The Walter Boys Assistant

Chapter 32: The Alex Effect

You have had the entirety of today to unpack and arrange your bedroom the way you would like it. This entailed sliding the furniture all around to see what looked the best. It's like a gigantic game of Tetris. However, you come to like the final arrangement of everything, and it's the perfect time to call it a day.

You check your phone, finding it to be five PM, and notice two unread messages in the family group-chat. You open the chat up, reading the message from your mom first, and then your dad's. It turns out, they both will be working late and feel terrible having to leave you home alone even longer.

You send them a simple reply, "No worries! See you guys tonight."

Loosening a deep sigh, you end up wandering into the kitchen. Now, there's a newfound appreciation for your dad taking the initiative to unpack the kitchen supplies first thing yesterday morning. All you have to do is find something to eat and relax for the remainder of the evening.

Scavenging through the cupboards and fridge, you discover there isn't much. The majority of the kitchen includes odds and ends, nothing much that will go together as a decent meal. Unless you consider graham crackers and Cheetos as an acceptable option.

After aimlessly looking around for a while, you end up appointing a bag of popcorn worthy for dinner. It wasn't the best meal you've ever had, but certainly wasn't the worst either. It doesn't take much work to prepare, and right now, all you want to do is sink into the sofa cushions. A whole day of arranging a bedroom alone calls for a do-nothing evening.

As soon as the microwave goes off, you pour the delicious smelling popcorn into a large bowl. A soda in one hand, and the bowl in the other, you saunter into the living room and plop onto the couch.

One thing that has yet to change, is your inability to be anywhere alone and in silence. You hate when there's absolute stillness with nobody around, and after living so long with a large family, the quiet has grown more irritable. To resolve this, you seek out a movie to put on during your meal.

~~~~~

The doorbell startles you awake. Careening upright sends the TV remote falling to the ground. You curse under your breath, fumbling around for it, still half asleep. As soon as it's found, you pause 13 Going On 30. It's near the end, and the frame is caught on Jennifer Garner's character, Jenna, holding her childhood dollhouse, declaring her love to her best friend.

As you head for the door, your guest resorts to knocking. Apparently, you are taking far too long to answer and they are growing impatient.

"Hold on! I'll be right there!" With a quick pace, you maneuver around the random boxes scattered around the hallway. It's an ordeal getting to the front of the house, but you eventually make it.

Before you open the door, curiosity has you wondering who could be visiting. Your family just moved in this weekend and not many people knew. It left a small list of possible candidates for you to guess. Instead of doing so, you open the door to discover who is waiting. You pause as your eyes fall upon Alex.

"Hey, Alex. What are you doing here?" You swing the door open wide and forward. The only reason you could think of to explain his surprise appearance is that you left something back at the house. You can't think of anything missing from unpacking everything earlier, though.

"Hey, umm, I'm sorry to come unannounced, I just... Can we talk?" He clears his throat. For whatever reason, Alex is flustered.

Peering around him, it's easy to spot his bike laying in the driveway. The wheels are still whirring around and around. Alex must have been in a hurry in order to drop it down and rush to the house. That would explain why he is out of breath and at a loss for words.