Invited

Forty-Eight - Chevelle

Timber shook me awake gently. "Hey, it's time to go."

I sat up in bed slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Hmm?"

"It's time to go," he repeated in a whisper.

Lara was sleeping in bed next to me. The boys had all had a little guys' night in the living room. Pretty sure it was the first time Timber didn't tuck in next to me and Lara. I missed his presence, but I liked the extra space in the bed too. When I went out to the living room, still in my regular clothes from earlier, I saw Nathan laying on the floor watching a movie. My brother was thankfully passed out for the night, otherwise he'd be asking a lot of questions.

"Good luck," Nathan said quietly.

I gave him a thumbs up before boarding the balcony elevator. Luck was something I would need if I didn't want to completely lose it. Knowing how my hormones were going bonkers, I'd probably be crying the instant I saw Wicken appear on screen. Tears were only going to make it worse. He would either laugh at me, or get uncharacteristically sympathetic. I'd rather he laugh than give me pity.

"Have fun?" I asked, making an attempt at conversation to ease my nerves.

Timber nodded and pushed the button for the Roof. "We played games, watched some movies, hung out. Nothing big. Good distraction for all of us."

All I could do was offer up a weak smile. They shouldn't have been needing so many distractions in the first place. "Awesome."

"Relax," he said, poking me in the side.

I poked him back. "I am relaxed."

"Doesn't seem like it to me."

"Fine, at least give me credit for trying." I shook my head. "I don't know how you do it. Pretend like everything is fine when it's really in chaos."

He shrugged. "It's an instinctual skill I've picked up over the years. I'm applying it in new ways. The biggest thing I do is remember to breathe, and remember it will all pass. Back in the day when I was hit with paparazzi storms, I'd make notes about how far I had to walk in order to get inside, that sort of thing. Instead of thinking about how many steps I have to safety and privacy, I think about the things I need to do to get to the end of the day. Every day I remain functioning is a day I'm still surviving. Mom...she always told me..." He sighed.

"It's okay," I whispered.

"No," he said, shaking his head vigorously. "No, she always told me...it's easier to divide hard things into a list. And life is a long list waiting to be completed. Life is a hard thing to do. Any time I was nervous, scared, or overwhelmed by an event or whatever, I'd turn it into a list. Walk inside, smile, talk to these certain people, remember to drink something, and so on, so forth."

"Makes sense."

He gazed down at his hands. "It's working for the time being."

"Then that's what matters most of all."

Smiling, he offered me his arm to escort me off of the balcony. "I like to think so."

Not wanting to decline his friendship, I took his arm and let him walk me to the restaurant. Again, I noticed we were further away from Earth. The planet was in view even when it wasn't supposed to be. The large object making its way to murder everyone still left at home, was now larger. Still distant, but I could see it moving which was a huge contrast from before.

Patriarch was waiting for us at the entrance. He waved to a few final customers before walking us to the back. His office was much more neat and tidy. The pile of junk was missing. A few chairs were set up in front of a camera attached to a large screen.