Chapter Eighteen: The Grim Reaper

"Father?" he called, as the man nodded. He was a tall light skinned figure, which explained his caramel-like skin tone. His father walked closer to him, examining him. It felt like such a dream. "I've waited for this day for this day for so long," he smiled. At that moment, Elijah remembered a distant memory, a memory tugged deep away. The day his father left resurfaced, instilling curiosity in him.

"I don't understand."

"Allow me to explain, please?" he asked before Elijah nodded and they sat down by the table.

Monique gave Elijah a bowl of ice cream, sitting down next to him. "The last time I saw you, was when you were five. At that time, we were financially struggling and it was really hard. Not only that, but your mother and I were failing at our relationship and how we're handling you and Luke," he explained.

"Mom, is he telling the truth?" Elijah asked.

"Craig and I rushed into a relationship, even though we knew were not meant to be," she said, looking down.

"That night, I just came back from a hard day at work, and I was drenched. I couldn't handle it ad I left. I didn't know what I did hurt your mother and when I tried to return, your mother shut me out, and I couldn't blame her. What I did was wrong and I had to face the consequences. We signed the divorce papers months later and we went our separate ways. I made sure to pay most of what I could, I even got a job as a real estate agent and now I'm able to provide to you guys even more. If you let me?"

Elijah looked over to his mother, nodding, and before he could reply, Luke rushed in. "That football game was so—good."

"Luke?"

Their father stood up, and walked toward him, as Luke got angrier by the second. Monique and Elijah knew how Luke felt about the situation but decided to let it happen. "What are you doing here?" he asked, furious.

"I'm here to rewrite wrongs."

"It's too late for that," he replied.

"It's never too late to rewrite wrongs, I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Oh, please Craig, don't try to be some saint," Luke spoke angrily.

"I'm not, I'm trying to be a better father," he retaliated.

Craig? I guess that's his name.

"You've already failed when you left us. Did you even think about what that did to us because, unlike Elijah, I remember everything? Your drinking habits, your verbal abuse, I REMEMBER EVERYTHING!" he snapped.

"And I have been working on it, I'm a better man now."

"Bullshit!"

"LUKE!" Monique shouted.

"No mom, how do you even let him back into this house after he did everything," he turned to his mother, "maybe it was better that he left."

"You have every right to be mad at me, but I'm trying and if you're willing, I want to be a better father," he asked.

"Like I'd let that happen. I won't be fooled like him. Just don't even try," Luke said, coldly, storming off to his room.

"Craig, just leave him. It will take some time," Monique advised.

"*sigh* You're right."

After Craig finished his coffee, he was about to leave before asking Elijah a question. "I want to make back all years I've been gone. I know that is impossible but I want to try to spend as much time together as possible. Do you want to come over sometime and we can go places, anywhere you'd like?" he asked.

"I'll think about it. Please give me some time to think, it's been a long and eventful day," he asked.

"Of course. I'll see you soon, bye Elijah," Craig greeted before driving away.

Elijah still couldn't believe what happened, sitting down, trying to process what happened. Right then, Lue came down, searching the perimeter. "Is he gone?" he asked, Monique nodded, "Great, I can't stand to see him again. What does he think? That we'll suddenly just want him back, as if."

"Luke, why did you make a scene, all he did was try to make up?" Monique asked.

"What, so after all these years, you're just going to let him come back?"

"He is our father after all," Elijah added.

"We might be blood-related but he is not my father, and he never will be."

"Don't say that," Monique said.

"I will. I'm going to sleep, this is just making me mad," he said, going to his room.

Monique and Elijah followed, each going to their room and resting.

October, the Spooky Month was now upon them. Elijah woke up the next day, still with his father on his mind as he got ready for school. As usual, he waited for Matthew to tell him the big news. "Good Morning, how are you doing?" Matthew asked, keeping his bag.

"Hmm, let me check, that car from yesterday, turns out that car belongs to my father," he said.

"Wait, WHAT!"

"Yeah, he came to see me and Luke, but Luke chewed him out," Elijah added.

"Is that all that happened?"

"No, he asked if I'd like to spend a weekend with him but I don't know if I should. I'm kinda nervous, I don't know what he's like, he's like a stranger," he expressed his concern, hoping for some advice.

"I mean, if you're going to feel uncomfortable, then you shouldn't do as you feel."

"It wouldn't be so bad. I mean, I have been asking for this for quite some time. You know what, I will go to my father," he said, determined.

