name but the last names don't match," biting my lower lip, I click the camera button on the computer and snap a picture of myself before sending it to her with a shaky push of my finger. 

Instead of a written reply from her, she wants to video chat, and I'm fucked since I can't answer her. Not answering the call, I let it ring as I run with the laptop  in hand back to Gabriel and Christian shouting; "She wants to video-chat, help!"

Gabriel takes the laptop from me to place it on the coffee table in front of him and Christian before pulling me onto the empty cushion next to him, to answer the call. Once the call connects, grandma and grandpa are on the screen, and I swallow thickly around the sudden lump in my throat at the sight of them. Grandma instantly smiles at us, but grandpa's facial expressino remains netural as grandma speaks. 

Damn, I really need to learn to read lips.

As the minutes tick by, the more irritated and nervous I become in not knowing what is being said between them. Fidgeting in my spot the longer they talk, I notice my grandparents occassionally glance at me with pity in their eyes, which I hate. This tells me that they are aware of the accident and my hearing loss. 

Finally after ten long minutes, I see grandma franticlly writing on a piece of paper before holding it up for me to read; 'We know about what happened between you and your parents. We know why you ran away. We just want to see the both of you to make sure you're happy and healthy, that's all.'

Glancing at Gabriel and Christian to see what they think, and both are smiling brightly as Gabriel nods slightly. He signs with his right hand; 'Just one meeting, and if it doesn't go well, I will make sure they cannot do a damn thing to you and Christian.'

Nodding at him, I say; "Okay, I trust you."

Grandpa is frowning at us, and he is making me uncomfortable, but that is normal for him - he's always made me feel uncomfortable. Scowling back at him, which Gabriel notices my facial expression at grandpa, so Gabriel descritly signs; 'What's wrong?'

'He makes me uneasy, but he always has,' I sign back, unwilling to voice my issue out loud. 'He has since we were little.'

Gabriel nods looking thoughtful at my information, but he smiles sweetly at my grandparents as they continue to talk for another couple of minutes before the call ends. 

'The meeting is a go, but we're going to have a few of the guys come with us for support,' Gabriel tells me, and I nod actually thankful for them and him.