Dots and Zeros [Completed]

24. Eugene

I'm tired. Physically tired. I'm laying on the bed in Andrea and Alexander's guest room. The covers are beneath me, and my limbs are spread over them. I look like a starfish.

Sam turns on the shower in the adjacent bathroom. I take this time to drag myself off the bed anyway to get changed into a pair of sweatpants I bought in New York. I keep my current hoodie on.

As I lay back down on my stomach on the bed, under the covers, I unlock my phone. With my elbows propping me up I check the text messages from my parents. Twelve from mom. One from mama.

I thought mom's many messages would be some sort of emergency situation. It isn't. She could've put it in three texts if she wasn't scared of commas and periods.

I reply to her questions of what I'm doing, and what it feels like to be a certified bad boy now that I've skipped a day of school to hang out with friends. I tell her I like it and would do it again in a heartbeat.

I go to the chat with mama. She simply asks me how I'm doing and if I could call her when I find the opportunity. She picks up her phone after two rings.

'Hello,' she says with a slightly static voice. 'Thank you for calling me.'

'Sure,' I say. 'How are you? Miss me yet?'

She laughs.

'Of course I have. I think mom missed you even more than I did. She might be going insane.'

'Yeah, I got like twelve messages from her.'

'Mom is a little swept up in her emotions.'

I smile to myself, and lay down on my side. The phone is between my cheek and the cool pillow.

'Not the first time that has happened,' I say.

'Exactly, so nothing to be worried about. I know what to say. And more importantly, what not to say.'

'Is she with you right now? I haven't heard her voice from the other side of the house yet, asking if it's me on the phone.'

'She's not home. She's doing groceries and getting pizza on the way back.'

'Pizza? We never eat pizza.'

'So? I bet you're not eating clean right now either.'

'Sure, but I didn't think you would kneel to the trans-fat and added sugar gods.'

'Well, you know. Every once in a while is fine. It won't kill you. Plus, like we said, mom is swept up in her emotions. It'll do her good.'

I sigh loudly.

'I heard that,' mama sighs.