Patience

Chapter 11 - Mmm What's Ya Name?

Only seconds later I can hear the creak of his front door opening and the slight wheeze of the wooden patio under his pacing feet. Thunder cracks up ahead as the forecasted storm starts to roll in, a warm breeze makes its way in through the bedroom window that faces the front of the house and ever so slowly, I make my way off the bed and toward the window, holding my breath as I try to tune into his conversation.

"Yeah... yeah, I got it, alright?" The fire behind his voice something I've never heard before, even in our many debates in class, there's always been something light about his demeanor but that's nowhere in sight now.

"You doing this now? I can't make it John, I'm busy." He pauses, listening to what's being said to him from the other side of the phone. 

Letting out a cruel chuckle, he continues. "I told you, I outlined what I'm willing to do for the job and that's not it... Well things change, yeah?"

I should not be listening in right now, now way, no how. It's not who I'm trying to be, I want to be better, but this is how you have to get your information sometimes, ya know? Especially when I have a closed off, guarded guy knowing almost everything about me when I know nothing about him. I'm guessing John is his dad. What kind of job does he have? Why the hell are they talking about work at midnight? So many questions that I shouldn't have because I shouldn't be listening in to people's private phone conversations. God Sage.

After a few more muffled sentences, I hear the same creak of the front door again and the footsteps leading him back toward the room. He makes his way back to the bed, my back to him as he jumps over me to settle on the far side.

"Sorry about that."

"So, it's none of my business but your window is open, and I may have heard a few things... seemed intense. Your conversations with your dad often like that?" he swears under his breath as I finish talking, his body tense next to me.

"It's complicated. I guess essentially, he works for this guy that's pretty rough, and I work for my dad so when things go wrong it filters down the food chain and it's the little guy's fault. The little guy being me."

"Sounds like a great time." I poke at him, trying to lighten the mood, trying to bring back the comfortableness of before.

Capturing my hand in his, he shakes his head and goes on. "It's like you said right? These are my cards, I just have to learn how to play with them, make the best of what I've got until I can make something new." With his eyes closed, he pauses, taking his time. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"We?" I question.

"Yeah, well you can't really go anywhere without me till we go get your car and I figured after our lecture we could take Tom to the park or something while we work on the paper?"

"Sure... if you don't mind putting up with him? We might not get all that much done though, you have to keep at least one eye on him at all times at the park." His hand is warm in mine, come to think about it he's warm all the time, or does that make me cold all the time? Either way it's nice, kind of better than nice.

"That's alright, he's a pretty cool little dude. It's full on for you though isn't it, how much energy he has?" The sound of the rain starts now, the heaviness of the drops hitting the ground outside, almost soothing.

"In the best way possible." I mumble and it's true. Tom is my baby brother, my best friend and a massive pain in the butt all at once and somehow, despite our struggles I wouldn't change a thing. I don't know what I would do without him, I imagine our relationship wouldn't be the same had our family situation been different, but I think this is better, we're closer, stronger, we understand each other better than anyone else.