Free Fortified by J. F. Jenkins Page B

it. He also had the perfect opportunity to test Jaes and have it not appear as if he were doing so. Sighing, Alan shook his head. “I’m not a good friend.”

Chapter Six
    G ideon came home right away after his meeting with the others. A pleasant surprise. The few times they’d gotten together, he’d been out for at least an hour longer. Normally, he wouldn’t care. There was a lot he wanted to get done, however, and the sooner he did, the better. Once he got his shoes off, he made a beeline for the bedroom. He threw his bag onto the bed and went straight to his desk to get to work. Just as he logged onto his computer, he heard a knock on the door.
    â€œEverything okay? You’re home early, today,” his mother said through the door.
    â€œYeah, I’m fine,” he said. “You can come in, Ma.” He liked that she respected his privacy. Not a lot of teens got to have that privilege. She also treated him like glass: one wrong move and he would break. It’d gotten to the point where she didn’t do anything for him without his permission. I still want her to be my mom. Does she think I’m going to choose to be with Dad full time in New York? Because I’m not.
    Gideon shook his head, knowing in his heart that wasn’t completely true. The guy did spend a lot of time away, though, and the few times Giddy had visited him, he’d been left alone in his father’s fancy apartment in a foreign city, while his dad went out to be with his new girlfriend. They’d only had a few days together. Why waste them apart? What was the point of his even making the journey?
    There was no way he planned on moving across the country. Not now. He was too angry to even consider it regardless of the opportunities doing so might offer. Timing was bad all around, anyway, given the war. Even without all of that going on, there was no way he could leave his mom alone to fend for herself. I need her just as much as she needs me.
    Timidly, she opened the door and peeked her head inside. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
    â€œYou’re not. Well, it’s just homework, so you’re always welcome to get in the way of that,” he said with a smile. No matter how important his work for Alan was, it could wait a few more minutes if it meant helping her get better. “What’s up?”
    â€œLike I said, you’re home earlier than usual,” she said.
    He forced his smile to remain on his face. “My club meeting ran short today. Since it’s nearing the end of the year, it was more like social free time. We’re talking about getting together over the summer, though, and keeping in touch.”
    In truth, he didn’t have any clubs. Lying to her made him feel as sleazy as his father, but there was no way he could explain to her that he was working for aliens in an intergalactic war. Saying he was in a club did two things: it provided him with a cover that was logical, and got her off his back about not participating more in his high school experience. Because while he got along with everyone, and was generally well liked by all, he didn’t have anyone he called his friend either. Not anymore. He drifted from group to group, and that was fine by him. His mother, not so much. She seemed to think it was unhealthy for a teen his age to not have “playdates” anymore.
    â€œSeems kind of early to me. Don’t you have one more competition or whatever it is you do? School is done when?” she asked.
    â€œJune third,” he said. He had a countdown on his calendar and everything. A little over a month. Summer was so close he could taste it. For three months he wouldn’t be forced into mingling with people who didn’t genuinely want him around. Not outside of my team, at least. Just have to win over Cadence, I think. She seems to be the hardest one. It’d also be nice to go out on his terms and do the kinds of things he