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"Éblouie par la nuit a coup de lumière mortelle. A-t-il aimé la vie ou la regarder juste passer ?"
Zaz_French Singer
Ethan
When I come back home after driving Norabel to uni, I immediately start packing. It's a task I've put off this entire week. Because on Monday I'll go back to work, tomorrow I have to return to my apartment in Delmas because Radio Douvanjou is located in the same commune.
Part of me wants to stay in Mom's house. I've yet to accept the fact that I won't share the same roof as Norabel anymore. It wouldn't be reasonable for me to stay here, especially since her mother is coming back from Arcahaie today. Norabel and I are incapable of cohabitation with our mothers when neither of us can keep our hands to ourselves.
I wanted to talk to Norabel about me leaving this morning but she seemed so happy that I couldn't bring myself to mention it. I'll probably tell her later when she comes home. We also need to talk about announcing to her mother that we're dating.
I'm in the middle of folding clothes in a suitcase when my phone rings on the bed. The contact name says, Doc Bertrand. My hand almost reaches to pick it up. Now there's no doubt in my mind that my cardiologist has something important to say or he wouldn't be calling two days in a row. Yesterday as Norabel and I drove back from our picnic she saw me ignore his call.
I try to decide if I can handle whatever it is he has to say to me. I am so close now to that promotion that I can't afford to be distracted by anything else especially if it's bad news. I'll return his call on Monday after I'm done with work.
An hour later, I received an unexpected visit from my best friend who brought his Xbox with him.
"You're such a lucky bastard," Kadrick tells me after I beat him for the fourth time in a row at the zombie apocalypse game that he bought recently.
"You just have a terrible aim, plus you're distracted."
He tosses the controller on the bed and grabs a bag of snacks. I know my best friend enough to have noticed that something was wrong the moment he showed up unannounced with his X-box and a tall brown paper bag full of junk food. The shadow of whatever he came to tell me hung by his side.
"Are you finally going to tell me what's going on?" I ask as I begin a new round by myself.
"I came here to run away from my problems Ethan not to talk about them. I also missed your mother's cooking."
It's typical of Kadrick to try to avoid any topic related to his father. Most of the time I think he feels guilty complaining about his dad because I've lost mine. If I don't push him, he's not going to open up.
"Is this about your old man?"
For a moment there's only the crunchy noise of chips and the growls of zombies running after my character on the flat screen. Before I have to repeat myself Kadrick answers half-heartedly.