Tales of the Underground: Crestfallen - 35. In Vitro

As I climbed out of the small bed I felt Jayden’s small hand grab onto me. I turned back and smiled at the tired brown haired boy laying next to me. “Just 5 more minutes.” he groaned

“Sorry J, but it’s late.” I giggled “I’ll see you Sunday.”

“Sunday?” he mumbled, in a tired voice

“Yeah we’ve got a date remember?”

He made a face and thought about it “Oh yeah!” he exclaimed, with some life jumping into his body.

“I’ll pick you up around 7, just make sure you wear something nice.” I instructed, finally breaking free of his grip.

“I don’t have anything nice” He softly laugh, rolling onto his stomach.

I swayed my lips from side to side “I’ll have Perry drop you off an outfit.”

He let out another groan “I don’t like getting all dressed up!”

“Yeah well, we just did two dinners your way, we’re gonna do one mine.” I leaned over him, and planted a kiss on the side of his head “I love you”

“Love you too” he muttered, closing his eyes. I quietly walked out of the room, shutting the lights behind me. As I made my way to the door I nodded to Mr. Sanders “Good night”

“Good night Aidan” he sighed, I saw a thought pop into his eyes as he sat up “Everything I said tonight…it’s because I want what’s best for my son…and now for you as well.” He swayed his head as if to knock the thought out “I never expected him to bring a boy home…hell maybe I should’ve…whatever, gender doesn’t really matter much anyway” he ranted on just like his son “I guess what I’m saying is that you’re a good fit for him, you don’t go easy on him, yet you know how to comfort him.”

“You got all that from just a few nights?” I teased

A small smile started on his face “My son stormed off to his room, and 10 minutes later you have him laughing so loud we can hear it through the walls…he’s needed a spark for a long time now, I guess I’m just relieved he’s found it.”

I nodded to his words “Me too” He nodded once more as I thanked him for the night, and finally made my way to Perry’s idling car.

Perry couldn’t help but laugh as he saw the big smile on my face “How was the date sir?”

“Good” I tried my best to fight it off, but the smile kept winning “We told Jayden’s parents about us, and they took it well…a lot better than my parents.”

“That’s good to hear sir, but don’t count your parents out just yet, sometimes loved ones rise to meet expectations in surprising ways.”

“I won’t hold my breath” I grunted staring out the window “Speaking of my parents, I think me and my father need to have a conversation.”

Perry straightened up how he was sitting “Going to apologize, and put this stupid fight between you and your father behind you?”

“You know about that?” I let out in surprise “And no, I’ve recently learned some interesting fun facts about the man I think I should share.”

“I know him just as well as I know your sir” he sighed “I can tell when the two of you are at each other’s throats. I get it, you’re becoming a man…and there are too many men in the castle, but you need to respect your father’s authority.”

I stared him down out of the sides of my eyes “Think about what you’re asking.”

I heard him take a deep breath “There were days where you would excitedly sit by the steps and wait for your father…days you would follow him around the house wide eyed and eager to do everything with him.” Nostalgia hit him like a wave “Where did those days go?”

“They faded away the second I realized what a jerk he can be” I spit, as we pulled into the driveway “Don’t let the green grass blind you, even back then he was shitting one me…I was just too young and stupid to see it.”

“Master Aidan, a boy needs his father.” He uttered as I opened the door.

“Unfortunately for me he’s never been much of a father” I grumbled stepping out of the car. I slowly approached the door and pushed it open “Besides I have you.” I let out, not daring to look back. Perry always hates it when I bring up the fact that he does more parenting than my parents…but he does…and he deserves to know it. As I climbed up the stairs I heard the echo of the various news stations coming from the living room. I put on my best smile, and confidently walked through the kitchen and into the huge living room.

My father stared me down as I took a seat across the room from him. “Still holding that grudge?” he taunted

“No” I smugly laughed “I let it go after I learned some sad facts about you…I guess I feel bad for you.” I stabbed, trying to land a big blow.

“And what would that be?” he humored, ready for round 2.

I confidently shrugged my shoulders “Oh you know, just that you had to grow up poor.”

“Where did you get that from?” he growled, as anger overtook his face.

I shrugged my shoulders once more “I’m a lot smarter than you guys give me credit for.”

“Yeah well you’ve got your facts...”

“Right” I interrupted, predicting what he was going to say “Grandpa had to bust his ass just to make ends meet, I’m guessing that’s why I never got to actually meet him.” I stabbed “You even wanted to rebuild Newark and Paterson at some point…It’s a shame, that sounds like a father I’d be proud of having.”

