𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆 ❤︎ 𝑻𝒐𝒎 𝑲𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒛

𝐈𝐈𝐈

We only had to walk past 2 houses to get to mine. We walked down the path and I opened the door. We were met with my mom sweeping right in front of us.

'Oh Tom! How lovely to see you!' She said bringing him into a hug. Poor Tom was in my moms shoulder. Not on. In.

'Mom let him breath.' I said embarrassed.

'Oh sorry.' She said pulling out.

'He's come to help us.' I told her.

'She didn't force you did she?' She asked, 'You can go home, she's more than capable of doing it herself.'

'No it's ok Mrs Laurent, I offered to help.' He replied to her smiling.

'Oh well thanks Tom. But it's actually Miss Meyer now. Did Maddy not tell you yet.' She said turning to look at me, causing Tom to copy her action.

'He doesn't need to know what happened between you two mom.' I said in English, hoping Tom didn't understand.

'Ok, ok.' She replied picking up a can from the floor next to her. I read the can to see what she was drinking. Beer. They were the words on the side of the bottle.

I looked at the clock that we had left on the wall since we last came here. 'Mom it's only six thirty don't you think it's a bit to early for that.' I said continuing in English.

'Never to early. Plus it gives me the energy I need.'

'Right mom. Where's Nathan by the way?' I asked. Nathan was my little brother, just recently turned 3.

'He's in his room playing.' She replied converting back to German.

'K. Follow me Tom.' I said heading for the stairs.

He followed behind me and spoke up while we we're going upstairs.

'I understand English you know.' He said. In English.

I stopped and turned around. 'Oh. Uh. since when?'

'Since a few years ago.' He continued.

'Ugh." I sighed. 'I'm so sorry you had to hear that.' I continued going up the stairs, translating back to German

'Don't be sorry. It good for me because now you get to tell me what happened.'

'Nope. Not happening.' I said going into Nathan's room. I turned my head it look at the little boy playing with his dinosaurs on his carpet.

'Maddy!' Nathan said holding his hands up in the air. Nathan couldn't speak German since he'd only been here once and that was when he was 9 months old.

'Hi baby.' I said picking him up and kissing him on the cheek.

'Who's that?' He asked pointing to Tom.

'That's Tom. You won't remember him, but he will remember you.'

'Tom.' Nathan mumbled. Tom smiled.

Nathan than held out his arms

'He wants you to hold him.' I said passing him to Tom.

'But I don't how to hold a ba-' I cut him of with a Nathan in his hands.

'Mhm . But your doing it right now.' I said while he adjusted Nathan in his arms.

I went out Nathan's room and walked into my room. In there was a bed, a closet and a vanity. But it's was covered in dust.

'This is your room?' Tom asked.

'Mhm. Is it not obvious I don't think my mum eats my favourite candy.' I said pointing to the empty packet of Katjes that was left on my floor.

'Nathan. I'll go get your box of toys and you can go play. Ok?' He nodded.

'I'll be back.' I said to Tom, going out my room and heading downstairs.

As I went to the kitchen, where Nathan's toy box was, I see 2 empty bottles of beer. Ever since my mom and dad split up, she became an alcoholic. Non stop drinking every evening.

I picked up Nathan's box and took up a box of mine, as well as putting my guitar on my back. I wasn't that good at guitar, it was only something I started doing because my dad gave me his 2 'old' ones before he left. And when I say old, I mean the brand new really expensive one that he didn't use.

I put a box in Nathan's room. 'Nathan come!' I shouted.

'Come unpack your toys.' I told him as he came in and I went out.

'Does your brother not speak German?' Tom questioned as I walked back in my room.

'No. My dad spoke English and French and since my mom was still trying to learn English, she spoke it around the house so she could get better at it. So he never learnt it.' I asked, settling the box down on my floor. 'I'm gonna try speak to him in German more though otherwise he won't be fluent for when he starts school next year.'

'Talking about school. Which school are you going to now that your back?' He asked.

'The one down the street I forgot what it's called.'

'Really?'

'Yeah.'

'That's good! Me, Bill, Georg and Gustav all go to that school. We'll show you around.'

'Thanks I hate being alone at school.'

'No problem.' He said standing up, 'So what can I do?'

'Um you can put my bedsheets in the wash. It's in the room next t-'

'Next to Nathan's room I remember.' He said interrupting me.

'Aight if you know it all go do it then.'

'K, but you owe me after this.'

'Whatever ever Tom. You offered. Offering gets no favour in return.'

I unpacked the box that was full of cleaning supplies. I cleaned my vanity and cleaned the mirror above it. All while Tom undid the bed and put in in the wash. I then went downstairs and got the vacuum so that I could vacuum the carpet in my room. I asked Tom if he could bring all the boxes from downstairs that had my name on them. I then unpacked my clothes and put them into my wardrobe while Tom helped Nathan clean his room.

I put all my makeup in my vanity drawers and all my jewellery in a jewellery box. I then went to put my bedsheets in the dryer and after I put all my posters up on my wall. One was Aaliyah, another one was Tupac, then I had an Eminem one, a Rihanna one, Christina Aguilera, Ashanti and Nirvana. They were all my favourite music artists. And one last thing I had to to was hang my guitar on the wall. I had a fully white guitar that went well with my room.

'Hey do you know where the- woah.' Tom started, barging into my room until something caught his eye. It was my guitar that I'd just successfully hung on the wall. He walked towards it to get a closer look.

'Shit that's like the newest model. How did you-'

'My dad had them. He gave them to me.'

'What just like that? These are like expensive as shit.'

'I've got 2.' I said causing him to freeze. 'You want it?'

'Is that even a question? Fuck yeah!' I started to walk out my room heading downstairs, Tom following behind me.

'Wait.' He said stopping, causing me to turn around. 'What colour is it?'

'Black.'

'YES! That's like my favourite colour!'

'Ok! We get it, blacks your favourite colour. I don't think the neighbours need to hear that to.' I said picking up the guitar case.

'Here. Go plug it upstairs and try.'

'Thank you, thank you, thank you!' He replied running upstairs, like a child causing me run after him.

____

pretty pointless chapter ig but it's mainly for them to have a bond really.

have a great rest of your day/night 🤍

luv yaaa