Chapter 7: Bonding

Through the Eyes of King

Back at the hotel…

I opened the door for Peter and let him in. After he passed me and entered the house, I walked in and closed the door. After locking it, I turned to see Peter standing against the kitchen counter looking guilty. I played with one of my whiskers as I walked up to him.

"Sit down." I told him. Slowly, he pulled over a chair and sat in front of me. I noticed that he couldn't even look at me. This made me feel bad for him, but not too much. I wanted to know why he did what he did, and why the police had to take him to the station.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" I asked. Peter kept his head low and his face was red with embarrassment.

"I don't…know where to start." He replied.

"Try from the beginning." I said in a pushy matter.

"King…" he began. "There's something that I have to tell you…"

"Well, I'm all ears." I said in a more compassionate matter, sitting down beside him.

"It's about you…and it's about me…" he said. In my mind, I wondered what could be THAT bad that he was so scared to tell me. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"I…guess I'd better get that." Peter said as he rose to his feet and walked to the door. I frowned and looked down as he left me. Lately, he's been so unreachable, so distant. I mean for real, the Peter I knew wouldn't have even dared to have entered a goth club. He was always trying to make things in his life work out for the best, not the worst. And now…I just don't know what to say or do anymore.

I looked up to see him open the door. The door opened to reveal Jaime Parker and Julia Chang. Peter smiled and nodded to the two. Apparently, they were going to go hang out or something. Turning to me, Peter spoke in a low tone.

"Dad, can I please go with my friends to the movies?" He sounded sad as he spoke and I was shocked to hear him refer to me as his father. I thought about it for a quick second, but I decided to let him go on ahead.

"Of course you can…" I said. Peter smiled slightly before he turned around. Once Jaime and Julia were out of sight, I called out to Peter again.

"You can tell me anything…" I said, trying desperately to reassure him. He remained silent for a few seconds, almost as if he was trying to find the right words to say.

"Thanks…maybe one day…" he said before he slowly turned around and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Putting my hands on my head, I dropped low into my lap, tears rising into my eyes but none falling.

"I don't even know my own son anymore…"

Through the Eyes of Peter

"Peter…we haven't talked in a long time you know…" Julia whispered to me as the movie started. I looked up at the ceiling and ran my right hand through my bleached hair.

"Things have been different Julia." I replied to her in a tone that I began to regret. She jumped slightly and shifted to the other side of the chair, leaning her shoulder against Mina's. I looked over to see that Jaime and Mina were holding hands and they both looked happy and satisfied. Julia and I on the other hand, weren't as happy as the two.

'I can't let Julia feel like this…' I thought to myself as I looked at her sad face. She kept her eyes on the screen but I could have sworn I could see watery eyes underneath her glasses.

"I'm sorry…" I said as I wrapped my arm around her. She stayed still for a moment, but slowly she eased back over to me and rested her head against my shoulder. Using my other hand, I grabbed her and massaged it gently.

'I can't do this…I can't keep LYING to them, to ALL of them…' I thought to myself as the movie began its first action sequence. For now, it would seem that lies were my only true friend…