Chapter Three: Non-Biological Father

Josh bolted upright as his head throbbed with a sickening liquid heat. It felt like his brain was being shredded from the inside.

Before he could even squint against the blinding morning sun, a thunderous knock shook the entire room. The sound was sharp and violent.

"Open up! I know you’re in there, Josh!"

That voice. The recognition hit him like a physical blow. Josh scrambled out of bed and ignored the haze in his mind as he lunged for the door.

His palm slammed against the freezing metal knob. It bit into his skin as he ripped the door open. The wood groaned as it swung wide.

Josh froze. His hands balled into white-knuckled fists at his sides. His breath hitched and turned shallow as he stared at the figure in the hallway. It was his non-biological father standing with an unyielding aura. A dark blue suit wrapped around him, and his dark blue slacks matched perfectly.

Josh’s eyes darted down to the phone his father held tight. The screen flashed with a fresh notification from the school parent portal. The A- on his English test paper had just been uploaded to the system.

“Yes, Dad,” Josh said. He kept his voice neutral and perfect in that baritone softness he used as a shield.

His father’s brows lifted right away. His grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles went pale.

Josh stepped back as his legs began to tremble. He felt like he was facing a death sentence because his father never wanted a grade so depressing that it would boil his blood.

“Your teacher just uploaded this five minutes ago,” his father hissed. “Where did you get that, Dad?” Josh repented. He looked down and avoided the eyes of the man standing in front of him.

“You dumb coward. You got an A minus?” His father’s voice was deep, and it metaphorically crawled under Josh’s skin.

“I didn’t really mean to,” Josh started to say. Before he could finish, a hand struck directly onto his cheek.

He flinched and almost lost his balance as he stepped backward. The blow left a burning mark on his face. It was a sign telling him he was idiotic for getting a grade like that.

His eyes went teary for a moment.

“I expected more from you,” his father criticized. “If another A minus shows up, then you are no son of mine.”

With that, his father slammed the door shut.

It left the room with a thud bullet sound. Josh just stared at the ground without moving a single muscle.

A tear escaped from his lids, but he managed to wipe it quickly.

The A minus was a verbal error to his system. He couldn't have imperfection because he was the King. He was perfect.

Suddenly, the phone on his bed started ringing. He walked toward the mattress where his messy sheets stayed unorganized.

He grabbed the device and saw Thomas was calling. His eyes lit up. Thomas had invited him two days ago to head out to the skateboard park for stress relief, and right now he needed to escape.

Josh headed toward the entrance of the park. Skaters were showing off with tricks that he couldn’t understand.

He didn't know why they would slack their time off with this kind of activity. He had changed into fresh clothes, and it put a candle inside his light. It boosted his confidence enough to walk through the crowd.

He spotted Thomas wearing a baggy black shirt with a faded band logo. Josh waved. Thomas gave him a smile and showed off the skateboard in his hands. It looked like it had just been opened right from the store.

“Dude, thank god you are here. I already miss your face,” Thomas said with a wink. He sat on the bench while Josh adjusted his glasses.

“My presence is a gift to your surroundings,” Josh said gloriously. He kept his face serious even as a skater flew past him. The scent was unpredictable and definitely not flowers. It was pure armpits.

“Yeah, whatever you say,” Thomas replied. He fixed the cap he wore as a special accessory to attract the girls in the park.

Thomas lifted his body off the bench and began to show off the tricks he had practiced. Josh was stuck staring at the display. Then the atmosphere glided and changed. A familiar face materialized beside Thomas.

“Oh, hey man,” the familiar face said. He shook hands with Thomas. Thomas stopped his tricks and tightened his grip as sweat ran down his forehead.

Josh’s heartbeat began to rise. He felt the same sensation from the convenience store the night before. Tristan was wearing the same style as Thomas. A board hovered beside him with a design like a dark forest.

“What is he doing here?!” Josh asked. He stood up and walked closer.

Thomas looked confused. “You know each other?”

“Yes! I mean no. But why is he here? And why were you shaking hands with him?” Josh’s cheeks began to flush red once again. He never wanted to get near this person, but the universe kept forcing their paths to interact.

“Why, Mr. President? Am I annoying you?” Tristan’s voice sounded charming in Josh’s ears all of a sudden.

“Stop calling me that!” Josh hissed. He crossed his arms and glanced away.

“Oh my god! Hi hottie!” A high-pitched voice echoed behind Tristan.

Tristan stepped aside and revealed a girl. Josh found himself stuck in her orbit. Her hair was a gorgeous mess of golden curls that caught the light. It looked almost metallic as it bounced against her shoulders. Her eyes were deep and black like ink dropped into water.

Josh noticed her lips were a perfect natural color.

She stood there in a black crop top that radiated an energy headed straight for him. Her skinny jeans pulled the whole magnetic outfit together. Josh simply could not look away.

He told himself he was mesmerized by her beauty, but a sharp guilt began to rise in his throat.

“Thomas, I will be right back. I have some company ahead of me,” Tristan said. He turned toward the girl.

Before she could clench her hand onto Tristan’s shoulder, he looked at Josh. “See you later, Mr. President.”

Tristan walked away with her.

Josh’s shoulder went limp after hearing that. Inside the fabric of his shirt, his stomach twisted in an imperfection way that could throw his throne away.

“Lucky guy,” Thomas scoffed. He went back to his tricks.

“Yeah, lucky,” Josh muttered. He sat back on the bench with his eyes locked on Tristan’s back. He felt a sharp guilt and a heavy weight in his chest that he couldn't explain. He wasn't looking at the girl anymore. He was watching Tristan leave.

“THE TOURNAMENT IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!” a voice yelled over the speakers.

Josh looked up at Thomas. “What do you mean, tournament?”

“The Annual City Park Throwdown,” Thomas explained while kicking his board up. “I forgot to mention it on the phone because I was worried about something. It is an open entry event. Tristan paid the f*e and signed up as a wild card ten minutes ago.”