“You’re an ungrateful little shit” he roared “Everything I do, I do for you. You know what charity is?” he scoffed “It’s a waste of my hard earned money…why should I give some complete stranger money when I can spend it on my kids…or better yet myself.”

“Oh please…”

His anger pierced right through me “What? You going to say I don’t spend money on you? You cost me an arm and a leg you know that? I pay for all that training, gym time, equipment and fancy clothing you love to have so much…not to mention $100 dollar haircuts, and I’ve never once bitched about it.” He roared “And do you know why?” I tried to match his intensity but was quickly fading “Because family is worth spending it on. Get your head out of the goddamn clouds and come down to reality, the only person who’s ever going to actually look out for you is yourself. Fuck charity, fuck helping anyone but yourself. You’ll never get anywhere in life until you learn that lesson.”

“If that’s what it takes, then I don’t want to get anywhere in life!” I fought back “Congratulations you spend money on me…but look at how you treat me! Like I’m some type of prized fighting dog! And why? Because you lost a lot of money when the market crashed? What your ego couldn’t take the hit so you started taking it out on your son?” I angrily poked

“It’s because I realized what a god damn pussy you are. Out there! In reality! You’ll get eaten alive! You wouldn’t last a night on the streets!” He yelled “I’m toughening you up so that when your market crashes you don’t get hit so fucking hard…so that you can take it, but you’re such a god damn woman about everything…so over emotional that you never see the big picture.”

“Fuck your big picture” I let out not thinking “You think because you got cold to everyone around you that you’re tough? You think you know everything, but you’re just a sad man who betrayed where he came from.”

“How dare you talk to me like that!” I saw the anger start to boil, as the alcohol in his system slowly took control “You really want to go for round 2?”

“Why not dad?” I instigated “I live my life going from round to round. Like I said a few days ago…you really think you can take me?”

“Aidan, Aidan…Aidan!” he cried out, leaning back “There’s much more ways to fights than fists.” He snarled “You forgot that you’re MY son…that I know the way you think…and exactly what makes you tick.” I met his anger with my own as our eyes connected “I mean it’s funny after all that I should call you my son…you’re just the only in vitro that took.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I shook, not understanding what his strategy was.

“In vitro? You ever hear about it?” he taunted “It’s when an egg is fertilized outside the body, in a test tube. After that shit show of a disappointment that is your sister…we didn’t want to take any chances, so we went off to high tech laboratories and funneled money into genetic engineering. We created the perfect child with perfect genes, of course the first 4 attempts never took…I guess your mothers uterus just wasn’t up to the task…wasted money really.” He scoffed, taking another sip from his cocktail “Then finally on the fifth day there was light! And you started to grow…well really engineered, but boy what a fucking let down it’s all been. You were supposed to be tall…and muscular. Instead you’re just scrappy, small and disappointing.”

I bit my lip and shook my head “That’s stuff from movies…they can’t actually…”

“Google it then” He interrupted “haven’t you ever wondered why it’s so easy for you to get in perfect shape? Why your face is so perfectly symmetrical? Why you’re eyes are so fucking blue?” he started to cough but covered it up with a cocky laugh “We picked out every single aspect of you.” He emphasized “I guess you could say I helped design you. Like I said your sister…she was just so oddly shaped and ugly as a baby…she still is.”

“Enough!” I barked, starting to walk out

“Oh go ahead run away, it can’t change the fact that you were made in a lab.” He laughed “In the end, I didn’t just breathe life into you…I made you…I know who you are, and who you’ll become…You’ll be back on my side…on the right side in just a few weeks…and that lower class boy you’ve been banging.” He sneered “You’ll get bored of him in no time at all…he’ll be nothing more to you than a poor slut, you’ll finally move onto your own kind, preferably a woman.”

I turned around and went to say something…anything…but my anger wrapped around my throat, and I bit my tongue. I quickly made my way to my room and pounced down on my bed before I could do or say something I would regret. I’m nothing more than just a lab experiment gone right? I’m like Frankenstein, and my father’s trying to turn me into a monster! I stared at the blank ceiling above me. I felt a big smile and confidence overwhelm me out of nowhere…being a test tube baby meant I was made for perfection…that I barely have any faults. My father…the reason he fell to money is because he’s weak…because he has faults. He set out to make a monster to the world, but all he’s made was a monster who hates him. I’m not sure if this is a gift or a curse…but I’m damn sure going to be the best, and leave him in the dust on the way to the top.