Chapter 20
A/N: This one didn't take me that long to write :) but I've been planning it for a while. Enjoy!
Magnus pov
My fingers drummed nervously on the table top, in no particular pattern. I glanced around the room again, for the hundredth time, looking for anyone who might be my dad.
I was sitting in a Starbucks near my 'house'. It took Michelle a whole two weeks to find out my dad's current address and phone number. I think she was purposely stalling, hoping that a switch would flip, and I would suddenly want to live in the Golden State. But I refused to go to school, or do anything at all, until she let me meet my dad.
So now here I was, sitting in a nearly empty Starbucks with an ice cold coffee in front of me. I had unintentionally ordered it black, just the way Alec liked it. When I realized what I had done, my heart clenched, and I gripped the mug so hard that I was afraid it would break, before pushing it to the other side of the table.
Just as I was about to get up and leave, away from all the memories that came with a cup of black coffee, screw my dad, a man stumbled through the door. He was tall and wild eyed, with tangled black hair. I blinked and looked again. He had the same gold-green eyes as me.
My heart pounded as I slowly stood up and walked over to him. He noticed me, and he froze, eyes widening a fraction.
I held out my hand. "H-hi," I stuttered. "I'm Magnus. Magnus Bane."
—
Alec pov
I gritted my teeth as I shoved on my basketball shorts. It was the final game before the holidays, and winning it was a pretty big deal.
I was already the captain of the team, being the best player by far. It was because of me that we had won every single game up until now.
But I wasn't in the mood for basketball today. It had been two weeks since Magnus had gone. I never texted or called because I knew it would bring back too many memories and I would end up on the floor, a sobbing mess. I guess he felt the same way, because I hadn't heard a work from him since that day.
And here I was, lacing up my shoes, and dreading the final game of the semester.
"Alexander, come on, it's time," the coach yelled. I looked around. I was the last one in the locker room, the rest of the team was already gone.
I got up and followed the coach outside, and I was met by huge roar from the crowd.
We all got in position, facing the other team, and the whistle blew. I snatched the ball out of the air, and began to dribble it around the court, passing it from player to player. In less that two minutes, we had already made a basket.
The other team gained control of the ball, and I scowled. I grabbed it from someone, and started dribbling it up the court. And then, out of nowhere, an image flashed across my mind: Magnus, grinning from ear to ear, standing across from me, after we won our first game.
I froze, and some guy behind me took the ball easily. They made a basket. And another. And one more.
They were way ahead of us by halftime. The coach pulled me aside.
"Lightwood!" he barked, eyes filled with anger. "What was that? That was not the player I know. If you don't get your game back together in the second half, we're gonna lose! Do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir," I said through gritted teeth, looking at the ground.
"Good." His expression softened. "Listen. You're the best player we've had in a very long time. The others are hopeless without you. So don't let us down."
I nodded, and headed back to the court.
The whistle blew again, and I took all my irrational anger at Magnus and channeled it into the game. I made one basket after another after another. The rest if the team came together then, and when the whistle blew again, we had over double the other team's score.
Our team screamed and yelled and high-fived each other, and me. I smiled along with the rest of them, but it didn't reach my eyes. It was probably the best we've ever played, and it was the one game that Magnus wasn't here to see.
—
Magnus pov
"Magnus?" The man just stood there. I dropped my hand.This man is my father. I couldn't get it through my head.
"Last time I saw you you were just a newborn baby..." He sighed. "I'm Asher... your dad." I sat in front of my cold black coffee. He took the seat across from me.
When he realized that I wasn't going to talk, he cleared his throat. "So how's it going?" he asked lamely.
"Uh, good, I guess." I felt awkward, and I could tell Asher did too.
He nodded, and cleared his throat again. "What brings you to California?"
"We moved. We were in New York until a couple weeks ago. Same city, same apartment, same school district," I said nonchalantly. "Michelle got a new job here, so." I shrugged.
"Michelle? Why did you move with Michelle? What about your mother?" He looked truly confused.
I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times. I had unconsciously started playing with my untouched coffee mug, and I jerked my hand back. Then I looked up at Asher, who didn't seem to notice my sudden movement.
"You don't know?" I asked quietly, breaking the tense silence after a minute. He shook his head, the confusion in his eyes growing, along with a little fear. "If course you don't." My voice was suddenly bitter. "Why would you? You left us 18 years ago, and didn't even bother to check up on us."
"Magnus, what happened?" His tone was serious.
"She's dead, Asher." My vision started blurring with tears. Tears of anger; at Asher for not being there for me or my mom, at my mom for killing herself despite having me, at Michelle for making me move here, and at myself for not explaining my reason to move to Alec. "She killed herself when I was three."
A look of pure astonishment crossed his face. "What?" He looked at me, and I could see him trying to deny it in his mind.
"I always blamed you. Not when I was three, of course. Then, I was just scared and confused. But when I was old enough, I knew it was your fault. She loved you, and the fact that you left her with me -" I took a deep breath. "She couldn't cope."
Asher was crying, silently, but I couldn't bring myself to care.
"Why did you do it? How could you leave her with a newborn baby?" I growled.
"I wasn't ready for a child. I want ready for the responsibility. But I loved her, I swear." He looked up at me, eyes pleading.
I glared at him. "You didn't love her. If you truly love someone, you'll do anything for them. Anything."
"You're young, Magnus. I wouldn't expect you to know the pressures and responsibilities of having a baby." he said, father-like. Which only made me that much angrier.
I stood up. "You're right. I don't know. But I do know what it's like to truly be in love with someone. You would do anything for them, even die." With that, I walked out the door, leaving a confused and hurt Asher behind me.
A/N: Dramatic lol :). A little short, but lots of stuff happening. And you finally met Magnus's dad! Did you like it? And obviously I don't know a thing about high school basketball, or basketball in general, so sorry about my lame basketball game. And I apologize for not keeping up with Alec's basketball throughout the story, I didn't bother with it until now. Well, review! I think I'll be back soon lol. My minds swimming with ideas!