Aaron entered the living room the next morning, dressed in his school uniform consisting of a black blazer, black trousers, white dress shirt, black tie and black leather Oxford shoes, ready for his first day of school. He noticed that Ivan was ready for his job as a professor at MIT in a sharp navy blue suit as well, sipping a cup of coffee, while Annette was still in her signature bed-clothes consisting of an over-sized gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, hunched over the table, nursing a hangover. Ivan downed the rest of his coffee and got up from the table. "Ready for your first day?" he asked Aaron.
"Won't Mother be late? Her school starts today as well" asked Aaron, looking coldly at Annette slumped over the table.
"I took the liberty of calling the school and letting them know she is sick" said Ivan, also giving her a cold look. He had been less than impressed by her sulking at dinner and drinking down an entire (and very expensive) champagne bottle by herself last night during Aaron's 13th birthday. He handed Aaron the keys to the BMW M5. "You drive till we reach St. Ignatius" he said.
Aaron carefully pulled into the St. Ignatius Academy parking lot, he was about to get out, when a silver Mercedes convertible screeched to a halt in front of the BMW M5, blocking their exit. A heavyset African American girl wearing a horribly clashing silver hoodie and white yoga pants got out and marched towards the driver side of the BMW M5. "You in my spot white boy!" she snarled at Aaron as he partially rolled down the window. Aaron regarded her coldly. "We will be moving soon miss, could you please move your car so that my father can pull out of the parking lot?" he asked her in his clipped demeanor. His response seemed to greatly offend the girl. "Oh, is gonna be like that? Little white boy thinks he can steal my spot? A-right" she snarled going back to her car and pulling out a large chrome baseball bat.
Aaron quickly rolled up the window and started the BMW M5, the engine giving a powerful rumble. He turned the steering wheel left as far as it would go and revved it loud and hard, the car straining against the brakes as the engine roared. The girl froze in abject terror as she stared at the large, powerful black car straining against its brakes. The noise attracted campus security and two burly guards tackled the girl, the bat flying out of her hands. Aaron quickly shut off the engine.The girl's demeanor had completely changed. She was screaming and crying hysterically. "This is racist!" she wailed as a beefy African American guard zip-tied her hands behind her back. "Shut it Viola! You're in trouble enough already!" snarled the guard as he hauled her away.
"Are you alright?" asked the other Latin-American guard looking at Aaron in concern. Aaron looked much too young to drive or even attend the school.
"We're fine sir. Is this Ms. Viola's spot? There were no reserved parking signs" said Aaron coldly.
"Who was that girl?" asked Ivan, still shaken by the incident.
"That was Viola Davis. Her parents are big deal BLM activists. Ever since that movement kicked off, she's been screaming racism at everyone and trying to get away with bullying" sighed the guard. He looked over at Aaron and the BMW M5 appreciatively. "You were trying to power slide out of the parking spot. Smart move in theory, only problem is if you had clipped her car while trying to slide out, your airbag would have deployed, and you would have crashed. It's not as simple as the movies kid" he chuckled.
"Perhaps, but it was the only solution I could think of before she decided to vandalize my father's car" said Aaron coldly.
"Aaron! It's alright! A couple of broken headlights and dents is not worth getting into trouble over! That girl could have seriously gotten hurt!" admonished Ivan. He was somewhat flattered that Aaron was so protective over the BMW but also worried that Aaron had shown no hesitation with trying to intimidate a pedestrian, part of him was also afraid that Aaron could have caused major damage and injury if he actually tried to slide around Viola's car before campus security got there.
"Don't worry sir. Thanks to Aaron's revving, we intervened before things could escalate, that's our job. Ms. Viola was on her last warning. This little stunt means expulsion for sure" said the guard grimly.
"What about Aaron? Is he going to be in trouble? He's still under-age and learning to drive. I'll take full responsibility for this incident" said Ivan, wrapping his arms protectively around Aaron.
