Adjusting (Part 1)

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Aaron took a left at an intersection. He frowned as he viewed his school in the mirror. "Why do I have to find out about this now of all times...?" Aaron thought as his eyes burned with unshed tears of pure frustration, and perhaps a twinge of something else. Now that Adam was gone, Aaron felt that it was safe to stop pretending, if only for a moment.

"What can I do?" He kept driving, although his troubling thoughts did not let up. "I am human... and compared to... everything..." He hit the wheel of his car, trying to let out some of the uselessness he felt.

Aaron reached his home rather quickly with only his disturbing thoughts to keep him company. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Michelle was going to get married, and he couldn't even tell her how he felt, right? The fact that she wasn't human didn't deter the feelings he had for her.

"Now I know why they say you should open your mouth while you still have the chance..." He thought with the very beginnings of depression. "But would that have changed anything?" Wondered Aaron hopelessly.

For as long as Aaron had known Michelle, he had harbored a massive crush on the beautiful, intelligent, blunt blonde.

Aaron entered his room and laid down on his bed. His eyes felt like they were about to explode, and his throat constricted painfully. He couldn't hold it back anymore. He sniffed lightly as he cried softly. Honestly, he felt pathetic.

Aaron's mother stood on the other side of his bedroom door. She could practically feel his sadness, and she knew it was from heartbreak. After all, mothers are supposed to know everything there is to know about their children. She gently opened the door. "Sweetie... are you... okay?" His mother asked in concern, even when she knew he wasn't.

Aaron looked towards the door and quickly wiped his tears as he nodded almost on instinct. "Yeah, I'm fine... just bit my tongue," Aaron inwardly cursed himself for such a pathetic excuse of a lie. However, try as he might, right now, he could think of nothing better.

"Aaron... something is bothering you," His mother said as she sat on the bed next to him. "I'm here for you. Always have been, and always will be."

He wanted to refuse, but the sincerity he could hear in her voice, the way her eyes traveled on his face, searching, trying to help, made him hesitate. Aaron bit his lower lip even as he started talking. "You... know Michelle?" It came out as a question, but Aaron knew the answer. He took a moment to gather his thoughts as his mother nodded and waited patiently for him to continue. "Well... I just found out that she's... getting married," Aaron muttered in such a soft tone, his mother just barely heard him.

His mother paused as if she was processing what she just heard when her eyes widened in what could only be shock and disbelief. "Married?!"

"Yes, it's arranged... apparently, her family set it up a long time ago," Aaron said in an attempt not to go into more details as he tried to stop the tears from flowing freely on his cheeks.

"Oh, my boy," His mother's natural maternal instincts took over, and she hugged him tightly. "Does she know?"

Aaron looked at his mother with a questioning look shining in his eyes. "Know what?"

"That you love her," Aaron felt himself freeze.

"How?" Aaron asked, even as he felt surprised and, somewhere deep within, a bit embarrassed. "How... did you know?"

"I noticed long ago," His mother patted his head and smiled gingerly. "Every time someone says something about you and her being a couple, you turn red. You go the extra mile to help her if she asks, and the way you look at her when you think no one is looking... you don't look at Jasmine or Brianne that way. She probably feels the same about you." Aaron marveled at his mother's analyzing skills, but he gave her an incredulous look. "She stands up for you each time you're in trouble or need help. She sometimes glances at you and smiles," his mother continued with a fond smile.

Aaron looked at his mother with wide eyes that were brimmed with hope. "You think so?"

"I know so... but, if you never tell her how you feel, you will never know for sure," His mother said, provoking Aaron to nod.

He shook his head and wiped his tears away. 'I'm so pathetic...' Aaron thought as he finally hugged his mother back. 'But, I am not going to let her get married without knowing about my feelings... I can only hope she doesn't-' Aaron didn't allow himself to continue that line of thought.

"I came up here to tell you that your father and I are going to leave soon. It's our anniversary today, so we're going to a fancy lodge," His mother said with a relieved smile and a wink. "We are not coming home today or tomorrow, so you have the house to yourself," His mother said cheerfully before her tone became stern. "No parties!"

"Thanks, Mom..." Aaron stood up with a goofy smile on his face. "I'll see you later. I'll invite my friends over, and we will look after the house." His mother nodded in acceptance and left the room after bidding him farewell. Aaron took out his phone and dialed Adam's number first.

"Hello, Aaron. What's up?" Adam's voice came from the other end of the line.

"My parents are going on a mini-vacation for a couple of days, so want to come over?" Aaron asked and was confused when Adam ended the call without another word. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck tingle and stand up when he could feel heat from behind him. He looked back to see Adam leaning casually against his bed.

"I'm in," Adam started calling the others before Aaron even got to sit down.

One hour later...