Summers & Starbucks - Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Kaiden
The next day, Nathan and I drive to his home after school. He unlocks the door and Zeus leaps on me, licking my face.
"Down boy! Yes, you're a good boy!" I laugh, petting him. "I missed you my baby!"
Zeus rolls over and I tickle him happily. He yelps and whines, enjoying the affection.
God, I love this dog. And his owner but at least the dog likes me back.
Nathan lets him out in the small garden.
"Nathan, is that you?"A high pitched voice calls.
His face turns grim immediately. So I'm finally meeting his mum.
"Where have you been, brat?! You didn't come home last night and I called you so many times!"
Why wasn't he home last night?
A petite, brunette woman comes out of the room beside the kitchen. Her expression changes completely on seeing me.
"Oh! You've brought a guest, how lovely. Should have informed me first. Anyway, how lovely. I'm Melissa Summers!"
She smiles, a cold smile which doesn't reach her grey eyes. Her hair is in a bun atop her head. She looks fragile but something about her is unsettling. I have heard her scream at Nathan once and I don't like her already.
"Hello Ma'am, I'm Kaiden Pierce. Nice to meet you," I say politely, not meaning it in the slightest.
"Such a nice name you have! Um, what happened to your face?"
I almost laugh. The bruises are still green but getting better although they're painful as hell.
"I fell. It was an accident."
"Oh okay. Nathan go get him water and get me some iced water too while you're at it," she orders, not looking at him. Like he is her damn servant or something.
Hell, my mother doesn't even speak to Shailene and Nora like this and they're our actual househelps.
"You're in the same class? Please, have a seat."
"Well yeah, we share many classes," I mutter, hesitantly sitting down. "Even art."
Nathan hands me a glass of water and gives the other to his mom. I thank him and he sits beside me on the couch, his thigh touching mine. His back is tense and I want to grab his hands and comfort him.
"Yeah I don't know why he took art. He's never been an artsy person. Just doesn't like sitting in one place, always running about. He's barely home, off at some stupid camp or other. God knows what he does there, but if I say something I'm the bad guy huh," she laughs dryly.
"We met at his summer camp. He's really popular among everyone, considering the amazing skills he has! Also, he can climb faster than any human I've seen," I say evenly, meeting her cold gaze. Her face falls, not expecting me to defend Nathan.
"Do you want to eat something? Some cookies perhaps?"
"Oh no, we both just ate."
"Oh you already ate? Couldn't you have told me that? Who's going to eat the food I made? Wasting my time and the food," she snaps, her voice tight, glare fixed on Nathan.
Most mothers I have met don't reprimand their kids in the presence of a guest, but not this woman. He's staring at his feet.
"Uh, we were at my house, doing an assignment and we ate there. Sorry about your food," I mutter, not feeling sorry at all.
"Oh, you were studying! How nice of you to finally get my son to work! Tell me, does he study? Or does he waste all his time juggling that stupid ball on his feet? He should focus on his academics, how far is a soccer obsession going to get him?" she asks, lighting a cigarette. She takes a puff and exhales heavily.
"For all I know he'll end up a failure with no real skills. He's setting himself up for that path anyway."
I'm growing increasingly annoyed. How dare she say such demotivating things about her own flesh and blood?!
"Nathan's an excellent soccer player. He's one of the best in our team. Our coach is proud of him. He even said he would have made him Captain if he wasn't a new transfer," I say immediately.
Nathan turns to me. I place my hand on his, telling him to stay quiet.
"But what's the use of that? Anyone plays a game. I wish he did something useful instead of hanging around with his stupid friends. Of course, I didn't mean you Kaiden, since you help him study. I meant the others. At least with you, he will do something worthwhile with his life."
She takes a long drag and exhales, looking at Nathan with a very disdainful expression. I know every word is hurting him.
"Well, we'll be upstairs if you need us," I say, standing up, having had enough of her condescending talk. "Come on Nathan."
Nathan looks at me like I have two heads but follows me quietly. We carry the paint buckets upstairs to his room. He sighs, leaning against the door.
"I'm sorry about that?"
"Don't apologise! The way she talks to you is so demeaning! Why don't you contradict her?!" I ask, astounded.
"Because she's not completely bad. I understand she cares for me! She gives me food and everything. I feel extremely guilty when I lash out at her."
"Nathan. You're gonna think I'm being rude but she's your parent and what she does is the bare minimum okay? Literally. Providing your kid basic necessities is a pre-requisite to having a kid!"
"Can we drop it? You cannot begin to understand what I feel okay?" he huffs.
I fall silent.
He's right, I probably don't get it at all.
He leaves the room and brings back a stack of old newspapers and some cloths. He puts one on my head and makes a bandana of it, tying a knot behind my neck. It covers most part of my hair.
Our proximity is making me hot all over.
"Kai?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you. For you know, defending me?"
"It's cool, what are friends for?"
Psh, friends. I can't bear to be your friend.
I start the outline with a chalk, aware of him staring at me. He sits on the bed.
"Have you always liked painting?"
I nod.
"You still didn't send me your portfolio link."
"I guess I forgot."
He falls silent.
I erase a chalk line. This Sukuna character is troublesome to draw.
"Um, we have the Westbrook game on Halloween after exams. Will you come?"
I had forgotten about that. Beats me how, it's all Ryan, Dan and Alex talk about.
"Of course, everyone is going to be there, to see our rivals crushed. No pressure on you, hah!"
He chuckles and then sighs.
"I'm nervous."
