Raise The Bar

chapter nine

- Adrian -

"Okay, you go now, Addy your brother has to go."

"I'll call again tomorrow Addy, say hi to your siblings for me."

"Fine, but bring back Dylan's Candy Bar when you come to visit. Promise please!"

"I promise, bye." Ending the call I see the time is already in the evening and I've been sitting on this bridge for too long.

My life's been nothing but fucking misery for the past few months since my Dad's appearance and diagnosis.

I hang my feet off of the bridge staring down at what I assume to be ice-cold water christened by the harsh fall weather of the Midwest.

I think back to that evening where I kissed Genevieve and how much I want to do it again. Her lips around mine under the stormed sky in the midst of snowflakes falling around us.

meet U in ten? My phone beeps with a message from Devontae.

be there in a few, I reply.

Grabbing my helmet I hop on my bike.

"Took you long enough?" Devontae asks shoving a water bottle my way.

I take a chug while walking into the store.

"Boring but the view from the bridge will get worse with all the construction soon."

Shitty real estate developers want to knock down this building where over forty people live to make room for their development. Protests have been filling up the streets and it's been killing me seeing all these families being displaced.

I'm getting bored but Devontae keeps handing me different shirts to pair with different pants and it makes me realize I could give less of a shit about shopping.

Devontae turns to me with a white blazer splattered with ugly-looking paint as if someone made it and passed it off as 'designer.'

"Who the fuck would pay $400 for this piece of shit?" I wouldn't even want that if it was free and that's saying something since I'm not exactly Bill Gate's son.

"I forgot I also wanted to ask if you wanna come to Mom's place in Detroit over Thanksgiving Break again." Devontae invites me to his family's place every year since he drives there and it's cheaper than the alternative.

His family always treats me like their own unlike how I usually feel like a burden.

Mom takes the kids to her parents since it's the only time of the year they can see them but I like to stay closer to home so I can practice. They live in Buffalo, New York. Thanksgiving break is only a few days away from the beginning of basketball season.

My mother is an absolute saint to drive eight and a half hours with five kids alone. She drives four hours and then stays at a motel overnight and then another four hours the next day.

Nonna and Nonno used to make the trip themselves but in recent years it's proven harder for them to travel.

"Thanks, man I'd love to." Devontae's more like a brother to me than a friend.

Most of our families live far apart and some of us are on loose terms with them but we're always going to brothers.

- Genevieve -

"Should we rob a bank?" Mads seriously asks me.

"I'll drive the getaway car."

Mads and I are going through our rent and electric bill for this month looking at how tight everything is since she had to find a new job and my hours were cut down at the book store.