Dots and Zeros [Completed]

36. Eugene

I open my eyes, and it's still dark in my room. The sun hasn't come up yet, and the clock on my nightstand says it's just past midnight. Why am I awake? Why is my body doing this to me without reason?

It's only after I sit up in bed I notice my phone's lit screen on my desk. Its soft vibrations tell me someone's calling me.

I stumble out of bed, and walk to my desk. Sam is calling me. They never call me. We only call after we text about it. Strange.

'Is this important?' I ask directly after picking up the phone.

'Hi to you too,' they say from the other side.

'Hi.'

'My dad is here.'

I pause to process what they just said.

'What?' I say.

'Yeah. He's here. In the spare bedroom.'

'How did that happen?'

'Well, me and Andrea talked on the phone a couple of times after we got home. Apparently she and Alex told what happened to dad. He decided to pay us a visit.'

'That's... awesome. And unexpected. That must be so weird.'

I walk back to my bed. I sit down and lean my back and head against the wall. I pull the covers over my legs. I don't turn on a light.

'I'm so happy for you,' I say. 'So what's he like?'

'He's also a painter. You paint a little, right?'

'I do. Not as much as I used to, but yes. Every now and then.'

'I'm sure you've heard of Julian Mosse then.'

'I have. Are you saying what I think you're saying?'

'I might be,' they chuckle. 'He's my dad.'

'That's insane. That's where your talent comes from, then.'

It sounds like they're under the covers as well, shifting to lay in another position.

'It wasn't from my mom, that's for sure,' they say. 'I already assumed it must've been from my dad. And don't forget a large part is skill, too. I worked hard on it.'

I let out a laugh. When I speak again, I see a light turn on in the hallway. Its light shines through the gap under my bedroom door.

'How long is he staying?' I ask.

'I'm not sure,' Sam says as my door slowly opens.