She was exhausted fast by the end of the following week. For some reason, she just wasn't sleeping that well and there wasn't a sign of the black haired boy at all for the week. She focused on her work, but it was hard to ignore the voices of some of her fellow students asking her about herself and Sinbad. Sinbad was enjoying himself immensely with the glowing newspaper article and the news channel came by the town to do an interview about him and the team, which made him even more sought after by many of the students in the school.
Ja'far was intent on sticking with newspaper, coming by the games to do his managerly duties, but there were other things that needed his attention, which made Sinbad turn to her as well as a few others to talk to.
Aladdin tried to talk to Kouha and the others from Judal's house, but they just told her that Judal hadn't come home.
Aladdin groaned as the weekend came and she was stuck at her grandfather's place for another weekend. She spent the weekend listening to her father call to complain that her grandfather was an asshole who needed to put his cats in a damn kennel and a call from her grandfather thanking her for being there when he was stuck at his occult getaway.
"I will bring you home many things that you will like," he promised, no doubt meaning more dead animal parts and an offer for a barbeque of various foods that were questionable in the country.
After another two weeks, Aladdin was ready to smack someone. She was going to be angry when she saw Judal. She was finding that she needed to use the restroom more and she wasn't sleepy, but it was no doubt because of Judal. She was finding herself worrying about him more and more. He was just running off into the night with his cousin and doing who knew what.
She sighed as she settled on the couch after yet another need to use the restroom and found herself flipping channels. She wanted to see Judal already. This was frustrating.
Why would he be gone this long? What was he doing? Did he even miss her?
What an asshole if he didn't. She should just toss him away if he was just going to treat her like this. She didn't really want to be played with just for the hell of it.
The door unlocked and the cats around her went sprinting for the door as the old man came through the door. His eyebrowless expression was glowing as he walked through the door and shut it behind him. The man's eyes were looking around excitedly only to dim a little.
"No wild parties, Aladdin? I am saddened by your lack of adventure."
"I'm not in a good mood, grandfather."
He paused at the sight of her, his eyes drifting over her only for him to move forward. His strange black beads were coming out as he pressed her to the couch and pressed a hand lightly to her belly. His eyes closed a moment as he chanted softly.
"…Mmm… yes… I see…"
"Grandfather?"
"I wish you congratulations, do your parents know of this?"
"Know what?"
David stared at her for a moment before he shook his head. "I see… So you are as well unaware of this and had not planned this. Once more Solomon has lacked the capabilities to be a successful father and has neglected the most basic of duties as a parent. He will surely be killed by Illah's will soon enough."
"What are you talking about?" Aladdin frowned at him more, sitting up only to find her grandfather moving around the room in a rush of collecting things.
He was making one of his altars again. She sighed as he asked for a bit of something from her and she plucked a few hairs only to find the man smiling at her.
"You will sit with me and chant with me this evening."
"Dad said I needed to come home right after you came home. I haven't been home in a couple weeks…"
"You are in no position to be going home to a household that is neglectful in such manners."
"Grandpa…"
He pulled her hands into his own after lighting the candles of his altar and he closed his eyes before beginning his chanting. The cats scurried around in their creepy circle running as he chanted and Aladdin watched, wondering how long her grandfather had spent teaching these cats how to run like that. It was no doubt to scare her dad. The two really did hate one another.
"Grandpa…"
"Shhhh, I must find out how this has occurred."
"I don't know what you are talking about…"
"I am trying to take care of my grandchild. Please quieten for a few minutes."
He was chanting once more before his eyes opened and he was staring at her with strange words spewing from his lips. Aladdin wasn't sure what to do, but she couldn't pull her hands away from his. He was holding onto her too tight and she was kind of afraid to try to free herself from him. He leaned close to the candles and continued to go on for a few more minutes before the candles just went out and the electricity went out in the house as well. Aladdin could hear her heart beating as she waited.
Her hair was standing on end as she thought about Judal for some reason.
Seeing him would be much better than this. Her grandfather was being so strange. She wanted to leave and be able to go do something else. Maybe curl up in bed again with Judal…
"Judal."
Aladdin stared at her grandfather as the lights came back on. "W-what?"
"I needed to know the name of the boy whom I must speak to. I will see to finding him, my grandchild. In the meantime, I would like my great grandchild taken care of under my roof-"
"WHAT?!" Aladdin stood up so fast that she toppled the footstool over. She stared at him as he smiled and nodded.
"You have a child in you, Aladdin. I will take care of expenses. Your father is bad with money. He spends it on frivolous things just to show he is better, yet he neglects his duties."