"He won't be in trouble. You don't have to worry. Ms. Viola was the one who caused the trouble first by threatening to vandalize the car" assured the guard.
"Well then sir, can you please move Ms. Viola's car so that my father can get to work?" asked Aaron, pulling out his backpack.
"Sure Mr. Aaron, off you go to class" chuckled the guard as Aaron nodded to Ivan and left.
The first day of class went smoothly for Aaron. He had classes on physics, chemistry, math, computer science and PE. Each with its own unique challenges, but he was able to follow them quite well. His other classmates gave him surprised looks when he pulled out his massive black Linux powered gaming laptop while everyone else used Apple Macbooks, but otherwise didn't comment on it or bother him, in fact they seemed to give him a wide berth.The discipline and uniform code was strictly enforced, with teachers conducting uniform inspections at the start of the day and after PE class.The more rebellious students soon found out the penalties of violating the uniform code, which resulted in detentions, and having to clean up after classes. At the end of class however, Aaron was summoned to the guidance counselor's office.
Aaron knocked and entered to find Father Abel with a very grim look on his face."I see you have already amassed quite a fearsome reputation. That little stunt you pulled in the parking lot has had all the students terrified of you" said Father Abel grimly.
Aaron regarded Father Abel coldly, "I intended no harm. I merely wished to either scare her or attract campus security" he answered coldly.
"Or power slide out of the way according to Javier" growled Father Abel pulling out his phone. He showed Aaron a video of the incident. From the angle the shot was taken, it looked like the BMW was revving, getting ready to slam into Viola and her car, Viola herself had an expression of abject terror and was frozen in place.
"I believe my father and Mr. Javier can testify that there was no danger to Ms. Viola. I only wished to prevent her from vandalizing the car with her baseball bat" said Aaron coldly.
Father Abel sighed wearily. "We know that, which is why you are not in trouble. However, it has made your ability to socialize much more difficult" he said.
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "If my peers do not have the intelligence to understand the context of my actions then I'd rather not associate with them" he said coldly, eliciting a wry chuckle from Father Abel which he quickly suppressed with a shake of his head.
"Onto another matter, I've had the most disturbing phone calls from Mei and Kate." said Father Abel grimly. His eyes boring into Aaron.
Aaron regarded Father Abel coldly. "What are you talking about?" he asked quietly.
Father Abel rubbed his temples. "I will ask you a question. And I want an honest answer. You have nothing to fear as long as you're honest about it" he said wearily.
Aaron nodded, waiting for the question.
"Are you familiar with the term BDSM?" asked Father Abel.
"No" said Aaron. Father Abel gazed into Aaron's Stoic blue eyes trying to detect a falsehood, but he failed to find one.
"Well for someone who claims to not know anything about it, you sure as hell have an affinity for it" grumbled Father Abel.
"How so? And what does this have to do with Kate and Mei Ling?" asked Aaron.
"Did you notice that they were calling you 'Master Aaron' and obeyed your commands despite them being much older than you?" asked Father Abel.
"Well yes. I'll admit that I liked it even if they were just humoring me" said Aaron.
"They weren't humoring you. They actually enjoyed the control you had over them" growled Father Abel.
Aaron's Stoic demeanor cracked, and he looked confused, giving Father Abel the confirmation that Aaron didn't realize the power he had over them.
Father Abel sighed and started to explain: "BDSM stands for Bondage, Dominance Sadism and Masochism. It is a special type of relationship between people with opposite tendencies. Some people like being tied up, dominated, and being told what to do and getting hurt by others, while some like dominating, enforcing authority, and inspiring fear in others".
Realization dawned in Aaron's eyes. "So what I'm feeling is normal?" he whispered. His Stoic mask crumbled, and Father Abel saw the vulnerable side of Aaron for the first time.Father Abel felt a wrench in his gut. He realized that Aaron's stoicism and extreme self-control were the result of him attempting to suppress these urges. "When did you start to feel these desires?" he asked gently.
