Leroy Adkins is an underperformer. He barely graduated. He barely got a job, and he hardly socializes in his day-to-day life.
Zachary Turner has been sick for as long as he can remember, and as he grows older the crushing realization that he never...
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"Hey... how are you?"
Zachary wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but Leroy's voice sounded small—unsure. He seemed... nervous.
But that couldn't be, could it? Leroy wasn't mostly full of life and a little too forward. At least from the little Zachary had learned of him. So why did he seem shy about talking back? Maybe he was just sleepy? A bit tired maybe? Fuck if Zach knew. He wasn't the best at reading social cues from just voice. He only ever spoke to medical professionals, delivery people, and his sister on the phone for the most part.
"I'm doing okay," Zachary replied, folding his legs on the bed, and upsetting the cat that has taken refuge between them for the past hour or so.
Leroy laughed.
Zach raised a brow. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah, didn't sound like a very happy cat."
"I just folded my legs," Zachary said, sighing, as he reached out to per the feline that was bod sitting at the edge of the bed. "I was in the same position for over an hour."
"You're not supposed to move when cats sit on you."
"Who said that? The pet police?"
And just like the first time they spoke face to face, their first phone call was facilitated by talking about cats. It was a comfortable filler, where neither of them had to discuss what was bothering them too early or come off too strong when neither was sure of the lines of their friendship.
"Hey, I was wondering if you'd like to see a movie—not soon, just sometime in the future if you're up for it. I was thinking about it yesterday when we were talking about movies. I haven't been to a cinema in ages," Leroy said, making Zachary hum. He didn't have the best experience with cinemas. There were only a few spots for wheelchairs and getting in was a whole other task on its own. People talking all the time made it hard to focus, and everyone moving writing to go to the bathroom deeply annoyed him.
But.
He didn't think he would mind it very much if he went with Leroy.
"Sure, just let me know when," the older man said, feeling his insides curl with an emotion he didn't want to address now.
Their conversation pivoted to the books they were currently reading. Zachary was the bigger bookworm of the two, so he carried the conversation, going on about the series he'd just started listening to.
There was a knock on Zachary's door that made the man stop talking mid-sentence to look over at it.
"Who's there?" His sister—Avery—said, knocking on the door again. Zachary sighed, covering the receiver of his cell.
