Alpha Obsession

Chapter 16

My vacation came and went

Hunter's advice wasn't completely wasted on me. I'd learned my lesson about what can happen when you get involved with their kind. Aside from the obvious danger, they'd be a distraction.

I was mainly going to school at this point for the training. Despite coach Clinton's increasing difficulty level, I was getting used to it. After a few weeks of collapsing in a puddle of my own sweat, it didn't feel so difficult to stand up afterward. I noticed muscles developing gradually as a sign that my effort wasn't wasted. During school, I made an effort to avoid the twins, but I also avoided Hunter. For some reason the idea of seeing him made me feel weak. It was like I didn't feel ready to be judged by him again.

That's not my way of saying I didn't think about him at all. In all honesty, I thought about him constantly. During runs and while training. Even in the showers at times, it was like I couldn't keep him out of my thoughts anymore. I still felt self-conscious while undressing because I knew he could see me, and in bed, because he could feel my insecurity during the cold winter nights.

When mid-winter vacation started in late December, the coach gave me a huge list of exercises to go through on my own. It was insanely long and couldn't be done unless I gave it multiple hours every single day. Most of the friends I'd gotten used to hanging around didn't stick to Viridian for the winter. Chad and Amy had a tradition of going to the alps with Jackson's family. Everyone else just visited family elsewhere. So I spent time with my dad in his office.

One day, however, after coming out of the shower, I noticed something. Hunter wasn't watching me at all. The paranoia I normally felt was completely gone and I felt a little more confidence seeping in. I took the opportunity to look at myself in the mirror. It actually surprised me to see how much my body had developed over one month. I wasn't Sin level fit, but I wasn't the same shapeless kid from before.

My hair was growing wild though and it looked well overdue for a cut. Of course, I thought of my mother. I caught her downstairs just as she was getting dressed for work. "Good morning, Sweety. You're heading out for your run?" she asked naturally.

"Nah, I already finished. Couldn't sleep that well." She nodded her understanding. I'd mentioned my insomnia to both of my parents long ago, but they didn't seem to think it was serious. I always played it off and rarely complained. "So...mom...I was thinking about...my hair?" oh god this was harder to ask than I thought. I wanted to ask for a different cut than the standard trim. She smiled and ran her fingers through my hair, then turned it into a frown.

"Yeah, it's about time to fix that. How about we give you something different this time? You're turning eighteen next year so you should have a more mature look now. How does that sound?" damn, my smile couldn't grow any wider. I always felt more like a child around my parents. It was so easy for them to make me happy despite myself. She took my smile as an agreement, "ok, grab your coat. You'll come to work with me today and Samantha will fix you up proper." She went back to packing her bag and I set to her instructions.

We were at her work site in less than half an hour with her custom orange convertible. My mother was a designer for some company called 'Shivani' and apparently carried a lot of weight around the place. We were welcomed immediately and headed for the fifth floor. She strutted in like she owned the place and I saw a new side of my mom. "I'm back ladies and bro-ladies! Who's missed me!?" there were a few giggle and friendly smiles all around. The staff was working clustered around sinks and mirror tables, but hands still went up in spite of the sudden entrance. An older woman wearing bold eyeliner came strutting up to my mom in return.

"Ley! Come here! You've got nerve walking in here without bringing me some sugar!" her serious expression turned into a smile and they hugged. "Oh, who's this handsome boy with the mop-top?" my mom didn't miss a beat.

"This is Jake!" a collective squeal tore through the room as dozens of women stared at me. Apparently, my mom had mentioned me before. "He's becoming a man next year and needs a new haircut. Anyone interested?" oh god. I was swarmed so fast that the ladies nearly swept me off my feet and carried me over to a sink. The amount of touching and accidental rubs was a little overwhelming, so I chose to keep my eyes shut while they worked. I'd never live it down if I got stiff in front of so many people. The entire scene lasted an hour, and in all that time I never saw my reflection. My mom gave me money for a cab, and I was pushed playfully out of the building before anything else could happen.

Once back home, I threw myself back into my exercises without thinking of my hair again. It still felt longer than usual and there were strands that fell on my face, but I had faith in my mom's judgment. The list was so extensive that I found very little time for anything else during the break. At night I prayed for sleep to consume me quickly, but it never did. I used to listen to music till I fell asleep every night. It wasn't because I'm a huge music fan or anything like that. It was more like, hearing some else's voice in the darkness made me feel like I wasn't so alone.

Now, though, my entire body ached as I lay on my bed. My head hurt for some odd reason and it made the thought of plugging headphones into my ears feel dreadful. So I stared into the pit of darkness above me that was also known as my roof. My bedroom was the smallest room in the entire house, but at night...it felt endlessly empty and vast. In that loneliness, I could still feel Hunter's awareness of me. He was like this spectator that kept his distance and never said a word when I wanted him to. Is it wrong to feel so lonely despite all the attention I received earlier? Probably.

When the vacation ended, I was actually happy to return to school. I missed the deadly smile of Miss Sin, the protective circle of the sports teams, and even the ferocity of the coach's training was somehow welcome. The winter vacation came and went, but I didn't miss it.

So, bit of a time-skip chapter. Jake's moving forward with everything he's got, but he's still very much haunted by the events so far. How do you think that's going to turn out for him? Is he going to keep this up somehow?