Anything Two: Get Through

Sit in Silence

Titled 'Signs of Abuse' and dated mid-January, between the night of their first meal together and Valentine's day when Seth confronted him, the bullets list everything from physical and financial control to several forms of manipulation, to reaction times and carefully constructed excuses for putting up with it, excuses Stefon has definitely used.

~

Stefon's mom is nothing like Seth imagined. It's easy to understand why he seems to sober up upon sight. This woman looks like she just got back from complaining to a manager for a discount at a store she doesn't even shop at for something she's not buying. He motions to Seth to give him a minute and then disappears just beyond the door.

Looking at Stefon's family, it is really hard to believe he is one of their own. A 30-something-year-old man dressed like a teenage emo disaster, Stefon looks like he never really grew up next to his brother or under the care of the woman he once referred to as "Ms. Stefon". He looks like a fever dream you have the night after you dream of the fame and fortune his brother is after, maybe after a particularly bad trip.

Seth looks between the food on the table and the door that the new party is talking behind animatedly. He hopes it doesn't disrupt the neighbors, can't help but wonder what's going on. Yet he wonders if it's worth the fight to abandon the food he doesn't want in favor of a conversation he is not a part of. He resigns to the table and continues to pick from his plate.

Maybe he's really not that hungry, or maybe he's too focused on the bits and pieces he's picking up from the hallway.

You can't just barge in like you own the place!

Well you're not very good at it.

I shouldn't have to put up with this.

Nothing makes sense. It sounds like the topic keeps changing and returning, yoyo-ing around and becoming knotted and tangled as everyone attempts to talk over everyone else. Seth sees the distraction as an opportunity to rid himself of his food. Careful to cover everything, he tosses a paper towel over the food and rinses his plate in the sink. He feels like a child again, hiding his food from the top of the can so he can still have a snack later.

Before shuffling off to his room, he realizes that the voices in the hallway are quickly getting louder. He pokes his head out the door.

"Hey!" Everyone stops to look at him. "Sorry to interrupt, but you really need to take this elsewhere before the neighbors call someone. Is everything okay?"

Stefon crosses his arms and gives Seth an annoyed glare. "Everything is fine. Give me a minute."

Seth bites his lip. "Alright. Just...lower the volume, please."

His intentions are good. Stefon knows that, he's sure. Plus, this gives him a chance to get out of whatever that was turning into. From his bedroom, while he's rummaging through a stack of bills for his car insurance, he hears the door open and close, followed by a grumble and feet getting closer.

Stefon leans against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He tilts his head against the wall and closes his eyes and just breathes for a minute. As soon as Seth finds what he's looking for, he abandons the rest of the stack and looks at Stefon. "Want to take a ride to the post office?"

"We've already been there today," Stefon points out without opening his eyes.

"I know, but I forgot to send something out and if I don't, that's a late payment that goes straight to my credit. And then I'll get stressed and keep forgetting about it and then we lose the car, and if we lose the car we have to take a cab to work everyday which will slowly but surely deplete every bit of money we have, and then we don't have food or rent so we starve and we're homeless, and-"