The Neighbor Next Door

reconciliation

MePhone left very early in the morning. As much as he didn't want to, he had to make sure he was home again before 3gs returned. MePhone was so thankful to OJ for everything, but he couldn't understand. Maybe he'd be able to explain stuff eventually, but he wasn't going to do that until he knew he was ready. With this massive wrench in his progress though, he definitely wasn't. He sent a text OJ's way, a simple thanks, and 'heading back home', so OJ wouldn't get worried once he woke up to his house being empty.

MePhone just sighed. His living room was already still clean from when OJ came over earlier this week, so at least he didn't need to do that. He was honestly glad he felt numb today. That he had cried it all out last night, and now he wouldn't let his stupid feelings get in the way of having to interact with his brother. He hated how his hands still trembled though. A sign of fear-- of weakness. One he couldn't simply hide, or ignore. A sign he'd just have to hope his brother didn't notice when he arrived. Which raised the question of when he was coming back in the first place.

Some part of him really did hope that last night had been some vivid dream. That it had ended after OJ left, and he had just fallen asleep, and imagined all of that happening. That would make it less humiliating to him that he sobbed his emotions out in his neighbors bathroom. That he called him and vented at all. But he was sure it happened. He had seen the call message, so it had to have been real. Which sucked, but he couldn't change things. Not things like this. He really did feel like he was back right where he started the moment he realized his brother was at his door last night. It felt so unfair. Especially with all the news of his dad being sick, too. He didn't want to be thinking this much about family anymore. But here it was, staring him down.

He just felt so small again. Like a child again, really, but not in that fun nostalgic kind of way. A helpless way, really. The kind of kid he was when he was so alone, and scared, and confused. The kid just wanted things to go back to normal. The kid who just wanted to be loved, and cared for.

That thought made him feel sick to his mechanical stomach. He shut his eyes tight as he sat down on the couch, trying so hard to shove it all down, he had to. He had to keep it all in, and be civil, and just take it, whatever his brother was going to say to him. He just needed to brace being yelled at again. To hear him say he hated him, and get it over with, and tell him that dad doesn't live here anymore, so 3gs will never have to deal with him if he wanted to visit dad instead.

MePhone let out a shaky sigh, once again focusing on his hands. Hands that wouldn't stop shaking no matter how calm he was trying to pretend to be. He jolted as the cat sprinted out from the hallway, lunging under the coffee table.

"S... sorry for ditching you last night," MePhone frowned, realizing he had left the cat alone in here. He felt awful for that, getting up to let it out, hoping it could forgive him for being so thoughtless.

It was another three hours. Around noon, when there was another knock on the door. MePhone jolted again at this, not feeling ready. He was just so scared, but he had to get this over with. He answered the door with a forced smile.

"Hey."

"Oh, you answered this time, that's good, can I actually come in now?"

"Y-- yeah," MePhone shrunk in a bit on himself at that remark, stepping aside to give room for the other to enter. He closed the door slowly, trying so hard to stall as long as he could, before turning to look at his brother. MePhone had been too scrambled last night to really process what all was different about him, but he really did just look so much older. He had a large scar across his face, and a walking cane. MePhone didn't dare to ask, knowing surely he'd get scolded. He just kept an eye on 3gs, who looked around, as if he were trying to figure out the differences between now, and when he lived here. Really, nothing was different. Just a new coffee table, having been broken in one of Cobs many fits of rage so many years ago, and a new TV, replaced solely at some point because it was old.