"I'm not!" Aladdin shook her head before heading for the door. "I'm going to go home. I will see-"
"You do not believe me?"
"No," Aladdin shook her head and grabbed her school bag. "I'm going to go home-"
"Come back and sit down."
Her grandfather used that voice, that one that sounded like it was a thousand different voices combined into one. A shiver went down her back at the sound of it, her footsteps faltering before she looked back at him. Her teeth bit into her lip as she shook her head. "It's not… It's not possible, grandpa…"
"It has occurred and we shall handle this together."
"I can't… I'm just in high school, grandpa… I don't want to."
"You should have considered that before you were allowing this Judal boy into your vagina."
She was wincing at the words, walking back over to him only to climb into his arms and holding onto him. "I can't be… I don't want to…"
"That is too bad. You are in the same position I was in when your grandmother had this occur. Worry not. It is not always that bad. You may have a bad child, but grandchildren are good. I am not sure about great grandchildren yet." He had his hand back on her belly and Aladdin shook her head.
"You don't know for sure about this-"
"Spirits have told me, child."
"The spirits are drunk."
David laughed before pulling Tess into his hands and setting the ginger cat into her lap. "Pet the cat and feel relieved that I will find this boy for you."
"Judal hasn't been in school for a few weeks."
"I will find him. You will attend school, but come home to here. If your father asks, I will think of an excuse."
"I should tell them."
The man shook his head though, his wild hair falling all over the place and into her face as he moved. "He will not let me see my grandchild or your baby. I will become quite angry. I want to keep this between us."
"We can't keep a baby away from my-" Aladdin sighed, seeing the look in those eyes before she sighed. "I will keep it between us for now."
Aladdin was soon let go of, David making something to eat for them both and sending her to bed a while afterwards. He was very proud for some reason about this. He woke her up early on Monday and had Sinbad waiting in the foyer, trying to persuade Sinbad to shave his eyebrows off.
"I like them."
"You would look nice without them. Unsightly body hair is a sin against Illah."
"Yeah… well, they call me Sin for a reason." Sinbad flashed a smile at the man only to shiver when they walked out to the car. "Your grandpa is so strange."
"Yeah. He is… Can we make a pitstop at the convenience store? I want to grab something to eat. Grandpa was a little slow about breakfast."
"Really?" Sinbad shook his head. "Sure. We can stop there."
Sinbad had his music blaring the moment they had the car on. The drive to the convenience store took far too long for her mood. She felt like each second brought her a moment closer to Sinbad looking at her to notice a big ass belly on her. She was scared of being caught pregnant. It would be in like those shows. All the drama and pain. She had seen her mother look at the pregnancy photos and murmur how much pain it was. Her dad liked to remind her mom about that when she used to be little.
If she was pregnant…
She stared at the box when they got to the store, Sinbad heading off to get some chocolate from the candy aisle. Aladdin grabbed a couple chocolate muffins and the pregnancy tests, paying a moment before she rushed to the bathroom to check.
She locked the door and opened the box and looked through the instructions only to hurry along with this. She washed her hands thoroughly after the test was in the midst of being processed.
There would be so much explaining to do if she was…
Her dad would be so mad. Her mom would be so scared. There wouldn't be any smiles or anything if she was pregnant with Judal's kid. What was worse, Judal was missing. Who would help her take care of the baby?
Her grandfather would have her dad freaking out.
She sighed in relief as the test said negative.
She was safe.
Aladdin laughed, throwing the spare tests in the shopping bag and pulling out the muffin, munching on it as she went to the door and smiled proudly at Sinbad.
"Everything alright?" Sinbad asked.
"Everything is perfect. Ready for school?"
"Yep. I'm all set." Sinbad ruffled her hair and led her towards the car. "Anyway, I should have mentioned this earlier, but my parents are having a dinner party since my dad is celebrating his birthday and they want you and your parents to come."
"My dad coming to your place?" Aladdin laughed at the thought. Her dad would be on edge the entire time.
"I have a different hair color. I don't know what's wrong with your dad. I have eyebrows too. See these?" Sinbad motioned to them before shaking his head. "I like collecting ladies and Ja'far instead of cats too."
"My dad's a little silly."
"Sin!" Ja'far waved from the door as they parked, running over only to smile at them both. "Aladdin! Good morning!"
"Ah, what a ray of sunshine," Sinbad leaned out the window. "Can I get a good morning kiss from the man who holds the moon and stars on his body?"
"My hair turned gray in preparation for you. It's not the fucking moonlight."
"You could have fooled me-"
He got a smack in the face with Ja'far's newspaper before Ja'far was opening Aladdin's door on the other side of the car and helping her out.
