No End

The Most Awkward Night of My Life

We stared at each other saying nothing for almost a whole minute. Then he blurted out, "so do you get bullied a lot or something?"

I was slightly daydreaming so I didn't hear him until he coughed. "Huh? What?" I stared stupidly at him, confused.

"Do you get bullied?"

A knot started to form in my stomach and my throat dried up. I started to cough uncontrollably. "What? Of *cough cough* of course no- *cough* -not. What makes *cough* you say that? *cough cough*"

He looked at me for a second then turned his eyes from me and shrugged. "Never mind. I was just curious."

We didn't talk for awhile after that. It was really awkward. Luckily my mom came back before the silence became unbearable.

We were sitting quietly on my bed, wanting to talk but at the same time not wanting to make it even more awkward, when I heard the front door open and my mom laughing to herself. She was probably on the phone with someone. I wouldn't know though because she had ended the conversation before coming up to my room. I immediately straightened my posture since my mom always yells at me for slouching. When she came in she had a giant smile on her face, which honestly scared me, it was so big.

"Chaaaaaaad!" She said my name in a singing way. I don't know how else to explain it besides that. "Breeeendaaaaan!" At this point the smile, the laughing, the way she was saying our names, I felt like she was trying to lure us in so she could stab us with some giant knife behind her back.

Brendan must've been as scared and uncomfortable as me because he said in a weak voice, "hi Mrs. Morgan..."

At least that snapped her out of her craze. She looked at him disappointed saying "Brendan sweetie, you're a part of our family now. Just call me Mom." She then came closer to both of us and stared at our faces. She smiled a normal smile and hugged us.

When she broke away I asked her a question that had been bugging me, "uh, mom?"

"Hm?"

"So why is Brendan wearing my clothes?"

"Well when we got home earlier he had on clothes that were very over worn and too small for him. So I told him that he could look in your room for some clean clothes that could fit him better."

"Oh. Ok." I looked over at him but turned away when his eyes met mine.

My mom began to exit the room but before she did she said, "I hope you two get along. You will be sharing a room, and until we get a new bed for Brendan, he can choose to sleep downstairs on the couch or you two will have to share Chad's bed temporarily. So both of you discuss it over while I make dinner before your father gets home."

We watched her as she went downstairs, then looked at each other.

Before he could say anything I asked, "you don't have to tell me but what happened to your parents? Sorry that's probably too personal!"

"No it's fine. My mom had died giving birth to me. My dad was raising me up until he got in a car crash on his way to work last year. I told the police I could just live on my own but they wouldn't allow it so I was brought to an orphanage. I found little jobs on the street because I couldn't to go to school. I saved up about $300. I was going to save up enough until I was 18 so I could find a small living space but surprisingly I got adopted by your parents..."

He talked for so long that my mind began to blank. I saw his lips moving but no works coming out so I began thinking about what he might've been saying. "The bird was croaking when a cow farted to the human duck. The goat was making sleep go through the bog. Are you peeping?"