"Three years ago" replied Aaron. He then poured out to Father Abel exactly what had happened:
Three years ago, when Aaron was 10, Ivan had taken him to a BMW dealership to take delivery of the new BMW M5 Ivan had bought. Aaron, who had seen his father work long and hard on extra projects, was thrilled and proud of his father for being able to buy such a beautiful and powerful car.
That night though, he witnessed a vicious and violent argument between Annette and Ivan.Believing that he was asleep, Annette had confronted Ivan about his purchase of the BMW M5, she could not believe that he was actually serious about owning it and had taken on extra work to earn enough money to afford it. She was simply furious and screamed all sorts of things like 'toxic male', 'brute' and had even tried to slap Ivan. He had caught and twisted her arm, threatening her in a low voice, before releasing her. The argument continued, with Ivan calmly but firmly standing his ground on his purchase decision while Annette was hysterical.Finally, Annette had screamed that he could keep his stupid car, but it would be the last time he ever pulled something like this, or she would leave him and take Aaron with her. Aaron had felt fear for being separated from his father, and was confused why Annette was so angry about the car.
His confusion about Annette's anger over the car only grew and came to a climax the day after the delivery of the car when she had screamed in terror when Ivan had pushed the car to its full acceleration on the highway. At that moment, he felt pleasure over Annette's fear and happiness that Ivan was enjoying himself. He also felt guilt since it was his mother who he was happy to see scared, but he realized that this was something deep within him. Ever since that day, he had been trying to control and suppress his desire to see girls and women in fear. Drawing from his knowledge of movies and TV shows, he adopted a persona to hide his emotions. As he practiced his stoicism, he came to realize that he liked the way it made others feel uncomfortable around him, and he liked the feeling of control his ability to hide his emotions gave him.
After he had finished speaking, Aaron felt as if a massive weight had been lifted of his shoulders. Father Abel, came around his desk and laid a gentle, comforting hand on Aaron.
"I am sorry that you had to witness that fight Aaron. But do not worry. You are not alone. There are lots of people who have the same tendencies as you." he said gently.
"Thank you, Father Abel" sniffled Aaron, drying his tears. With several deep breaths, he stopped crying and returned to his Stoic self.
"Your use of stoicism to control those tendencies do you great credit. Another person would have resorted to thuggery or bullying to satiate those desires." said Father Abel, admiration clear in his voice. "Now on to the present problem that we have. BDSM, while it can be incorporated into everyday life, has very strong social and cultural stigmas. You obviously know that you can't just go around torturing and hurting people, so practitioners of BDSM have strict rules in place to ensure the safety and comfort of both the master and the servant" explained Father Abel.
"And what does this have to do with Ms. Kate and Ms. Mei Ling?" asked Aaron, back in his calculating and clipped demeanor.
"Well you see, Kate is what is known as a switch by people in the community. She is able to switch between being a master, or mistress in her case and being a servant, depending on the person or situation. You, my young Casanova, seem to bring out her servant side, along with a powerful attraction to you" said Father Abel.
"I'm flattered, but I find that hard to believe. Kate is beautiful and would definitely be able to find another handsome, adult master instead of me" said Aaron coldly.
Father Abel couldn't help but chuckle. "You're right, but your maturity and intelligence along with your natural charisma and command over your emotions and impulses make you a very formidable master. You naturally bring out the servant tendencies in her and Mei Ling. Yes, even Mei Ling realized last night that she wanted to submit to you and was attracted to you. Your age and intelligence has put them in quite the pickle" he explained.
Aaron mulled over this information. Then looked up at Father Abel. "I understand. I shall not attempt to contact them." he said firmly.
"They seem to think that that is for the best as well, since they are both so much older than you. However, you may still maintain a friendly relationship with both of them. No dating, kissing or any other shenanigans though" said Father Abel sternly.
