Chapter 34
MASON
Nothing’s right anymore. He has no way to escape in Northwood anymore. His home is a nuclear bomb.
Callum’s place is now officially off limits for the time being.
Jenna’s too busy.
He has no one to blame but himself. He knew exactly what he was getting into by lying to everyone about what he really wanted.
Maybe if he told his parents he was applying to physics and kept trying to convince them to let him do it, then things would be different. Maybe if he never tried getting involved with Callum again, then he wouldn’t have let his heart get shattered again.
He knew things would be difficult and treacherous, yet he still went through with Callum anyway.
He was stupid and na?ve, and he hates the cruel sting it leaves him with.
He reaches the end of Callum’s street and stops. It’s silent. Everyone’s inside their homes with their families enjoying their Thanksgiving dinners. He’s the only one outside wandering around the streets aimlessly.
He wants to feel like he could be any one of these families and knock on the door and be welcomed in as he is, without any hesitation.
He wishes his family could make his home like that.
There’s only one place he knows that no one will follow him and where he can be himself.
He doubles back around Callum’s street and goes through the secret passageway to he and Callum’s kingdom.
There’s a slight powdering of frost and snow across the pine needle-ridden clearing. A remaining few orange and red leaves cling onto the branches with all their might, waiting for one rush of wind to send them to the ground, succumbing to winter’s might.
He sits on one of the logs that’s untouched by the frost.
The clearing is silent, not even any birds chirping as he looks around. The swing he and Callum once swung on hangs loosely from the branch of the towering oak tree, with one fraying rope tying it to the tree while the other has fully collapsed onto the pine needles.
He sniffles as he stares at the spot in the clearing where he and Callum once stood just over a month ago. Where they first kissed.
It was the start of something perilous and ablaze with excitement. He thought it would end in the same way it began.
He didn’t think it would end with such a whimper.
He palms his face, looking around the clearing like it’ll give him answers as to what to do now. If he goes back home, he knows he’s just going to get yelled at more.
If he goes back to the Brown’s he’s just going to get chased away with pitchforks and torches.
He takes his phone out and thinks to call Jenna. She’s the only person who can keep him grounded in Northwood, but for some reason he feels guilty about bringing her down with him.
He doesn’t want to ruin the Winston’s Thanksgiving; he’s already ruined two others tonight already.
A twig snaps and he lifts his head abruptly. Anxiety rushes through his veins. Was Mr. Brown following him to finally chase him out?
“Hello?” Mason calls, going against his better judgment to alert others of his location while he’s all alone.
“Mason?” Callum’s voice echoes through the tree line.
Callum’s frame emerges through the thick brush from the other path entrance, the one from his backyard. He had put a coat over his dress shirt and dress pants.
“Clearly, I want to be alone right now,” Mason answers, focusing his gaze on the pine needles.
“Mase, come on.”
Mason shakes his head. “You don’t get to do that. That was your chance to stand up to your Dad, and you blew it. I knew this whole time you were just going to choose football over me, and I’m stupid for ever thinking differently.”
Callum takes more steps into the clearing and puts his hands in his pockets.
“What did you want me to do? He would have made sure we’d never see each other again. He’d make sure to spread rumors about you and your family to the whole town. He’d ruin you.”
Mason sighs. “But why should I care? I don’t care about this town. It’s just a reminder of who I used to be. I’m used to having everyone’s eyes on me now at Montgomery. Aren’t you?”
Callum shrugs angrily. “Come on, Mason. It’s a lot more complicated than that.”
Mason shakes his head. “I don’t think it is. My parents know about my school stuff now. If they knew about you, they wouldn’t care as much as about me lying about my college degree.”
Callum moves closer to Mason. “What about me, Mason? I have a say in this, too.”
Mason looks away from Callum.
He knows he’s being unfair to Callum. He knows it’s harder for him. He has an abusive father who’s willing to do anything to get what he wants. As much as he likes to think Callum has it easier with his popularity, scholarships and awards, he doesn’t.
“Then maybe we should just stop trying, Cal.”
Mason looks at Callum, who blinks. “What?”
“I think we’re in different places now.”
Callum scoffs. “Mason, don’t do this, you’ve had a rough day.”
Mason shakes his head. “I actually have a lot of clarity right now. What I know is that this just isn’t going to work. We keep trying to, but maybe it never will. I need to stop being selfish and let you pursue your dream and get out of Northwood forever.”
Callum kneels down to Mason and stares into his eyes. “You mean so much more to me than anything else, Mason. More than you know.”
Mason’s chin trembles. “I know.”
He hates how complicated everything’s become. He just wishes he could escape from everything and everyone with Callum.
Another twig snaps and he fully stands up.
“Mason? Are you here?”
It’s his mother’s voice.
Callum stands up too and turns around to face where Mrs. Fanning’s voice is coming from.
His mom enters the clearing. “Oh, thank God,” she says, as relief floods over her.
Her demeanor shifts as she realizes that Callum is also in the clearing.
Her eyes dart between Mason and Callum, but she doesn’t say anything.
“What are you doing here, Mom?” Mason asks, swiping a tear from his eye.
“I came to try and find you, of course.”
“I don’t want to be found, right now, Mom.”
His mom sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “Mason, can we please discuss this back at home—”
“With Joel there? Thanks, but I’m good.”
His mom puts her hands together. “Callum, can you please leave us alone? Mason needs to have a talk with me, and I’d prefer you weren’t here.”
Callum shakes his head. “I already know everything, Melissa. Whatever you can say to Mason, you can say to me.”
Mason panics as he looks between his mom and Callum. He didn’t think he’d ever see Callum challenge his mom, let alone anyone else.
