Running On Caffeine Not Adrenaline

Chapter 1

TW: Pills

Tommy popped a pill in his mouth and took a swig of coffee to wash it down. He grabbed his coat from a lamp that was not plugged in and his keys in the bowl-shaped lamp shade. He left his apartment, locking it as he does not glance around paranoid. He walks on the path connecting all the apartment buildings. His being more vacant than the others. His blonde locks get in his eyes as a gust of wind comes through, it reminds him of when he had to call the police because people wanted a night to stay. This was no hotel, and he checks each vacant apartment in his building. He has the key to each door; Sam suggested it after he started cleaning them for Sam. Tommy remembers watching his rent go down, he knew why, and it never bothered him. He thought it was fair. Despite being in the less rich side of town, the buildings looked great, as if they had not aged a day.

To him it felt like home. It is his home. If he we are honest and not afraid to lower his walls he would tell you, "My landlord Sam? He's awesome, best guy I have ever met. He is kinda like a father you just need." Of course, to Tommy he is like a father to the young teenager.

He walked to Sam's, the landlord's office. He softly knocks before opening the door. A man looked up, a light grassy green for hair, mahogany brown eyes, freckled face, and elf like ears. With an amused smile he spoke, "Work?" Tommy nods but freezes. He'd completely forgotten, "Today's Thursday, right?" He watched the landlord check his computer and nod. "I don't work today they changed my schedule!" The routine teenager let a groan jump from his throat. "Damnit." His routine had to change a bit, not that he minds. He never liked Thursdays anyway. Still, he hated it when it happened unannounced. His therapist figured it was a type of OCD and could be autistic, but he didn't like talking about it due to most of his co-workers thinking he was autistic in the first place.

Sam just smiled with a small shake of his head. "What will you plan to do since it's your day off?" When he said that, Tommy knew, he knew it's an invitation to hang out with him all day, except when he'd have to go to therapy. "Bothering you until I go sounds like fun." His grin is stupid, no doubt about it. "I could use a hand around with some plumbing." He picked up a toolbox. "I've fixed a few pipes before." He skips the part where it'd be the most concerning way possible, and they somehow didn't explode. "Then c'mon. Got a few residences complaining up my ass." The two took off. Such father and son bonding.

...

Sam and Tommy finished being plumbers. The two headed out for lunch. With a civil discussion and totally Tommy not threatening to stop visiting Sam, they would walk. He thinks it has to do with his PTSD or undiagnosed anxiety that his therapist is saying he has but he's ignoring it. But he hates riding in cars.
"Why couldn't I drive us?" Sam looked like he was about to complain about his legs hurting. "I get too anxious in cars. Being in the system n'shit." Tommy spoke with his hand weirdly. He simply sugar coated the truth. "Oh? Like car wrecks or going places?" The teenager gave the adult a sour, unpleasant face. "Sorry, that was personal." He had a small nod that was barely noticeable. "I don't want fast food. Papi's Tacos, Strip Mine, Captains Fest, oh and there is a new restaurant called Las Nevadas." "Captains Fest? Never heard of that place." You'd think a kid who works in a heavily foot traffic place would hear of such a place. He typed the address on his phone and found a shortcut to the place. "Then let's- ""This way." Tommy started heading towards a different sidewalk than Sam. "What? But that's the wrong way." He questioned the guidance of a teenager. "Shortcut."

...

They reach Captains Fest a lot quicker than Sam was expecting. "That- how?" He stumbled over words at they went inside the establishment. "Tommy! Sam? What a wonderful surprise." A woman with fluffy white and brown hair came up to the pair. She had a button up shirt and black dress pants. "You two know each other?" The two nod. "Yeah, how is the mechanic shop Sam?" The teenager had to halt. "Woah, what. You run a mechanic shop? But you're a landlord- "He frowned a bit that he had not been trusted to know the information. "You're a landlord?" The woman seemed to be clueless. "How do you know Puffy?" "She's my old therapist but I take it she runs this place too..." His frown just got bigger. "Whatever. I'm hungry, so no more chit chat." The two adults turn to him silently asking, 'were skipping past that right now?'

Tommy ended up eating with his two friend that so happened to be adults and his parental figures. He thought he would cry; it was overwhelming to have them both with him and have them know each other. "Tommy are you okay?" Puffy leaned on the table with her elbows. "Yeah." His voice cracked as he looked up, his eyes glossed over with tears. "Are you sure? You look like your about to cry." Puffy couldn't be farther from the truth. But he wasn't going to admit that.
They finish lunch and Puffy refused to let Sam or him pay. "Puffy, I got the money! Like I do. I may be fifteen but that doesn't mean I don't have cash. I won't go hungry!" She declined again. "Stop being a stubborn bitch and take my money." He straight up threw money in her face. Forty dollars, more than enough to cover his and Sam's bill. "Tommy- "" No! Keep it. I have to go. Don't mail the money to me or I will shove a spoon down your throat." Tommy's threats had always been violent (and a bit weird), but he left without another word from her. "Stubborn as always." Puffy groaned and looked at the money. "Trust the kid Puffy." Sam patted her on the back.

...To be Continued