I turn around, stopping my sketching which is halfway done. He looks up and gives me a half smile.
"Nervous? Why?"
"Because I feel like I'm betraying my friends? Because I know the only reason I'm on the Credence team is to beat Westbrook. Because... fuck, never mind I'm being stupid," He laughs, scratching the back of his neck.
"I don't think you're being stupid. It's totally okay. Besides, you probably did some blood pact with them in the lockers so if you defeat them, you're gonna die. I'd be nervous too!"
He laughs. It's such a nice sound, I want to hear it forever.
"Blood pact?! What the hell do you think we do in the lockers?"
His mom comes in without knocking, making me take a few steps back. She has a tray in her hands, which has coffee cups and some cookies.
I see what Nathan means by her not being a complete witch.
"Thanks, Mrs. Summers," I smile politely.
"Hn. Try not to get the place too dirty," she says before exiting.
She's cold as hell though.
I get the cup and hand him the other, sitting beside him on the bed.
"So as I was saying, it's fine if we lose, okay?"
He scoffs.
"Is it fine?! You haven't seen the way Daniel and the others look at me! I have to win this thing else they won't let me play! I'd be made a laughing stock. Coach would be disappointed in me. There's so much at stake!"
"And you will win, I promise you. However, none of those things are the reason you're on the team okay?! Stop thinking that you're dispensable. Credence record has improved like five hundred percent this season! I don't even like sports yet I know this."
I didn't want to talk to him and now I'm sympathising with him.
"You're only saying that because you're biased towards me," He says, finishing the coffee.
"Listen to me, Nathan. You're on the team because everyone in the school knows you're a damn good soccer player. Do you want me to paint that on your wall instead? Cuz I'm gonna do that."
He chuckles, shaking his head. I push his curls back from his forehead. I retract my hand quickly, ears growing warm. Did I just...
"Uh, sorry, I just...You need a haircut."
"So do you," he says, running a hand through my hair too. I close my eyes automatically.
Fuck this shit.
"Come on, let's get to work. I have to go home and study!"
I stand up quickly, grab the chalk and continue the outline, heart racing. Is it normal to feel these many butterflies? It's not even butterflies, just giant dragons at this point.
It's silent afterwards.
I draw Kakashi, Itachi, Megumi, Gojo, Levi, Tanjiro and Luffy - I try my best. It takes me an hour or so. A crescent moon sits in the background with some crows flying and shurikens.
"I swear you have magic fingers," Nathan says, awestruck. "This looks so cool!"
"Thanks," I smile, rather shy.
Opening the bucket of red paint I tell him which parts of the sketch to paint. We start working. I direct him on where his brush strokes are going wrong.
"Where are you going for the trip?"
"Hm?"
"With Sam."
"Oh yeah, to his beach cabin, he said. Do you know each other?"
"Well, yes and no."
"Meaning?"
"We were in school together but we weren't close," he says, not looking at me. He's fast with a brush, better than he can draw definitely.
"But you both are friends with Seth right? Yet you've never spoken? As far as I know, Seth and Sam are super close."
He nods.
"So, uh, did he like, ask you out of the blue or you guys talk often?"
"Well, yeah we do talk. He follows me on instagram so we send each other shitty memes," I laugh. "His mum is also friends with mine but I only met him first time at Sasha's party."
He nods. I wonder what he's thinking.
"Can I tell you something?"
"Sure, anything."
"Stay away from Sam."
Of all the things, I wasn't expecting this. He turns to me and his face is a complete mask but his eyes are bloodshot.
"Are you going to give me a reason for that statement?"
"Do you trust me?"
I nod without hesitation even though I don't know if I should. He's already lied to me many times.
"Then listen to me. Stay away from him."
"But why?! We're friends, he's actually really great company so I will need a valid reason to stay away from him and not just trust!"
"He's not a nice person."
"Psh, come on, he's a friend. I can't exactly avoid him. Besides, it's not like he did anything to me."
"Don't go on that trip."
"What?! Why the hell not?"
"Because it's him. It's probably a trap."
I laugh but he seems serious.
"I'm not listening to you unless you tell me why you hate him or why I shouldn't associate with him. That's final," I say.
He groans.
"You don't fucking get to groan! I should be the one all annoyed by your constant refusal to tell me things!" I poke him.
"You know what, do whatever you want. I don't care."
"So, you don't care that I might possibly be hurt while I'm with him?"
He turns to me, eyes wide, fidgeting with the brush.
"I do care. That's why I'm telling you to stay away!"
He sighs and goes back to painting. Annoyed, I flick my brush at him, making several drops of red paint land on him. Oh no.
"Oh no, you didn't!" He gasps.
"Fuck, fuck I'm sorry!" I laugh. "I didn't think there was so much paint on it!"
He flicks the paint back on me.
"Are you crazy?! It's a white shirt!" I yell. "I didn't do it on purpose Nathan!"
He slowly backs away, trying to escape.
Dipping my hands in the paint, I run after him, laughing. He jumps away, running around the bed and dodging me.
"Come back here, you asshole!" I shout.
"Shh, my mom's downstairs!" He laughs.
I jump over the bed and run after him, catching hold of his hands. He slips from my grip, chuckling. Damn he's fast. He chases me, I trip over a newspaper roll and land flat on my face.
"Ow, fuck!"
Nathan bursts into laughter, before offering me a hand. I grab it and stand up, rubbing my chin. This is going to add to the already sore bruises on my jaw.
"Gotcha!" he whispers.