"Well, I'm glad you came to that conclusion, but let's go to school before we're late."

Soon, they made it to school, and since it was the beginning of October, staff members were already putting up decorations like tissue paper ghosts and fake spider webs. "Hmm, I guess Thandi is really going all out. They didn't do this last time," Elijah mentioned.

"It looks great, did you figure out your costume for the dance?" Matthew asked as they walked to Class 9-A.

"Hmm, I've been thinking of coming as an angel but maybe that's too corny."

"If that's corny, then maybe I should change my costume," Matthew mentioned, a bit embarrassed.

"Wait, what's your costume?" Elijah asked, intrigued.

"It's a—hotdog?" he hesitated as Elijah's face lit up.

"That would be such a fun costume, you should do it. Maybe I should be the ketchup?" he giggled as Matthew's face lit up.

Matthew dropped Elijah off at class before going to his. Elijah smiled, feeling happy about that calm interaction. Although he had feelings for Matthew, that didn't have to get his friendship. Elijah smiled out of the window, thinking about everything that has happened in the past year. From the disastrous first day to the trip to New York, all till now, maybe being a teenager is so bad.

There were many things I feared, and many things I thought would break me down. I think where I am now, I might just like it like this.

While rememorizing his past year, Tristan approached, sat down, and just stared. Elijah didn't notice this until the smell of strong cologne hit his nose. He turned his head to see Tristan writing down a few notes before jumping out of his seat, startled. "Sheesh, why didn't you tell me you were here?" he said on the floor.

"You looked like you were in your own world, I thought it would be best not to disturb you," Tristan smiled.

"Sorry, I know I haven't been the best tutor but I don't think I can make it today. I promised my friend that I'll go see them shooting the scenes. It's important because I wrote the script," he announced, scared of the response.

"It's okay, I'm pretty tired. Coach Swarts has been working the hell out of us and I think I need a break," he replied.

"I promise I'll make it up for you. I promise."

"It's really nothing. We both have other things to do," he replied.

"Say, what type of food do you like?" Elijah asked.

"Hmm, I like sweet things, specifically caramel," Tristan answered.

"Great, now I know what to do," he laughed maniacally.

Once a few periods went by, it was finally lunch and Elijah met up with his friends to tell them all about the tea. "You guys' won't believe what happened yesterday," Elijah said.

"What?" they asked.

"My father appeared literally out of the blue, yeah I know, shocking," he revealed, shocking his friends.

"That must've been a lot to take in," Ally sympathized.

"How is he like?" Rohan asked.

"He's tall, light-skinned, and has hair like me, curly. He looks kinda scary though with his cat-like eyes. Although he came of gentler than hostile," Elijah answered.

"Sounds like some kind of mafia," Ally said, biting her finger, and creeping her friends out.

"Please don't do that again?" Dustin asked, terrified.

"Don't get your Wattpad fantasies meddled up with Elijah's real-life problems, speak on," Thandi said.

"It isn't much of a problem, more of an unexpected situation. He asked me to come to him on the weekend, and don't even get me started on the way Luke shouted at him and—"

"So you're just telling out personal family problems to other people?" Luke asked from behind him.

"Oh, hey Luke, I didn't see you there. I was just—"

"Telling everyone about what happens in our house. I can hear you from across the room," he said, bending his brows.

"Am I really speaking that loud?" Elijah asked, as his friend nodded.

"Please, don't share our personal events, you wouldn't like it if I did that with you," he asked, bumping Elijah in the arm, scaring him.

"Yeah, you're right," he replied as Luke walked back to his seat.

"What is he talking about?" Ally asked.

"Nothing, he's just joking around, you know he is," he giggled.

Maybe speaking about what happened last night wasn't such a good idea, I almost got outed.

After school, Elijah and the drama club went to the shooting locations for their short movie. With limited resources, the quality of the raw captures was not bad. Elijah didn't quite know how this process worked so he was interested, luckily Matthew invited him. "You seem excited?"

"I don't know what happens so I hoping to learn a few things, I might need them in the future," he smiled, full of excitement.

"Luckily, you have a choice. I don't, since I have to make sure the lighting is perfect, and the camera angles are to perfection. All Inga and Liam's idea," Matthew explained.

"It makes sense. I don't think making a movie is easy, we're still doing a short movie."

"I guess you're right. Our hard work will pay off once we see it at the film festival," Matthew added.

"I can't wait<' he said as they drove off to the filming location.