Aaron nodded in acceptance. "Very well Father, I shall abide by your restrictions" he said.Father Abel sighed in relief. "Another word of caution Aaron. BDSM and BDSM relationships are not widely accepted, and from what I know of your parents, they will not be understanding or accepting of such a condition. I urge you to not openly discuss this with anyone" he said as a final warning.
"I understand Father Abel. I'll keep it to myself" said Aaron as he stood to leave.
Ivan sat nervously in Father Abel's office. Father Abel was not his usual friendly, welcoming self, but looked at Ivan sternly.
"It appears that young Aaron witnessed a very serious altercation between you and Mrs. Zakhrov three years ago regarding the purchase of your car. I want to hear your side of the story" said Father Abel, his eyes cold and hard.
Ivan swallowed nervously and began: "It all started around 5 years ago when Aaron was 8. We had discovered his aptitude for programming and his high intelligence and decided to homeschool him. Annette and I took breaks from our work in turns to teach him what we knew. During one of my breaks, Aaron asked me why we didn't have a car and took Uber everywhere. I explained that buying and owning a car was difficult on a teacher's salary. He offered to use his growing programming skills to work so that we could afford one. That offer, while sweet, also made me sick to my stomach. I explained to him that him working for us to afford something is against the law, and that we grown-ups will take care of it. To placate him, I told him that I was secretly saving up for a car that I always wanted to get, and I even showed him pictures of the BMW M5. I then told him that once he's 15 and allowed to work, he could start saving to buy his own car. At first, I thought that that would be the end of it, but the next day, Annette confronted me about telling him that I always wanted a BMW M5 and was saving for it. She was quite upset that Aaron had saved a picture of a Jaguar XJ220 on his computer. She had forced him to delete it and sternly told me that big, loud and fast cars were impractical, expensive, synonymous with toxic masculinity, and that if I really wanted a car, to buy something more ecologically sound and practical like a Tesla or a Prius."
Ivan paused, took a deep shuddering breath and continued: "Annette's statements and actions greatly offended me. I assured Aaron that it was alright to like fast cars and that Annette is wrong about them. Then, I decided to implement the plan I had shared with Aaron for real instead of just lying to placate him. I opened a new savings deposit account and took up code projects in addition to teaching to fund the car. It took two years of long, hard overtime. I shared what I was doing with Aaron and swore him to secrecy, telling him that the car will be a surprise for Annette. I believed that Annette, once she saw the car in person would warm to it. After all, it looks like a normal sedan. Once I confirmed the purchase and delivery, I took Aaron to the dealership. He was thrilled! He loved the sound of the engine, the whistle of the turbochargers, the sleek black look. We were both super excited to go home and see the look on Annette's face"
Ivan paused again, his face a mask of pain. He took a deep breath and resumed: "As soon as we pulled into the driveway I knew that I had made a terrible mistake. Annette was looking at the car and us with shock, and abject anger. She was very quiet during dinner, drinking wine straight out of a bottle. Fearing that Aaron would come under her fury, I sent him to bed early. I had no idea he hadn't fallen asleep. The argument was intense. Annette accused me of toxic male behavior. She couldn't believe that I had the gall to go behind her back and buy a sports car. I tried to explain that the BMW M5 was a car that I always wanted, that a sports car is not a symbol of toxic masculinity and that the BMW M5 was very safe and practical as a family car. She demanded that I either return or sell the car. I refused and told her that I had worked extremely hard to get it and I deserve it. I told her that Aaron has already seen the car, loves it, and understands how hard I worked to be able to get it, to take it away from us now will set a very bad example for him. She became hysterical and said that I was indoctrinating toxic male behavior in Aaron, she got physical and tried to slap me. I restrained her and told her in anger to never dare try to hit me again. She again demanded that I either sell the car or she would leave and take Aaron with her. I was shocked and angry that she would destroy our family like this over a car. I agreed, but told her in no uncertain terms that she was no longer my wife, and that I am staying only for Aaron's sake and that I don't love her anymore. Hearing that, she relented and said the car could stay, but this was the last time she would tolerate toxic male behavior"
Ivan stopped speaking, tears in his eyes. Father Abel placed a gentle, comforting hand on his. "What happened next?" he asked quietly.
