The Imposter II (an alternate version); Chapter 15 (Evian)
by ejcrane
“You have to tell him, mom,” Chad scolded his mother, “You have to tell
dad the truth. You didn’t lose the baby…”
“Chad, please…this has nothing to do with you…”
“Yes it does!” he yelled, “This has EVERYTHING to do with us! He is our
dad, and he has a right to know about mine and Simone’s half brother or sister!”
“Chad, you are too young to…” she paused and stared at Chad in shock…in
amazement.
“Too young? Too young for what? What were you going to say, mom?”
“What did you call him?” she smiled, “You called Julian…‘dad’.” Her smile
widened.
“Yeah…” he looked to the side, “…I guess I did,” he shrugged.
“Alright…I’ll think about it,” she finished, “After my nap,” she escorted
him to the door, “Your little brother or sister is tired…” she smiled, “We’ll
continue this after my nap?”
He nodded and left to his room.
Chad walked to his bookshelf, pulled Stephen King’s “The Shinning” off the
shelf and pulled out a piece of paper tucked inside between the pages.
He hopped onto his bed and laid on his back and opened up the folded paper
in front of him.
Julian’s address and phone number were on it…
“If mom doesn’t do it…I will, sis,” he whispered to himself, “You need your
dad with you. My dad was taken away too soon, but I have another chance with
yours…” he turned on his side and stared at the picture on the nightstand
of him and Tc.
His eyes then moved to the picture frame beside it. It was a picture of
him and Julian on their fishing trip months before.
BadChad13 [12:21 AM]: u there?
Auto response from JLCindustries [12:21 AM]: Working at the moment. Will
get right back to you when I can.
JLCindustries returned at 12:47 AM
JLCindustries [12:47 AM]: Chad? I’m here.
JLCindustries [12:47 AM]: Is everything fine?
Lying in his bed, Chad heard the chime from his computer. He sat up and
looked to his laptop sitting on his desk. Swinging his legs over to the side,
Chad walked to the desk and sat in the chair. He stared at the screen for
a minute or two when he saw that Julian began typing again…
JLCindustries [12:49 AM]: Chad? Are you still there?
BadChad13 [12:50 AM]: i’m here
JLCindustries [12:50 AM]: How are you doing? Are you okay?
JLCindustries [12:51 AM]: I’m sorry I didn’t get to the computer sooner,
I was in the shower.
BadChad13 [12:51 AM]: i’m good. how are you?
JLCindustries [12:51 AM]: I’m glad to hear that. How’s little Simone? Pilar?
Julian smiled as he typed that last sentence.
BadChad13 [8:52 AM]: she’s good. she misses you. pilar’s good too.
Julian smiled at Chad’s reply, but paused before he typed his next question.
JLCindustries [12:52 AM]: And, your mother?
BadChad13 [12:53 AM]: ya know, i was thinking of trying out for basketball
this year.
JLCindustries [12:53 AM]: That’s great! I know you’ll make it!
JLCindustries [12:53 AM]: How’s Eve? She’s fine, right?
BadChad13 [12:53 AM]: mom’s fine.
BadChad13 [12:53 AM]: but i have to tell you something.
The grin on Julian’s face began to fade. Oh, God, he hoped it wasn’t anything
bad. He watched as Chad began typing again.
Chad began typing. He had his next sentence all typed out with his pinky
on “enter” ready to send, but paused and stared at his sentence for a bit…
moms still pregnant. you need to be here for her.
JLCindustries [12:54 AM]: Chad, what is it? You know you can tell me anything.
He then stared at Julian’s last instant message and then looked back at
his own message. Realizing that he couldn’t go through with it, and that
it wasn’t he place, Chad lifted his finger off the “enter” button and moved
his right third finger to the “backspace” button and pressed down on it until
his sentence was gone.
BadChad13 [12:55 AM]: i flunked math.
Julian wrinkled his brows. Math was Chad’s best subject.
JLCindustries [12:55 AM]: Are you sure that’s it? You wouldn’t be lying
to me, would you?
JLCindustries [12:55 AM]: I know math is your best subject.
JLCindustries [12:56 AM]: Chad?
BadChad13 [12:57 AM]: yeah?
JLCindustries [12:57 AM]: Is that what you wanted to tell me? You wouldn’t
be holding anything back from me, would you?
BadChad13 [12:57 AM]: yes, that’s it and no i wouldn’t keep anything from
you.
Chad looked down after he typed that last sentence.
BadChad13 [12:57 AM]: i just didn’t feel like studying i guess.
JLCindustries [12:57 AM]: Chad, no! You have to keep up with your studies.
I know what you can do, and flunking is not what you do.
BadChad13 [12:58 AM]: i know. i’ll try harder next time.
JLCindustries [12:58 AM]: That’s all I ask for, doofus! LOL
BadChad13 [12:58 AM]: wth? lol
JLCindustries [12:58 AM]: Hey! Watch the language, young man. LOL ;-)
JLCindustries [12:58 AM]: What are you doing up so late anyway?
BadChad13 [12:59 AM]: i couldn’t sleep. what time is it there?
JLCindustries [12:59 AM]: 7am
BadChad13 [12:59 AM]: what time do you go into work?
JLCindustries [1:00 AM]: Usually at 9, but I think I’m going to play hooky
today.
BadChad13 [1:00 AM]: and you tell me stuff. lol
JLCindustries [1:00 AM]: LOL! You better get some sleep or you’ll be tired
in the morning.
BadChad13 [1:00 AM]: there’s no school. is it cool if we talk for a while
longer?
Julian smiled and replied.
JLCindustries [1:01 AM]: Sure!
BadChad13 [1:01 AM]: bye gotta go dad
Julian lit up when Chad called him, “dad”.
BadChad13 [1:01 AM]: i mean julian.
He looked down and frowned. He loved that Chad and Simone referred to him
as their dad. If only…
Chad then closed the laptop and hopped out of his seat and into bed, under
the covers.
“Chad?” Eve knocked on the door, “Are you still up?” she walked in, “Honey,
what are you still doing up?” she gave him a look.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he sat up and shrugged.
“Well, did you try to close your eyes or were you on that computer just
now?” she eyed the laptop, “You know I hate how you stay up late talking
to your friends…” she stood with her hands on her hips, “…now go on and put
your night clothes on…”
“Alright…” he rolled his eyes and walked passed her.
“I saw that…” she said in a sing-song voice.
“Sorry,” he mumbled over his shoulder and walked into his bathroom.
“And what do we have here?” she asked herself when she heard the chimes,
and walked over to his laptop and opened it.
Eve, as a person, believed in privacy, BUT as a mother she believed in watching
what her children did and who they talked to…
“Julian?” she whispered as she read the conversation her son carried on
with the man she loved.
JLCindustries [1:01 AM]: Chad, is everything okay?
JLCindustries [1:01 AM]: Is someone there?
JLCindustries [1:04 AM]: Chad?
BadChad13 [1:06 AM]: Chad had to go to bed, Julian.
BadChad13 [1:06 AM]: Goodnight.
And that’s when Eve moved the cursor over the “X” at the top right hand
side and clicked on it.
AOL’s “Goodbye” default was what she heard.
BadChad signed off at 1:06 AM
“Eve…” Julian whispered as he stared at the last instant message.
“Mom! What are you doing?” Chad asked from behind.
She turned in his swivel chair and raised a brow.
“I could ask the same about you…”
---*~*15