Meanwhile, at the school, Rohan managed to get the help of the entire football team to help get the school ready for Halloween. With no football practice, the football team was free. "Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means to me," Thandi thanked.

"Anything to help our friend's girl," said one of the football members, Raash.

"We don't have any practice today so why not," Tristan said.

"So, what do we have to do?" Rohan asked.

"Uhh, those need to be set up, there are posters that need to be put up all around the school. I need these tables in order and …"

The football team couldn't believe how many tasks Thandi went on to list all the things that needed to be done. "Isn't that too much for one day?" Carlito asked, another member.

"I didn't expect you to do it in one day, I haven't gotten far by myself so I'm not expecting for you to either," Thandi answered, handing out the flyers and posters.

"Okay, let's do this."

While the football team worked hard to help Thandi to decorate the school, Dustin and Calum still had their Art class. Dustin didn't mind Calum after a while, just getting used to him, especially at this point when his feelings had changed. "So, what do you think we're going to do today," Calum asked like an excited puppy.

"Can you move up, there is plenty of space for both of us to sit?" Dustin asked, annoyed.

"Sorry."

"I don't know what we're going to do today, especially since most of the Art students are helping the drama club," he answered.

Just as he said that their educator for Art walked in. "So, as you know, some of you aren't here. Today, we will chill and just do some group portraits. Everyone group up and draw each other."

Dustin and Calum looked at each other with completely different thoughts.

"I wonder how Dustin will draw me," Calum wondered.

"Is the fucking universe just against me?" he dreaded as Calum just smiled at him.

The two sat opposite each other and began sketching and drawing each other. Dustin tried but failed as he couldn't look into Calum's eyes. It was just too weird and uncomfortable for him. "Dustin, is something wrong? Should I pose?" he asked, posing.

"What are you doing?" Dustin asked, on the verge of laughing.

"See, it's not that hard to smile," he replied, making Dustin flustered.

"Just… just keep quiet and lift your face so that I can you."

After a few minutes, Dustin got a rough sketch of Calum. "So, do you have anything happening on Saturday, I was hoping we could go to the Bay," he asked, continuing to draw on.

"I have plans, I'm meeting with someone."

"Can I join?" Calum asked.

"No, you cant. This is important to me so no, you can't," he coldly replied.

"Why?"

"I'm meeting with someone who is important to me, stop asking questions," Dustin answered.

"Is this person someone you like?" he asked.

"What's it to you?"

"That'll make me pretty sad. What if you spend even less time with me?" he sulked.

"Trust me, if I could stay away from you, I would."

"Ahh, don't use such hurtful words," Calum answered dramatically.

"I wonder, why don't try to get a girlfriend and stop bugging me? By the looks of it, you're capable of it?" Dustin asked.

"Are you calling handsome?" he smirked.

"No, I'm calling you straight."

"You're right. Although, it's much more fun to spend time with you," he smiled, making Dustin blush once again.

The next day at school, the group walked in, grabbing their books from their lockers before something unusual happened. The lights turned off and the ground filled with fog. "What is going on?" Thandi asked.

"I… don't… know," Rohan answered.

As the students looked in confusion as the fog became thicker, and a chilling but raspy voice was heard in the hallway's speakers. "Hello, I am – The Grim Reaper—and I am your nightmare," they dragged as some of the students were puzzled.

"Who the hell names themselves the Grim Reaper?" Dustin asked.

"Dustin hold me. I'm scared," Calum said, keeping his hand.

"BEWARE!" they shouted as the lights turned back on, this time, the students looked in horror as all the lockers were covered in a red substance.

"Uh, what is that?" Ally asked, disgusted.

"It's probably fake blood. This is probably some promotion for the Halloween Dance, right Thandi?" Dustin asked.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm just as confused as you. Although, I could've used this as a promotion. Ugh, why didn't I think of that?" she shouted.

"If it isn't Thandi, then it must be some random prankster," Elijah mentioned.

"Whoever it is better to clean my locker, it looks like someone died on it," Dustin gagged.

The week went by fast and as promised, Elijah went to his father for the weekend. He didn't know what to expect, this was someone who he had just met. Soon, they arrived at what seemed to be a castle. Elijah couldn't believe his eyes at how big his father's house was. Maybe it was because his house was just two floors, but it was very surprising to him. Is he a millionaire or something?

Elijah got out at the gate, nervous but also excited. It was new territory but it was something he could definitely handle. Elijah walked up to the gates, calling into a speaker. "Hello, it's Elijah," he called.

"The gates will open shortly. PEEP."