"The next day, Annette was hungover and claimed to have no recollection of the previous night's fight. I decided that we should all go for a drive. Annette was disapproving and cold as we started, but she screamed in terror when we accelerated on the highway. I took a little pleasure in that to be honest." replied Ivan.
Father Abel sighed wearily. "Have you and Annette discussed your ideological differences?" he asked Ivan.
"Yes, there are things we don't see eye to eye on. Cars for one, along with high heels, dress codes, and more risqué outfits. Annette is a woman of strong convictions. They got even stronger when they introduced Diversity Equity and Inclusion training into her school curriculum. She believes that women have been systemically oppressed for generations and that we are only now slowly changing. She doesn't believe in dress codes, believes that high heels and other sexy clothes are symbols of oppression and misogyny, and absolutely hates performance vehicles." replied Ivan with a sigh.
"Alright, those are Annette's beliefs according to you. What about your convictions." asked Father Abel.
"I'm a simple man Father Abel. I believe in God and the Bible. I love my wife and son, and will do anything to keep them happy and safe, I'll admit that I've become more wary and weary with Annette though, I feel her brand of feminism is skewed towards a non-binary and potentially unhealthy perspective" said Ivan.
"I see. It appears that underestimating each other's convictions is what lead to this argument, and Aaron was caught in the crossfire." said Father Abel.
"What do we do now Father?" asked Ivan.
"Well for now, young Aaron has internalized that argument, and is using that stoicism of his to suppress his desires. That is not healthy in the long run, however recent events seem to have had a positive effect on him. I don't foresee any lasting consequences" said Father Abel as Ivan breathed a sigh of relief.
Annette found herself in Father Abel's office the day after Ivan's appointment with him. Unlike Ivan who was nervous, Annette was cool and collected. She looked at Father Abel with none of the warmth or concern that she had when he first met her. Father Abel for his part, retained his stern demeanor. "Has Mr. Zakhrov told you why I asked to meet with you separately Mrs. Zakhrov?" he asked her.
"He did. Something about Aaron witnessing a fight between us when he was 10" said Annette coldly, surveying Father Able with a touch of contempt. Her opinion of Father Abel was in tatters after she had seen his horrible big black and loud motorcycle, and realized that he was acquainted with that tramp Kate and was cousin to that horrible minx Mei Ling.
"More specifically, he witnessed the argument about the BMW M5" said Father Abel.
"Oh" said Annette, unsure of herself.
"What can you tell me about the altercation?" asked Father Abel.
"Um, I don't remember much of it. I had drunk quite a bit of wine, and I woke up the next morning with a splitting headache" said Annette.
Father Abel frowned at her, clearly not believing her story. "What? It's true! I don't remember much of the argument!" snapped Annette defensively.
"Alright Annette, tell me what you _do_ remember" said Father Abel coldly.
"Well I remember that Ivan had gone to work with Aaron, he had told me that he was going to show Aaron around at MIT. I had gotten back from work, and was getting dinner ready, when I heard this incredibly loud rumbling and whistling noise. I thought someone was joyriding outside on the street, so I opened the front door to tell them to scram. Instead, I find this massive, black monstrosity rumbling in the driveway with Ivan and Aaron happily waving to me from the inside! I was furious! When did Ivan get the money to afford that symbol of toxic masculinity? And how dare he take Aaron for a joyride in it! It was totally unacceptable that Ivan would spend all that money on some flashy sports car instead of putting it away for Aaron or even better, save it for old age! Anyway, I finished cooking dinner, cracked open my favorite wine and then confronted Ivan about it. I vaguely remember him saying that it was his car and he can do whatever he wants with it and that he'd hit me if I say anything else" finished Annette.
