Chapter 18: Teenage Meltdowns

                                    

                                          
Taking a deep breath, I finished my internal pep talk mixed with a very convincing speech I had been reciting in my head all morning. I could do this. Squeeze out a couple tears if I needed to, but I was somehow going to convince him.

                          
	I peeked into the living room to see my father watching golf in his armchair. Well at least, I wasn't interrupting anything. I attempted to act causally as I laid across the couch. The two players were doing their final putts for that hole. I watched quietly as the first one finished up.
                          
	"Um... Dad."
                          
	"Hmmm...." His eye remained on the screen as the ball looped around the edge of the cup, before going in. The crowd cheered, and the player had his victory moment. 
                          
	I'd never understand golf. "So Dad?"
                          
	"One second, Aden."
                          
	With a sigh, I collapsed into the cushions as the other golfer had their turn. It took him two painfully long attempts, with way too many practice swings, to get it in.
                          
	"Dad?"
                          
	"Yeah, what do you need?" He stretched out his legs as the commercials came on.
                          
	Sitting up, I took a deep breath. "I want to go back to Northern Ridge."
                          
	"No."
                          
	"Dad," I whined, flopping backwards. "You didn't even think about it. Titus is acting normal again. You've seen him."
                          
	"It's too soon."
                          
	"How long do I have to wait? It's been two weeks. Darius says he's over it. Xavier says he's over it. Mom says Titus has been traumatized for life, so if I want something, now is the time to ask."
                          
	He chuckled. "Sweet as can be with a little sass. Gotta love that woman."
                          
	"Dad!" I groaned. "Stop being difficult."
                          
	"Aden," his eyes met mine, "you are eighteen with a horrible track record when it comes to making your own decisions. So trust mine. It's too soon."
                          
	I rolled onto my face and screamed into the cushion. "I hate it here."
                          
	"Teenage meltdowns are not going to change my mind."
                          
	"It's not a meltdown." I turned my head to the side. "Just let me go back. Titus is never this hard headed."
                          
	"Give it a few years, and you'll figure out the fake fits from the real."
                          
	"It's not a fit," I snapped, rising to my feet. "I'll just spend another summer rotting away in my room. Something last year you were so concerned about that you made me scrub damn port-a-potties!" I marched to the stairs and up my bedroom.
                          
	"Just like old times then, and I do recall the reason you met Titus was because of that great character building opportunity scrubbing port-a-potties."
                          
	"You're not funny!" I slammed the door. 
                          
Well, that was a fail. 
                          
***
                          
I slumped down in my seat and patted the back of my spoon on my pile of potatoes. WIR politics were today's dinner topic. Another reminder, I was stuck here mateless. It would be easier if my dad would at least let me go somewhere.
                          
	"Aden," my dad sighed. "Are you going to stop moping? It's been three days. This isn't going to change my mind. "
                          
	I shrugged. "It's the teenager coming out in me. It's like Titus and his beta hormones, we all just have to suffer through it."
                          
	"There's a huge difference," stated my father firmly. "I work for WIR, Aden. Everyone goes through the teenage years, but very few are alphas and betas." He took a bite of his green beans. "If you want me to let you go back, you might want to try acting more mature about this. Titus hit you." He locked eyes with me. "I'm not saying we can't work toward forgiving him and getting passed this, but there has to be a punishment. Just like there would be in any werewolf society."