Page 108 of Escape Velocity
His mom and dad raise their eyebrows at him.
“What did you lie about, Mason?” his father asks.
Mason inhales and rubs his eyes, like he’s trying to keep himself from crying. He wasn’t anticipating having this conversation so soon. He pictured it years from now, while he was in his last semester or even just before his graduation. Not at Thanksgiving dinner where it’s being forced out of him like he’s being waterboarded.
“M-my major. It’s—it’s not… journalism.”
His mother inhales and bites her lip, likely keeping herself from being too harsh with him. They’re at the dinner table with guests, after all.
“What are you majoring in then, Mason?” she asks, her voice taut, her gaze unwavering like she’s shooting laser eyes at him.
“It’s—it’s…”
A sob almost escapes Mason’s throat, like his secret has been lodged in his lungs and needs to be hacked out or have CPR done on him to cough it out of him. Like his sob is his secret.
“Physics. Joel’s right.”
Long, hard, sighs come from his parents’ end of the table. His mom nearly throws her cutlery down on theplate, and his dad twists his mouth as he leans back in his chair.
His cheeks burn with embarrassment. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go. It isn’t supposed to happen in front of the rest of his family and Joel himself.
It’s supposed to behissecret to tell.Hisconfession to make.
Mason stands up, his chair screeching behind him as he focuses on Joel like a heat-seeking missile. “Are you happy now, asshole? That I had to be forced to tell my parents and not on my own time, huh?”
His mom looks at him incredulously. “Mason. Sit down.”
He ignores her. “What did you get out of it? Was teasing me at Northwood High not enough for you? Did you have to make memiserablein college too?”
His dad clears his throat. “Mason.”
“Do you really hate Callum that much that you have to implode my life because you can’t destroy his?”
“What’s he talking about, Joel?” Elena says, putting her hand on the table.
Joel snickers. “He’s just all upset that he’s being exposed. He’s a liar, and he’s being exposed for it. And Ihateliars, simple as that,” Joel says all high and mighty like he’s some kind of martyr.
“This wasmysecret to tell them, asshole. I get to make my own decisions. This ismylife, and it’s none of your damn business coming into my house and trying to tellmehow to live it!” Mason nearly yells.
“Mason,” his mother says as she gets up and nearly pulls him back down to his chair, but he tries swatting her hand away.
“Are you really that jealous of Callum? You whineabout him so much and you think it’s because he’s not as good as everyone thinks he is, but really, it’s because you want to be him, right?”
Joel sputters. “That—that’s not true, I?—”
Mason points at Joel. “It is! You’reobsessedwith Callum, actually.”
“Mason,” his dad warns.
Joel stands up from the table, his chest heaving and cheeks red. “I amnot!”
Mason smirks. “Face it, you’re nothing compared to him. You’ll forever have to life in Callum’s shadow Joel, so grow up anddealwith it.”
“Mason!” his mom yells, letting her cutlery clatter onto the table.
“I amnotjealous of him,” Joel says, his voice nearly breaking.
Mason holds his hand up to his ear. “What was that about being a liar again? Tell me again, Joel. I want to hear the truth.”
