To the reviewer who asked me to message them, for some reason it wouldn't let me do it. Sorry!
And now...the second last chapter...
Much sadness
Such cry
Many tears
Such grief
(Yup...I just did that)
Everything was slowly getting back to normal.
Connor sighed, and poured the pasta sauce in the pot. Ezio had been released from the hospital, and was going to see an addictions counselor. His counselor had told him he needs to find a healthier way of expressing his frustration, and suggested he take up a sport or something similar to it.
Malik and Altaïr were working things out, slowly, but at least they were talking again. Connor looked over at Aveline, and smiled.
Things were getting better with Haytham too. He had told him the real reason why he hadn't been around when Connor was growing up, and that was because of alcohol. Haytham had told him he was in a dark place when he met Ziio, and that he wanted to get clean for her, because after three months of dating they found out she was pregnant. He told him that when Haytham lost his job, he turned back to alcohol and began spiraling out of control. He told him how they had to move in with Edward after Connor was born, and how Ziio was forced to drop out of university and find a job to support her son, and him. He also told him how he resented the fact that she wasn't around much, and would refuse to look after Connor, even though he was sitting around the house do him nothing. Haytham also told him how Ziio would go outside to the garden and take out her frustration on the weeds, her son next to her. He also told him how Ziio refused to leave Connor alone with him, afraid of what he would do.
Then he told him how reached rock bottom again, but it was worse.
He explained how he was out at a bar, and the bartender had to cut him off. He had jumped over the counter and began beating the bar tender up. It took three men to Haytham off of him, and the next thing he knew he was being thrown in jail. The next morning, they gave him his one phone call, and when he called Edward's place, he asked for Ziio. He told Connor he remembered Edward said nothing, then spoke two words that stayed with him for the rest of his life, "She left."
He had told him how his world came crashing down, and how he vowed to get clean, for good. And he was, until Ziio got sick, when Connor was ten. He once again turned to the bottle for comfort, and it got worse after she passed.
Haytham had looked at Connor and said, "If I had the chance, to change everything, I would, so I could be a better father, and be around you when you were growing up, and I would have asked your mother to marry me."
Aveline gently nudged him, bringing Connor out of his thoughts, "You ok?" she asked.
"Yeah. Just thinking," he answered, and they heard the front door open. Haytham and Edward were chatting with each other, and Connor heard Haytham laugh. Things were also getting better between Edward and Haytham, which made Connor happy..
"Something smells good," Edward said, coming around the corner.
"It's spaghetti with a Cajun twist," Aveline said, and Haytham sat down on a chair, sighing.
"So...how did the meeting with your boss go?" Connor asked, turning to face Haytham.
"Good. We came to an agreement. I have to leave for rehab as soon as possible, and he said the company would pay for it, so I have a flight booked and I leave tomorrow."
"That soon?" Connor asked, and Haytham nodded.
"It was the only way my boss would agree to do this," Haytham answered, "So, you're going to stay with Edward over the summer, and when school starts back up, if I'm not back, George and his wife said you could stay with them," Connor nodded.
"That will be easier come school. Grandpa lives downtown, so it would be really far for Alta..." Connor trailed off.
"What's wrong?" Haytham asked, and Connor sat down.
"It...it just hit me that Altaïr and Malik won't be here next year," Connor said.
"They won't be that far away," Aveline pointed out, "and you guys will still talk."
"I know but...this will be the first time in eleven years that will be separated," Haytham reached over and squeezed his shoulder.
"You guys will be friends for a long time, trust me. I've seen the lot of you. You're inseparable, and I don't think you're going to let university get in the way," Connor looked at him, and smiled.
"You're right. Anyways, I'm starved, and that spaghetti looks delicious."
Later that night, Connor and Aveline drove to the beach to the meet the gang. The sky was clear, and the sun was just starting to set, "This school year flew by," Aveline said, and Connor nodded.
