Honey Buns

12

"I've got practice this afternoon, then I'm off to The Garage. Dad called last night and said that there was some stuff he wanted me to do there after school," Jason say as we walk out of the house.

I almost forgot I even had a father, considering he hasn't been answering any of my calls or texts since he left.

"Ok, I'll come with you and work on something other that piece of shit bike. I honestly think that I've developed a brain tumor trying to fix it," I remark.

I'd been avoiding even looking at Andre's bike since the incident a couple of nights ago. It's not that his demeanor hurt me, I mean it wasn't anything I wasn't used to coming from him. We hated each other when we were younger so it wasn't surprising in the least. But I was taken back by how bad he looked.

I hadn't seen Andre since the night that he got dumped on the pavement and I wasn't planning to anytime soon. He said for me to mind my business so that's what I'll do. But curiosity has been eating me alive for the past week just trying to figure out what is going on. 

I mean the sketches were one thing. Just some dumb way for Andre to get into my head. But then, it was me catching him sleeping in the house next door, now him getting dumped on the sidewalk in the middle of the night? Is he homeless? Something was not adding up. I have no clue what it is, but I was curious enough to want to find out.

I mean, if he's still sleeping in that shitty house, where are his parents? I tried peeking next door a couple times over the past two weeks but there was no sign of him. To my knowledge, he only slept at that house that one night. 

Half of me is screaming at me to just mind my business. But the other half wants in on what exactly Andre is up to. 

"There's nothing to do there since all of the projects are occupied. The only open project left is Andre's bike that you've been holding off for a week now," Jason's voice snaps me out of my thoughts as he replies with a pointed look, unlocking his truck.

I feel a plan start formulate in my head to answer the questions that have been bugging me.

"Speaking of that piece of shit bike, once I'm done with it, where did you want me to drop it off to?" I question, masking my face with indifference as I hop into the passenger seat.

"Andre said he'll pick it up from our place to save us the hassle," Jason replies and pulls out of the driveway.

There goes my plan.

"I don't mind dropping it off. I have nothing else better to do," I shrug as an attempt to mask my need for this plan to work.

"Ok sure, I'll let Dre know and give you the address tonight. But dude, you need to finish that bike today. It's been a month. We're lucky that Dre knows us so he doesn't mind the hold up," Jason notes and I nod absentmindedly as I figure out what I need to do for my plan to run smoothly.

Just as Jason is a couple of blocks from our house, he suddenly rolls down his window and the truck comes to a stop.

Confused, I look towards him, ready to question the sudden stop.

"Dre! Hop in!" He hollers as he sticks his head out of the window. 

I glance over to where he's looking and feel a ball of tension expand in my chest as I see Andre come into view. I hold in the very strong urge to roll my eyes at the luck I possess, which I now know is absolutely none. It's my first time seeing him since the other night and I can't help but feel slightly awkward, considering I'm the only one that saw him half dead for christ sakes.

"Sup man? I'm good, it's not that far of a walk bro. You go ahead," Andre says as he walks over to the window. The knot of tension in my chest slightly loosens at his words.