Chapter 24
They checked into a B & B for the night. It wasn’t too hard – it seemed Matt had all the right things to say.
"They found it strange that we asked for a double bed, didn't they?"
Matt scoffed. "Oh, c'mon, she was at least 70 - practically on death's door. She's forgotten about it already." Aiden rolled his eyes. "Anyway, she probably watches Eastenders. She'll be used to it."
Aiden let out a small snort, "Are you keeping up to date with these soaps these days, then?"
"Of course," Matt grinned, sitting down on the bed in a small B & B. Miraclously, the old woman who had given them the room didn't ask for any ID at all. All she wanted was the cash to get herself off to the bingo.
Matt took Aiden's hand as they sat down, almost on top of one another. "We're all alone," he whispered. "Just you, me and the bed," he said sensually into Aiden's ear.
"Let's put the telly on then," Aiden grumbled.
"But…" Matt started, then decided against it. Instead, he picked up a lone magazine off the bedside table and started to flick through it.
Aiden leaned back into the pillows and turned the TV on. He hugged himself and wrapped the duvet around him. It was a strange experience. He'd never had many people in his life. Never. Now he had Matt and they were sharing a bedroom for goodness sake!
So why did he still feel so alone?
As Aiden lounged on the bed, Matt sat up, his head deep inside some ‘woman’s magazine’. “Hey, what’s your star sign? Wait, you were born at the start of January, right?” Matt asked. Aiden nodded.
“Oh. My. God.”
“What?” Aiden said, sitting up, alarmed at Matt’s raised voice.
“We are like, compatible! Our star signs match!” Now Aiden was really alarmed.
“Are you OK?” Aiden asked, gently.
“Yeah, why?” Matt said, suddenly on guard.
“You’re freaking me out with all this gay stuff.”
“Shut up,” Matt said, hitting Aiden with the magazine, not even getting defensive about the question. Instead, he dived into a trivial, drivel quiz about luurrve. “Favourite colour?”
“Pink,” Aiden laughed. Matt took him seriously.
“Favourite celebrity?”
“Gok Wan.”
Yet again, Matt took Aiden’s mockery as honesty. “What’s your favourite number?”
“52,” Aiden said immediately, sitting up straight, sarcasm instantly removed.
Maybe Matt had been noticing the cynicism, because he suddenly lifted his head up to see Aiden’s changed expression. “Why 52?”
“Why not?” Aiden shot back.
“Is it significant?”
“Of course.”
“In what way?”
“Every way.”
“Aiden,” Matt said sternly, but smiling.
Aiden poked his tongue out, and smiled, but turned back to his serious face. “If you don’t look for it, you’ll see it everywhere.”
“I don’t get it,” Matt said slowly raising his eyebrows.
“Neither do I. It’s . . . almost a paradox, in many ways. But, believe me, beware of that number."
"What?" Matt laughed, still confused.
"52 is the most important number of your life."
"How?"
Aiden winked, and walked off, into the bathroom.
YOU ARE READING
52. (BoyxBoy)
Teen FictionAiden's life is a lonely mess of suffering and torment. He's bullied daily, and abused by his mother. He's fed up with it, and on the 52nd day of the year, he's going to give up. It's all planned. So why did that have to be the day The New Boy turne...
