Aidan Theodore Boyer's Story

Brown eyes were fixated on the thick black lines – eight of them to be exact – as the pad of his index finger traced the latest one. He felt the slightly raised bumps in the plaster wall and noted that this line was higher than last year’s. While Jason’s thoughts were swimming with a newfound purpose (to calculate just how tall he’d grown), Thomas Sinclair was crouched down beside him. The older male steadied his hand and began to scrawl the words Jason at 8 onto the golden paint with a much thinner marker and grinned to himself when the task was completed.

“Look at that! You’ve shot up from last year, Jace. Before you know it, you’ll be just as tall as your ol’ granddad,” Thomas boasted with that ever present gleam in his eyes and a huge toothy grin. Jason could only give him a somewhat crooked smile in return. To the little boy’s surprise, Thomas pulled him into a hug. He stiffened at the sudden display of affection but his granddad only laughed.

It felt like eons passed before Thomas let go. At the sight of his granddad’s expression, Jason let out a caveman like grunt and crossed his arms. The retired veteran just shook his head at the unusual sight – barely concealed amusement present on his face – and did his best not to burst out in laughter. It was a rare treat to see his eight year old grandson act his age because, most of the time, Thomas found himself face to face with a child who seemed so beyond his years. He mentally scolded himself for not bringing his camera along to document the moment.

“You messed up my costume,” Jason mumbled disapprovingly and pointed to his now wrinkled Batman suit to somehow emphasize his point. His granddad could only shake his head as the childish moment was shattered. Straightening himself out, Thomas took a hold of his grandson’s hand and pulled him along. “Cheer up, bud. C’mon, let’s go see what your grandma can do about it.” He sighed in response and trailed behind his granddad obediently. The pair bounded down the stairs and toward the kitchen – where Francesca Sinclair was sure to be baking her homemade goodies.

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, happy birthday! Happy birthday to you!” A chorus of cheers erupted from a nearby cassette player as the track continued its loop. Jason turned his head instinctively toward the sound and put on a rare grin. The joyous tune was a sharp contrast to the ghastly ghouls and wicked witches on the television screen but, for those residing in the Sinclair household, it was hardly something to bat an eyelash about. Why? It was because, while everyone was only celebrating one holiday, they were celebrating two! Sure, Halloween was fun and all but what could be better than Halloween and your birthday? Jason couldn’t think of anything better than that, especially when neither grandparent were ever going to let him forget it.

“Oh my, I didn’t know we had Adam West in the house!” Francesca giggled as two of the most important men in her life entered the kitchen. Despite the crazy concoctions and vast amounts of flour littered on the linoleum floor, she looked like the picture of calm and collected – almost as if the mess she made in the kitchen hadn’t fully registered in her mind yet. Jason could only furrow his eyebrows in confusion. “Batman’s name is Bruce Wayne. Not Adam West.”

“Ah! I must have forgotten. How did we get such a bright young grandson?” She gave Jason a smile, flashing her straight row of pearly whites and offering him a chocolate chip cookie. “Don’t mind your grandma, bud. She’s just gotten you confused with the actor,” Thomas said as he bit into his own cookie. The little boy nodded. He didn’t exactly understand what an actor was or why his grandma would call him Adam West – when clearly, he was Batman – but he wasn’t going to ask now. That would mean more talking on his part and talking was exhausting!

Jason nibbled on his cookie and eyed his birthday cake in the corner. It was a large chocolate cake that reinforced the Batman theme that he was going for this year – with bat shaped sprinkles all over and various Batman and Robin figures that his granddad promised he’d get to keep later. Despite having blown out his candles during lunch earlier, he had only been given one slice. It was odd for him to only get one piece of his birthday cake, especially when he’d get at least three or four slices on previous birthdays. When he had questioned the sudden withholding of cake, they both said they didn’t want him to spoil his appetite for later. Jason could only assume they meant that dumb party he was supposed to go to.

He wasn’t really excited about it. Everyone in his class had gotten an invitation and they were all really happy when they got one. Jason? Not so much. In fact, only minutes after receiving it, he stuffed it into his backpack and hoped to never ever see it again. Ever. He had forgotten that his granddad checked his schoolbag every night to make sure he didn’t forget an assignment and that his grandma was always talking to those other old ladies around town. Maybe if he had eaten it and stopped the noisy mothers from coming over for book club…he certainly wouldn’t be in the situation that he was in now.

Jason was so absorbed in his thoughts that he failed to notice that his grandma smoothed out the wrinkles in his costume and that his grandpa was already rummaging through his pockets for his car keys. Quickly finishing off his cookie, he wiped the crumbs off of his hands with a nearby dish towel and frowned. Did he really have to go?

“You two have fun, ok? I want to hear all about your new friends when you get back,” Francesca stated cheerfully and kissed them both on the cheek.

He plopped into the backseat as Thomas started the car engine and they were off – headed to the Boyer’s Victorian home for an extravagant Halloween bash. Jason’s eyes watched the passing scenery and counted just how many kids (and even a few teens) were trick or treating. He had counted up to twenty kids when his granddad slowed to a halt and parked the car. Thomas twisted in his seat to face the eight year old boy – who looked anything but excited to be here – and said, “This’ll be fun. I promise. And if you want to go home early, then we’ll go and eat all the birthday cake your tummy can handle.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

Removing his seat belt and sliding out of the seat, Jason instinctively took his granddad’s hand. He gulped when he looked at the decorations. They were really scary – though he’s never say so out loud. Thomas, sensing his grandson’s anxiety, squeezed his hand in reassurance and they walked past the gate and toward the entrance. Focusing on anywhere except the décor, Jason noted the families arriving and felt a pang of jealously gnaw at him. Everyone was arriving with their mom or dad and here he was, arriving with his granddad. Even if he had wanted to come with his mom and dad, he couldn’t have. His dad was all the way in Germany and his mom…no one really knew where she was; or they did, they just didn’t want to tell him. He could keep a secret!

He tugged on his granddad’s hand and was about to suggest turning around when the Boyer kids came into view. Jason wasn’t too familiar with either of them – they weren’t in his grade at school – but he’d heard about them. They were supposed to be new to the neighborhood. He stared blankly when the two introduced themselves to the newly formed group of kids who had arrived, that group including Jason and his granddad.

Thomas gave his grandson a nudge after the boy in the red Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers suit – apparently named Aidan – stopped speaking. “Jason Sinclair,” he mumbled feebly. Jason was going to add a nice to meet you of some sort but decided against it. Batman didn’t talk a lot either, so why did he have to? He felt his granddad pat him encouragingly on the back and he grimaced. They were really making sure he saw through with this. Jason dragged his feet across the front yard and followed after Aidan and Lily.

Despite the tantalizing thoughts of candy and treats waiting for him in the back, Jason still had every intention of heading for the hills. He knew that he couldn’t though. His grandparents would be very unhappy with him if he even tried. He was right behind the brother and sister duo when the girl in the Disney princess costume – Lily – stopped right in front of a very Halloween inspired table. He shook his head when she asked if he wanted to play. All Jason wanted to do was find a quiet spot and eat a bunch of treats before he had to go home.