Locking In With My Life System

Walking out the door, the keys twirling around his finger as they jingled, Richard trailed behind his son who seemed particularly peppy.

Still, he couldn’t help but try to dissuade him, one of his hands rubbing his opposite arm incessantly;

”Champ. You do realize the brandy I take is quite expensive?”

”Which means the non-alcoholic ones might be even more expensive?” Aiden response came rhetorically.

”Yeah, I figured. That’s why I’m funding it from my pockets.” he looked over his shoulder and offered his old man a wink.

”It’s not worth the expenses though. You should be saving your money for more important things.” Richard reprimanded, his expression serious.

Aiden’s feet came to an immediate halt. He knew that tone whenever he heard it.

On an average day, he would immediately respect his father’s wishes without any pushback.

Today however, wasn’t an average day.

Which was why,

”Helping my father is the most important thing in the world.” he turned to face the man, his features schooled into a stubborn, unflinching resolve.

For a couple seconds, both individuals stared at each other, neither willing to budge.

Upon realizing he wasn’t going to be winning this time, Richard soon sighed in defeat and continued walking down the stairs.

Seeing that, Aiden beamed at the man and then kept walking towards the vehicle.

Still, Richard couldn’t help but try again, his voice coming out a bit smaller as he rubbed the back of his neck with a wry smile;

”What if they don’t have the flavor I like?”

”That’s such a shoddy excuse, Pops.” Aiden twirled around and said with a small laugh.

Then he casually tossed the key over to his Pops who barely managed to catch it.

”Be rest assured, though. I won’t be spending all that much.” he grinned as he opened the door and slipped into the passenger’s seat.

Letting out another resigned sigh, Richard chose to give in to his son’s whims and got into the vehicle.

A few seconds after, the vehicle slowly pulled out of the driveway as they made their way to the supermarket.

As they did, Aiden pulled out his phone and began making a list based off the newly acquired knowledge he had.

Roughly twenty minutes later, the duo arrived at their destination.

As both individuals strolled into the establishment, Richard ruffled his son’s hair for ’shits and giggles’, his other hand tucked into his pocket.

In reality though, he was masking his tremoring palms.

And because Aiden was aware of that, he didn’t even complain as he pulled out his phone to check the list he’d made.

As Richard began making his way over to the Beverage section though, he instead found himself being pulled in another direction by his son whom had already grabbed a basket.

”Um, they’re over there, champ.” Richard gestured with a pointed finger.

”I know. We’ll circle back to it later.” Aiden simply responded and kept dragging his Pops along to the Spices & Dried Fruits section.

Much to Richard’s perplexity, he could only watch in a mix of amused bewilderment as his son began tossing various spices and dried fruits into his basket while glancing at his phone at intervals.

’Cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, raisins, prunes and some dates...’ he thought to himself.

Nodding satisfactorily to himself, he then dragged his Pops to the next section. The Baking aisle.

After grabbing a few black tea bags, some vanilla extract, brown sugar, white sugar...

”Where’s the molasses?” he frowned whilst tapping his chin as he bent down to check the lower section of the shelf.

Then he parted a few of the jars aside, hoping to find it.

”Here’s a more important question. What are you planning to use all that for?!” Richard on the other hand demanded with a perplexed look.

”Brew you a homemade brandy.” Aiden simply replied and then exclaimed;

”Ha! There it is.”

Pulling the jar out, he carefully placed it in his basket.

As for Richard, his expression was beyond stunned.

Staring at his son whom was already walking to the next section though, his image overlapping briefly with his late mother’s whom was much the same at the supermarket with her list, a warm fuzzy feeling couldn’t help but bloom in his chest and spread to his face.

”Pops? You coming?” Aiden suddenly turned around and asked, his gaze curious.

Blinking his eyes, a happy mistiness forming on his eyelids, Richard promptly responded as he walked over;

”Yeah. Sorry, got sidetracked.”

”No qualms. We’re almost done anyway.” Aiden said as he turned around a corner to finally arrive at the Beverage section.

