Chapter Twenty-Five
ELLIOT TRIED to act like his old self around his family over the week’s holiday but it felt like just that: an act. Farlden and Barve had been lying to him from the start and that hurt more than he could put into words. He found himself dwelling on Farlden’s part in the betrayal the most as he paced up and down his bedroom, which made no sense. He and Farlden were barely friends and it wasn’t as if he was falling for him or anything...
He came to an abrupt stop in the middle of his room. “Oh, shit!”
The bleeping of his mobile made him jump. He took a deep breath and tried to collect his scattered senses as he said, “Hello?”
“It’s Callie. Is everything okay? You never said goodbye before you left.”
“I’m really sorry.” Why hadn’t he called her? An image came to his mind of her laughing with Barve and he realised that a part of him had wondered if she was in on the big secret. Her confusion made it clear she didn’t have a clue what had happened and, if he didn’t stop acting like an idiot, he was going to lose her friendship too.
He must have been silent too long as she asked, “Did you and Farlden have another row?”
“Yes, but it’s more complicated than that. I was really upset and angry when I left but I should have at least phoned you. I was wrong.”
“Never mind,” she said, tone warmer. “I’m sure you can sort things out with Farlden when you get back.”
“I’m not sure if I want to.”
She was silent for a moment, then asked hesitantly, “Was the argument that bad?”
“Yes. It wasn’t just Farlden. He and Barve both did something... I can’t explain but I don’t know if I trust them any more.”
“I obviously don’t know what went wrong, but I honestly think that they both care about you and I think you’ll regret it if you can’t find a way to forgive them.”
There was a knock on his closed door and, before he could answer, his mother walked in. Rather than leave when she saw he was talking to someone, she stood and waited. He gave a sigh and said, “I’m sorry, Callie, but my mum wants to speak to me. I promise I’ll call you and let you know when I’m going to get back. Are you at least having a good break?”
“You know me,” she said. “I’m working on two essays and a presentation, so I’m happy. I’ll see you soon.”
He was smiling as they ended the call but the expression faded away as he turned round towards his mother. Being at home was like trying to wear an old, favourite jumper that had got too small.
“Was the person on the phone the reason you’ve been unhappy since you got home?”
“No. It’s nothing to do with her. I’m fine.”
“I’m your mother. I always know when something is bothering you.”
He wanted to tell her everything and let her comfort him as if he were a child again, but he couldn’t. It turned out that she had been right all along: it looked as if there had been a Nean conspiracy, that they had been hiding something that could change the world. But it wasn’t just his mum he would be telling – it was an anti-Nean politician and she would use the knowledge to try to destroy an entire race.
“Elliot,” she prompted him firmly.
He couldn’t meet her eyes as he said, “I had an argument before I left Uni with a couple of my friends. They lied to me.”
“Did they have a good reason to lie?”
He frowned. This wasn’t what he had expected her to say. “I don’t know.”
“Then find out before you decide what to do. Children are taught very black-and-white morals but, as adults, we have to cope with a far more complicated world. Perhaps these people aren’t worthy to be your friends or perhaps they are and they were doing what they honestly thought was for the best when they lied to you.”
“You could be right,” he said, turning the idea round in his head. Why conceal an entire species? Would Sapiens have enslaved the race of the woman he had seen too? He came back to his confusion over how they could have hidden themselves for centuries. He needed to understand the situation better. “I’ll talk to them when I get back.”
“And you’re getting good marks for your university work?”
“My first essay only got a ‘B’ but I spoke to someone about what I could do to make my work better. It was an adjustment from school.”
“The important thing is that, when you realised there was a problem, you did something to fix it. When you get into politics...”
“Mum, I’m not ever going to become a politician.”
She stared at him and he felt equally shocked that he’d finally stood against something she wanted and been honest. However she responded, he was glad he’d done it.
“When did you decide this?” she asked, looking sharply at him.
“It’s never been what I wanted but I didn’t say anything before because I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
“Elliot, once you leave university, if you’re still certain you feel the same way about this then I’ll accept it, but at least keep it as a possibility until then.”
He nodded, relieved she wasn’t angry. He knew this didn’t mean she was willing to accept what he’d said: she would spend the next two years trying to change his mind. In the end, though, the decision was his. It shouldn’t have felt like such a revelation, but it did. “Okay. I think I’ll go back to Uni on Saturday instead of Sunday to have a day to sort out what happened with my friends.”
“That’s fine,” she said. “I can arrange my work schedule to be available then. I’ll travel with you and have my chauffeur follow us so that he can drive me home later in the day. Jasper and your father can join us.”
Elliot thought of his family seeing Barve and Farlden and felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice over him. “That’s really kind of you but it’s a very long way. I’ll be back in another six weeks for the Christmas holiday anyway.”
“I want to check your accommodation and meet some of your professors, particularly the Vice Chancellor.”
Elliot could just imagine what he would say and shuddered inwardly, the conversation getting worse by the second. “He might not be available on a Saturday, Mum.”
“I’m sure he can make the time to see me. I’ve spent too much time working these past few years – it will be lovely to spend a day with my family.”
He couldn’t object to that, half of him warmed at the unexpected affection while the other half dreaded what would happen when the two parts of his life collided on Saturday.