Page 12 of Infinity Chronicles 2
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Sadly,I don’t get to see Ares before we load into the car. I’m glad it’s Friday, because I’ll have a few hours with him tomorrow morning before I need to go into work. As soon as the day registers, I realize today is the day we find out who won the scholarship. I know Dante is hoping he will, even if he won’t outright admit it. His artwork is so amazing, but he’s almost shy about it. I lean forward, my arms perched on the back of the seat. “Good luck today Dante.”
He turns to face me, his eyes soft and a small grin plays on his lips. “Thanks,” he whispers back, looking down at his lap. Ollie slides into the back with me and his brow furrows when he sees me leaning toward Dante. I fall back into my seat twisting my lips with a shrug. He can be curious, I like to tease him.
“I have the year end banquet tomorrow,” Milo announces. “I only have two tickets.” It’s the first I’ve heard of any banquet. I glance over at him and he meets my eyes. “My mom and my dads are coming too.” I haven’t met his or Ollie’s parents. Sometimes I forget they still see them. My relationship with my mom has always been so consuming, and nowthatshe’s not around I forgot their parents are actually still in their lives.
“That’s awesome. What’s it like?” I ask, curious about the event.
Milo shrugs, looking out the window. “It’s just a dinner thing. So, I won’t be around tomorrow. My parents are getting a couple rooms in the city.”
“Oh.” Trying to cover how sad I sound I ask, “Where is it?”
“Columbia, it’s about forty minutes away.” Milo soundscompletelydejected. “That’s why we’re getting rooms, the guys were going to…” His words trail off.
“What, the guys were going to what?” I prompt when he doesn’t seem like he’ll finish.
Ollie puts his hand on my leg. “Wewere going to go up with him, make a weekendout of it, but—”
I interrupt, “But me, right? That’s what youwere going to say.” Scooting forward so I can reach Milo’s shoulder, I place my hand on him. “You still should. I don’t need a babysitter. They should go with you. I don’t really know what a football banquet is. But it seemsprettyimportant.”
Milo drops his head. “It’s just some stupid dinner. I don’t even want to go.”
“And awards,” Dante adds.
“You’re getting an award?” Now I feel terrible, how did I not know this? I fall back into my seat feeling like shit. Have I been so wrapped up in my stuffthatI don’t know what’s going on around me, or do they not talk to me? Both options are equally shitty.
“Milo, you’re going to that banquet. And taking the others with you.” I cross my arms over my chest, my words ring with an order.
“Ares isn’t going, we didn’t even know hewas going to be back when we planned it.” Milo puts his elbow over the seat staring at me. “So, he’ll have you all weekend.” I scrunch up my face, he sounds aggravated. “My parents won’t understand if the guys don’t come. They’ll think we're fighting or something, and they already worry about us because they don’t know we found you. And Ares won’t let us tell them.” Flipping back around he slams into his seat. Frustrated with the entire situation.
“Milo, why don’t wejustgo for the day, make an excuse that we need to be back here. They know Ares is back. Tell them he’s throwing you a party, he didn’t know wewere going to stay in Columbia for the weekend. Your parents won’t care, especially if they think it will keep Ares around.” Ollie, the voice of reason, appeals to Milo.
Milo lets out a long sigh.
“It’s okay if you want to stay Milo. Don’t feellikeyou can’t because of me. I don’t want to hold you back.” I hope he can hear the sincerity in my voice. I want him tocelebrate his accomplishments, Ijustwish I could be there with him.
“It’s not like that Laura, but I don’t like hiding you from my parents. If Ares would just let me tell them, we could all go, including him.”
Dante pulls into the lot at school, he cuts the car off, but makes no move to get out. “We can talk to him again tonight. He doesn’t like keeping it from our parents either Milo, hethinks it’s safer this way.”
“Come on guys, we’ll talk to him tonight. It’s Friday, last day to be at this hellhole this week. Perk up, we’ll figure it out,” Ollie presses, trying to lighten the conversation.
* * *
I’m still feeling a little out of sorts about this weekend when lunch rolls around. Ollie did his best to distract me in the class we share, but I feel like I’m the reason Milo won’thave a great weekend with his friends and family.
What else don’t I know about? I mean, this is our senior year, are they planningon going to college? Ares isobviouslypast that point, but what about the others? In the back of my mind I always knew college wasn’t an option for me, unless I went to a community college while working, but even that was just a pipe dream. Will they go off to school, will they even be able to go without me? I know I feel like utter crap when I’m not around them for a few hours, I can’t imagine what it would be like if we went weeks, or months, without seeing each other. Maybe it’ll get easier, maybe after we’ve been together for a while the bond will grow, allowing us tobe separated for longer periods of time without suffering the effects of being apart.
I need to ask them more questions. Like what is the purpose of our gifts? It seems ifwe’re blessed with these great abilities then there has to be a reason for it. Do they ever help people? There has to be more to this than parlor tricks.
“Laura,” Milo wavesto mefrom the down the hall. He’s not as tall as the other guys, but it’s still easy to spot him in the crowed hallways. I pick up my pace and head in his direction. I know I can’t talk to them about all the things I’ve been thinking about right now, but I’m determined that I will, starting tonight, when I get off work.
“Hey,” I greet him when I’m close enough for him to hear me. “We eating in the lunchroom again?” The tone of my voiceclearlytelling him I’d rather not.
“Yeah, Ollie is already waiting for us. You okay?” I shrug, what can I say. I’m not okay. I have a lot on my mind. I thought things would get simpler after I accepted I was truly apart of them. That I had a place among them. But itopenedupso many more questions about what the future holds for us.
Milo intertwines our fingers together. I probably should just give him a quick squeeze and let go, but Ifind myself clinging to his fingers. We pass through the double doors into the large cafeteria. I expect everyone to be staring in our direction, but we go in mostly unnoticed. He leads us over to the same table we sat at yesterday, and Ollie is in fact waiting for us.