”Grape juice, apple juice, cherry juice...” he muttered to himself as he looked through the shelves.

Then, upon turning around another corner where the juices should’ve been, he instead ran into two familiar faces.

Pinned lightly against one of the shelves was Lizzie, Kevin kissing her passionately. Honestly, it was quite the miracle that they hadn’t toppled the shelf over whilst engaging in it.

Yet, despite his initial surprise, Aiden brushed it off as he greeted both parties with a rather relaxed grin;

”You know, you guys should really get a room...”

Instantly, both individuals disentangled from their smooching, evidently shocked to see their classmate.

”A-Aiden! Hi!” Lizzie was the first to respond, her face flushed like a criminal caught red-handed as she tried to fix her hair.

”Hey man. What’s cool?” Kevin himself casually extended a dap that Aiden partook in without so much as the slightest hint of jealousy on his features;

”Nothing much, man. Just stepped out to get a couple things with my Pops.”

Glancing from the corner of her eye even amidst the hair she was so desperately trying to fix, Lizzie noticed the unfettered demeanor Aiden was oozing.

It was almost as if what she had said a few days hadn’t impacted him in the least.

”Champ?” Richard on the other hand called out as he rounded the corner, searching for his son.

”Ah, there you are.” he remarked upon seeing him and then looked between the trio;

”Friends of yours, I presume?”

”You could say that,” Aiden simply said and then grabbed the juices from the shelf.

Only after, did he introduce the duo;

”Pops, meet Kevin Leeroy, Silvercat’s Star Quarterback, and Mademoiselle Montgomery.”

”Kevin, Lizzie, meet my Pops. Richard North.” he gestured with an open palm.

Arching a curious brow, his gaze flicking between the duo as his son gestured to him with a subtly flexed brow, Richard quickly took the hint;

’I see,’

’Well, then...’

”It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” he flashed them both a warm smile and exchanged handshakes.

No sooner were the pleasantries and a few small talks exchanged, Richard and his son soon walked down the aisle, Aiden bidding his peers farewell with a tick of his fingers off his head in a light salute.

As they watched their backs recede, Kevin couldn’t help but remark;

”Hmmm...”

”Is he always that chill to talk to?” he asked with a curious light in his eyes as he looked to Lizzie.

”Yeah... he is.” the lady replied, Aiden’s previous remark still ringing in her head;

You could say that...

’Is he no longer attracted to me?’ she couldn’t help but don a subtle frown.

Given what she’d done, she had expected Aiden to push for something more between them. That way, she could have a higher chance of stringing him along and keeping him around in case things with Kevin fell out.

Yet, the youth in question couldn’t have given two hoots, his olive-green irises glimmering upon picking up the last thing on his list... especially since he hadn’t expected the supermarket to have it;

’Jackpot!’ he grinned as he tossed the oak chips and oak extracts into the basket.

With his run over, he and his father promptly moved over to the cashier.

With all of the stuff he’d picked rounding up to a $100, Aiden swiped his card and he was billed immediately, his phone beeping a few seconds after.

-

[Bank Alert]

Debit:-$100.00 USD

Reference:FNAF’s Supermarket

Status: Completed.

Previous Balance: $1338.00 USD

Updated Balance: $1238.00 USD

-

Wincing a bit at the debit upon retrieving his phone, especially since it was his hard-earned money, Aiden let out a sigh of acceptance, one that his Pops was more than familiar with as he consoled him with a gentle pat on the head;

”Welcome to the life of a salaryman, champ.”

”Doesn’t get any better, does it?” Aiden rhetorically inquired.

”No. It doesn’t.” Richard replied and let out a deprecating chuckle.

A few minutes after that, he and his Pops were out of the establishment.

Arriving home a couple minutes later, Aiden began sorting out the stuff. After he’d successfully done that, his father then asked;

”Do you even know the first thing about brewing, champ?”

”No,” Aiden lied for obvious reasons.

”But,” he pulled out his phone with an inviting smile, waving it slightly as he said;

”We can scour the internet and figure it out together.”