"It seemed like only yesterday it was September, and now it's June," Connor said, and pulled up next to Altaïr's saw the five down by the water skipping rocks. Connor and Aveline held hands, walking down towards them.
Desmond glanced over his shoulder, "Hey about time you showed up," Desmond said, and Connor glared at him. He picked up a rock, and threw it, the rock skipping four times.
"I was helping dad pack," Connor said, as Aveline sat down next to Leonardo, who was sketching the sun set.
"When does he leave?" Malik asked, skipping another rock.
"Tomorrow," Connor answered, "A lot sooner than expected," Altaïr skipped a rock, then brushed his hands off. He walked over and sat down next to Aveline. Ezio attempted to skip a rock, but it landed with a loud splash in the water. He sighed, and picked up another one.
"Hey Connor remember how we first met?" he asked, tossing the rock in the air, and catching it again. Connor chuckled.
"Yup, I do," he answered, smiling, and skipped a rock, "Your toy was stuck in a tree, and you were trying to get it down."
"And you came out of nowhere, and climbed the tree, getting it for me," Ezio said, finishing the story, "The kindergarten teacher lost her mind at you, and what did you say to her?"
"My mom lets me climb trees," Connor said in a little kid voice, and everyone laughed. Desmond shook his head, and skipped another rock, "And we met Desmond when we decided to steal all the cookies before snack."
"Yup, but we dropped the whole box in the floor, and we were still finding crumbs weeks after that happened," Desmond said. Malik turned around and looked at Altaïr, "Malik you never told us how you met Altaïr."
"It's not as interesting as your story," he said, "Altaïr was a new student because your dad has just got posted to here."
"Yup. We lived in Syria until I was six, then we moved to America, and I barely spoke any English. I was so nervous going into that classroom."
"The teacher said your name, and you went and sat at a table by yourself," Malik said, kicking a large rock, "And I went over when we were coloring, and we began speaking in Arabic to each other."
"And the rest is history," Desmond said, "I remember how you guys met Ezio."
"Desmond no," Ezio mumbled, his face turning red.
"You were lost, and fell off your bike, and started crying, like a little bitch, and Malik heard you," Malik nodded.
"I told him my parents are doctors they can help you, and went to get them, and that was that. Then the next day, me and Altaïr wanted to play cops and robbers, but we didn't have enough people."
"And we recognized Ezio, and that's how we met you guys," Altaïr said, and Leonardo looked up from his drawing, smiling.
"And look where we are now. Malik and Altaïr are graduating, we're almost done high school, and I don't know about you guys, but I'm glad this school year is over," Everyone nodded.
"So much has happened," Ezio said, sitting down on a giant rock, "Good and bad," Connor looked at each of his friends, and realized that Haytham was right.
No matter where they went, they would always stay in contact, "But...I couldn't have chosen a better group of people to go through these problems with," Ezio said, smiling.
"Agreed," Malik said, sitting down next to Altaïr, "So Ezio, what activity did you decide on to help with stress?" he asked, and Ezio looked at him.
"I did a lot of thinking about it, and I was sitting at my computer one day, watching some YouTube, and I remember seeing something about guys jumping over walls and stuff."
"Parkour," Altaïr said, and Ezio nodded.
"Yeah that. So, I decided 'hey, why not throw myself over walls?'"
"You took up parkour?" Desmond asked, a bit surprised.
"Why not? And, my counselor also said that it would help if I had some friends do it with me, so..." He trailed off, a big grin on his face, "What about it?" They all looked at each other.
"Count me in," Desmond said.
"Me too," said Malik.
"Me three," Aveline said.
"Same here," Connor said, and everyone looked at Altaïr, who rolled his eyes.
"Fine. I guess I'll do it too," he said, and Ezio smiled.
"Awesome! This is going to be the best summer yet!"
Still ONE more chapter my lovely reviewers! Also, thanks to Gold Phoenix Selreena for the idea of them starting a parkour club. Until next time!
Peace!
