Langour ・❥・Joost Klein・❥・

21.

Teun drove Fenne and Hanna from Zwoelle to Joost's house. His forest green pigeot waited at the station and Fenne sat in the passenger seat, while Hanna threw herself in the back. The man was able to give a friendly greeting before he pulled the car out of its spot to head for Leeuwarden.

While on the motorway, Fenne looked over at Teun while knawing at her lip. She had spent the past forty-five minutes tearing her brain apart for any mention of today's date. She convinced herself that Joost had said the 8th of April at some point, but she had been too skittish to remember.

'How's he doing?' Fenne asked, cringing at the cliche question.

'He came down to grab something to eat before I left but he didn't say much.'

'Is that unusual?' Hanna's head appeared in between them from the backseat.

'Well, not really...' Teun shrugged before sighing. 'Look, we're just a little worried about him. Stunts, Appie and I went over to play FIFA, and Joost never came down. We thought he would want to do something that we normally did since he always insists it just another one day to him. But today, Joost just... seemed off.'

'I feel awful. We've been out looking at places all morning and I haven't checked my phone all day.'

Taking his eyes off the road, Teun couldn't see Fenne's face while it was buried in her palms. He exchanged a grimace with Hanna who then retreated into the backseat. They weren't far from Joost's house but Teun was doubting if he had made the right decision.

He didn't want to cause Fenne to panic. He called her after a short conversation with Stuntje and Apson, who both agreed that Joost was acting different. Of course, the trio of men weren't sure how to address the possibility that their friend could be having a bad day. So, Stuntje suggested bringing the one person they knew Joost would be ecstatic to see regardless of what day it was.

But when Teun heard Fenne's panic through the phone, he had suspicions that he and the guys had blown the situation out of proportion.

Fenne sat with her phone in her lap and her forehead lined with wrinkles. She was expecting to walk into the house and see it ravaged by an inconsolable Joost. However, Apson and Stuntje were going to try and get Joost playing some FIFA to cheer him up before Teun surprised him with his girlfriend.

If anything, Joost probably needed some alone time. Teun knew it must be difficult to spend a decade without both parents, and here he was, driving more people to Joost's house on the anniversary of his parents' passing.

'Hey, don't feel bad. It will be a nice surprise for him to see you... I hope...'

Fenne peered out from her palms and held back the urge to question Teun's sudden uncertainty. If she wasn't so anxious, Fenne would have asked more about what usually happened on April the 8th. Ten years was certainly a tragic milestone, but when Teun mentioned playing FIFA to cheer Joost up, Fenne couldn't help but doubt the severity of the situation.

They pulled in to the driveway that was filled with three other parked cars. Fenne forced herself to take it slow and waited for Teun open the front door. She heard Hanna trailing behind her, delighted to see Apson's car being one of the many in the driveway.

The sound of a football crowd confirmed Teun's explanation of playing FIFA. Fenne stepped into the living room and saw Stuntje and Apson in the midst of a game. They only noticed her arrival when Teun put his keys on the console table, making them pause and turn to the hallway.

'Hanna! I didn't know you were coming,' Apson put his controller down and got up from the sofa. It took mere seconds for him to make it across the living room and peck Hanna's lips.