His mom furrows her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
Callum nods. “We’re together, Melissa.”
Mason puts his hand on Callum’s shoulder. “Callum—”
Mrs. Fanning squints. “I’m sorry, what?”
Callum takes a step towards her. “Me and Mason are boyfriends. We have been for the past month, so whatever you have to say to him, you can say to me.”
His mom’s eyebrows nearly fly off her face. “What? Mason? This—what?” his mom nearly screeches.
Mason nods. “It’s true.”
He intertwines his fingers with Callum’s. “I saved the best disappointment for last.”
His mom starts to pace and rubs her temples. “You said… a month?”
“Yes,” Mason answers.
“Does Joel know about this?” she asks.
“Maybe,” Mason says.
Mason watches her pace. She’s processing. She doesn’t seem to be angry. She just seems surprised.
“And you—you like him like that?” she asks as she points from Callum to Mason.
Callum smirks. “Yes. I do.”
Callum squeezes Mason’s hand and looks down at him. “I like him a lot, actually.”
Mason’s heart flutters in his chest but it might just be the anxiety from having his mom find out. If he was ever going to be let back into his home, he might have just delayed his welcome back.
She stops pacing. “And you—you like him, Mason? Even after—”
Mason nods. “Even after everything he did. He was trying to protect me and him from his dad—”
He’s interrupted by another twig snapping.
He freezes as he sees Mr. Brown come hurling through the thick brush and into the clearing.
Callum immediately lets go of Mason’s hand, and Mason rubs his arm as he pretends that the action doesn’t sting.
“What the hell is going on here?” Mr. Brown yells.
For a split second, Mason’s transported back in time to the last time the four of them were in this clearing together. Back when Mr. Brown forcefully tried to keep Callum and Mason from seeing each other and cut all ties with the Fanning family.
His mom panics as she turns to face Mr. Brown.
“I told you to stay away from my family!” he yells as he charges at Mason.
“Hey!” his mom yells, getting Daniel to stop in his tracks.
Callum’s eyes bulge as he watches it all unfold.
“Your son is trying to ruin my son’s career,” Mr. Brown hisses at Mrs. Fanning.
“Callum’s a great football player on his own,” Mason retorts before his mom can.
Mr. Brown huffs and turns back to Mason. “I don’t know what kind of weird, little obsession you have with Callum, but it needs to stop, now.”
Mason looks to Callum, but Callum’s focused on the looming oak tree beside them and smiling at it.
Mason looks down and notices the carving he had put into the tree’s bark seven years ago.
Their initials with two crowns underneath.
M.F. + C.B
It’s faded, but it’s still there.
Callum looks once at Mason, and something comes over him. His face is serious, like Callum knows what he has to do.
He rips his gaze away from Mason to look back to his father. “It’s not an obsession.”
Mr. Brown turns to Callum. “I’m sorry?”
Callum closes his eyes and heaves a long, shaky breath out.
Callum grabs Mason’s hand.
“What are you doing?” Mason whispers.
“Just trust me,” Callum whispers back.
“Callum Aiden Brown. What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Mr. Brown asks, his tone becoming even deadlier than it was earlier.
Callum actually smiles at his dad. “I think I’ve made it pretty clear. I’m in love with Mason Fanning and he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Mr. Brown freezes for some time.
He’s too stunned to speak.
Mason’s never seen him so speechless. He’s always had something to say, but this has rendered him completely mute.
Mrs. Fanning’s eyes bulge as she stares at Mr. Brown from behind him.
Suddenly, like he’s woken up from a deep slumber, Mr. Brown lunges forward to grab Callum and Mason, but Callum swats Mr. Brown’s hand away forcefully, his face serious now.
“You don’t lay a single finger on me. Or Mason. Ever. Again,” Callum says, his tone deadly and seething but still trembling.
Mr. Brown takes several steps back.
He looks back at Mrs. Fanning, who furrows her eyebrows at Mr. Brown, realization dawning on her face.
“Did—did Daniel… did he hit you, Callum?” Mrs. Fanning asks, glancing between Callum and Mr. Brown.
Callum says nothing, his eyes bulging.
“I—I remember having this… this sneaking suspicion when you were younger…” she mumbles.
“You—you hit him, didn’t you?” Mrs. Fanning says, taking a step forward to Mr. Brown.
Mr. Brown scoffs. “No, I didn’t. That’s just his dramatics—”
“You hit your son,” Mrs. Fanning accuses again, walking over to Mason and Callum, standing in front of them.
“I did not—”
“He d-did. He still d-does,” Callum says, voice coming out like a child’s. Like the kid that didn’t know how to get out of the cycle of abuse he was living in.
Mrs. Fanning turns to look at Callum, tears springing in her eyes. He used to be close to her as well.
Mrs. Fanning was best friends with Callum’s mom. Even with the hurt Callum caused Mason, she still cares deeply for him.
“I’m calling the police,” Mrs. Fanning says.
Mr. Brown takes more steps back, nearly peeling out of the clearing. “No—no you’re not.”
Everything else seems to happen in a blur.
His mom on the phone with the police.
Mr. Brown hightailing it out of the clearing.
Her staying with them in the clearing until the police arrive, consoling a sobbing Callum.
Mr. Brown is taken away in the back of a police car not long after.
Mason, Callum, Mrs. Fanning, and Tammy, having caught up in the clearing much later, all watch as he’s taken away.
Mason finally sees Callum relax when the police car disappears out of view. He can finally relax.
Mason and Callum are both the most honest people of the day.
Everything is out in the open.
All the lying, secrets, and hiding. It’s over.
They both finally have their voices back.
They can both finally take a breath.