"I see" said Father Abel flipping through his notes. "'You can keep this excuse for toxic masculinity that you call a car, but I am leaving you, and taking Aaron and everything you have. Is that clear in that thick skull of yours you pathetic excuse for a man?' Does that ring any bells?" he asked her.
Annette squirmed uncomfortably in her chair. "I-I may have said something to that effect" she mumbled unable to meet Father Abel's eyes.
"Alright, tell me why you were so opposed to the car that you threatened divorce" asked Father Abel. He was growing less sympathetic to Annette by the minute.
Fire lit up in Annette's eyes. "It is big and loud! A clear representation of toxic masculinity! I almost die of embarrassment every time Ivan starts that horrible thing with its rumbling and whistling! It goes way too fast for me to ever be comfortable in it. I hate it! I hate it with every fiber of my being! If only Ivan would sell it without making a fuss!" she ranted.
"I see, do you remember what convinced you to stay with him then?" asked Father Abel.
"Well I think he did say he would sell it and cried that I was cruel for using Aaron against him, I suppose that made me feel a bit guilty" said Annette.
"'Fine. I will sell the car, but know this. You will no longer be my wife. I will be staying, only because of Aaron. You are nothing and nobody to me anymore. You dared to use our own son, our flesh and blood as a bargaining chip. I hate you with every fiber of my being. Enjoy the new status quo Ms. Petra' Petra is your maiden name correct?" asked Father Abel.
"Yes" said Annette, bewildered that Father Abel had such a detailed account of an argument that happened 3 years ago.
"Do you remember what you responded to that?" asked Father Abel.
"U-um I think I said Ivan could keep it?" ventured Annette.
"'Alright fine, you can keep that monstrosity but if I find out that you have gone behind my back and done something sexist and misogynistic like this again, then we are done. And I don't care if you hate me or not, you will set a good example for Aaron by doing whatever I say. Is that clear Ivan?' I believe that was what closed out the argument" said Father Abel looking sternly at Annette.
"What?" asked Annette defensively.
"Drop the amnesia act Annette! I know you remember everything from that night" growled Father Abel.
"I don't have to explain myself to you!" snapped Annette.
"Do you know or even care that Aaron witnessed that fight of yours and that it affected him so deeply that he still remembers it in vivid detail? Oh, and this is even better. He actually recorded most of it on his phone!" thundered Father Abel, his eyes boring into Annette.
"He did _what_? How dare he! I raised him better than to record people's private conversations!" shouted Annette unfazed by Father Abel's thunder.
Father Able sighed and rubbed his temples. He was shocked by Annette's cavalier attitude and lack of remorse. She truly believed she had won the argument and that she was _letting_ Ivan keep the car instead of being forced to accept it or risk losing Ivan's love and support. Even worse, she was more angry and worried that Aaron had recorded the fight instead of regretting that her 10-year-old child had heard her threaten to take him away from his father.
"Last question Annette, what are your views on feminism and men?" asked Father Abel wearily. He had felt that Ivan had been exaggerating during his interview, but now he felt that Ivan was actually downplaying it.
"Feminism is essential to modern society! I believe men have been able to get away and oppress women for far too long! In fact, I wanted a wife-led-marriage, but Ivan refused saying he wanted a degree of autonomy. And my misogynistic parents and in-laws refused to let me hyphenate! I should have dumped him then, but he was the best person I had met, and I had met a _lot_. Even still, I made it clear to him that I had the final say in everything. Oh, how I hate it when he defies me! He should know his place and just accept that women know better!" ranted Annette, confirming Father Abel's suspicion that Annette had much stronger convictions than Ivan had alluded to.
"Alright Annette, you can leave now. I think I have enough information to come up with a plan for Aaron to properly socialize" sighed Father Abel as Annette got up to leave.