Elijah stood to the side as the big gates opened and walked in, meeting an unfamiliar lady. "Hi, umm, I'm here to see my father. I'm his son," he greeted, anxious. In front of him stood a tall lady with a black pencil skirt, red high heels, and tied-up hair. Elijah looked in awe, she looked so intimidating.

"Oh, Craig's kid. Hi, I'm Candice, Craig's girlfriend," she answered, shaking him to the core. His girlfriend. I didn't know Father had a girlfriend. Then again, he did say that his and Mom's relationship didn't work out. I guess he found a person he likes. Wow, she's gorgeous.

"What are you still doing outside, come on in," she said, gleefully inviting him in.

He entered to a long open area with stairs going upstairs with rooms on either side. "Just how big is this house?"

"Sometimes I also get lost in the hallways. Come, let me show you to your room" Candice guided him, taking him upstairs to his room which was way bigger than his house back in Cape Coast. He put down his suitcase, still in awe. "Candice, if I call you that, where is my father?" he asked, looking around.

"He is at work. He should be coming home shortly. Do you have any other questions?" she asked.

"How did you meet my father?" he asked, much to her sight shock.

"Well, your father and I worked in the same field for a short time before he resign after getting a job as a real estate agent. We still kept in contact and eventually, we got together. Does that bother you?"

"Not really. I was just wondering how my father is, especially how he ended up with my mother," he explained.

"He told me all about his earlier life and how he regrated it. He has pure intentions, thank you for showing him remorse. Sometimes guilt keeps him up at night and I couldn't do anything," she smiled, warming him.

"It's really nothing. I've always wanted to meet him and though I hesitated, I'm glad that my presence can make him sleep at night," he replied as Candice smiled once again.

"I'm going to make some cookies and hot chocolate, do you want some?" she asked, hanging on the door.

"That would be nice, thanks," Elijah answered as she zoomed into the kitchen.

Elijah took in the scope and sheer size of his room, falling on his huge bed, taking everything in. After unpacking everything, the smell of burning came from the kitchen and Elijah rushed to the scene, only to see Candice holding the tray with burnt cookies. "Oh. Phew! I thought the house was going to burn down. Are you okay?" he checked as she frowned, looking at the cookies.

"I don't even know why I try; I know I can't cook. I tried to make you a welcome gift but I can't even do that," she cried.

"You really didn't need to do that."

"I don't want to make a bad impression in front of my boyfriend's son," she sulked as Elijah came up with an idea.

"Hmm, you know. I can help, I know how to make certain things like cookies. I can teach you if you want, maybe I can teach you a few things over the weekend," he offered.

"Ahh, now I feel stupid!"

"No, I didn't mean it in that way. It's okay to be bad at things, it's what makes us human. No one is perfect, so don't beat yourself down. Now, where is the flour?"

Elijah helped Candice with how to make chocolate chip cookies, and both had a blast doing it. While this was happening, his father had returned back to work, admiring the sight of his girlfriend and his son working together, beating his assumptions. "I didn't expect to see this, I see you've met my girlfriend."

"Hi, Father. We made cookies," he informed him.

"Did you see your room?" Craig asked, putting his jacket on the hook.

"I did, I put my clothes away already."

"That's good. I have a lot planned for this weekend, how does Disneyland sound?" he announced.

"WHAT!" they asked as both Elijah and Candice's faces lit up.

"I reserved tickets for tomorrow in preparation for this week."

"I've never been to Disneyland before."

"Me too," Candice replied.

"Now we call to go," he said as they celebrated.

Meanwhile, Dustin showed up at the Bay, waiting to see his anonymous friend. He did show up a bit earlier so he walked around the area, buying food and admiring the view of the sea. He walked up to the stage where the Anti-Romantics performed, remembering a post he saw by Matthew. So, this is where the concert was. Looked fun.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Dustin realized it was late afternoon. Maybe he isn't coming, I probably look like a fool standing here, waiting. Who am I kidding? This was probably a joke to begin with. Dustin looked up and the sky became slightly dark, indicating rain, but Dustin just sighed, on the verge of leaving and going home. Before that, he spotted some familiar. "Ugh, didn't I tell you couldn't come, why are you here?" Dustin asked but Calum just stood there, smiling with a soft expression.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked, blushing.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this moment, since the day I first messaged you," Calum smiled.

"Wait, what are you—" he asked, before getting embraced by Calum who hugged him tightly.

"Hi, I'm Voltron," he whispered.

TO BE CONTINUED…