Growing Pains

Chapter 67 - You're not someone people forget

I S A A C

We were in Eddie's room, studying in bed, the last of the day's sunlight coming in through the window, making everything warm, and bright, and nice, when Jacob called his phone. I was sitting across from him, my legs on top of his, trying to make sense of the words on my textbook, and failing, again, and again, but I stopped to look at him.

"I should probably pick up," he said, touching the back of his neck, the way he always did when he didn't know what else to do. The heat of the day had forced him to roll up the sleeves of his sweatshirt and I could see the veins in his arm pushing against his skin.

I said, "You should."

He did. I looked back at my textbook, and tried some more.

Eddie said, "Hi."

On the other side, so did Jacob. I wasn't going to listen to their conversation, but it was hard not to. I could hear Jacob's voice like he was in the room next door.

He was saying, "I'm sorry it took me so long to call you back. I've been in bed for the past few days."

"Oh," Eddie said. "Are you sick?"

"Yeah," he said. "Stomach bug."

"Sorry to hear that."

"I saw you got offered a scholarship."

Eddie had signed a contract to play for a prestigious college out of state. We had gone out for food to celebrate. He had posted it on social media. Jacob must have seen it.

"Congratulations," he said. "You must be really fucking happy."

"Yeah, I am," Eddie said. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Have you heard from any colleges?"

"No," he said. "And I don't think I will to be honest."

"Why not? There's still time. I don't think a stomach bug is –"

"Maybe, I don't know," he stopped him. "At this point, I don't even know if I'm going to finish high school."

"I don't understand, you –"

"Well, it's not easy being the disappointment of the family, but someone's gotta do it." There was silence for a while, then Jacob said, "So you and Isaac..."

I looked at Eddie, saw him turn red, his hand still on his neck, "Yeah."

"I had no idea." Right. "I'm really sorry if I ever made you feel uncomfortable about it. I was just trying to be funny. I'm really happy for you."

Eddie looked at the wall where he had put up a picture of us, and said, "Thank you."

"Yeah, well, you deserve it," Jacob said. "I gotta go but thanks for checking up on me."

"When do you think you're coming back to school?"

"I don't know. When I get rid of this thing, I guess."

"Right, the stomach bug," Eddie said. "If you need anything, just –"

"Thanks," Jacob cut him off. "I really gotta go though."

"Of course, yeah." He hung up before Eddie could say anything else. I was still looking at him when he turned to me, and said, "I know you don't like him."

I shook my head, "I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to." He smiled, leaning back against the headboard of his bed, a hickey on his neck from a few days ago, "You think I'm being an idiot."