Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 60

My eyes widen. I cringe. "Please do not use my gamer name out loud," I picked that in middle school. It's so embarrassing.

He smirks. "I'm sorry, SlyFox. What did you say?"

I rub a hand down my face, but then a thought comes to mind. "Hush yourself, BioBoy." I wait for his reaction.

He double takes. "What did you just call me?"

I stare at him. "Bio... Boy."

"That is not my username anymore," he says indignantly, pulling into the driveway.

"BioBoy. BioBoy. BioBoy." I laugh and laugh at his expense.

"I am CalcMan now." He puffs his chest out, sitting straighter. "I demand a regular sized krabby patty, or I will turn to the darkside."

I chuckle. "Alright, alright. Barnacle Boy," I grin. Then I see the spot near the front door where Carson had shifted over me. My smile falls. That was so long ago. I've really been sitting on this problem for far too long.

"What's wrong?" Michael asks.

I shake my head. "Nothing."

"You want another speech?"

I give him a look. But then I sigh, shaking my head. "No. I'm sorry. I always make you ask that." I always make him worry.

He puts his hand on my shoulder. "You're going through something. It's fine."

"But it's probably irritating always having to ask that everyday," I say. Another testament to my inability to make a decision. I think about the Home Ec teacher yelling at me that sometimes I can't halfass things. I can't cut corners or play the middle ground. I have to decide. Malnourished children or starving soldiers or whatever the scenario was.

"Yeah, it is irritating after a while," he laughs.

I look at him, shocked.

He stares into my eyes. "But I will always ask, and you should never feel guilty for it."

My eyes start to burn. "But it's not like it helps. I always just say 'nothing' anyway."

He shrugs. "Sometimes people get sad for no reason. That's okay too. You don't always have to have a quote on quote 'legitimate' reason to be upset. It's just important to say how you feel, whether or not you can explain it."

I guess that makes sense. I smile lightly and nod, and that's how Michael-the same guy who said I could always talk to him about anything without worrying about our parents finding out-ended up making my mother rush into my room like a madwoman.

"Mia, I think we should talk," she says, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Um, okay?" I sit up, eyeing her confused.

"You know when you walked through the door today?"