I Never Realized

Part 9

Karkat and Kankri waited in their room until their dad called them down for dinner, not that Karkat had much heart to sit around the table and try to have a civil conversation with his family. Still, he took a seat in his usual place, ignoring Kankri's quite prayer of thanks.
Mr. Vantas passed around a bowl or corn, smiling at his boys. "So," he started, watching Karkat pass the bowl to Kankri without putting any on his plate, "What was school like today?" Ugh, that was the equivalent of asking how work went for Mr. Vantas, knowing fully well that nothing new ever happened. School was an endless regime of 8 hours around screeching people that you don't care very much for. Karkat felt pity on the high schoolers in the second floor who had to be around the 7th and 8th graders, mostly their younger siblings.
"I found out that Latula Pyrope and Mituna Castor are dating as of yesterday," Kankri announced, and Karkat wondered of he was the only one who caught the dipping edge in his brother's tone.
"Pyrope's oldest girl, right? I hear her youngest, the one in Karkat's grade, is looking into law like their mother, which sounds amazing considering if she'll be half a good law attorney as her mom is," Mr. Vantas said, definitely not hearing the meaning behind Kankri's announcement.
"Terezi will probably be one of those twisted lawers, she kinda crazy," grumbled Karkat, stirring around his mashed potatoes. He watched as his dad shoved in a cube of pork chops, chewing thoughtfully.
"Pyrope was the same was, we figured that she'd be the one needing an attorney rather than being one, honestly."
None of the boys said anything. Karkat's mind was swollen with thoughts of Gamzee...and obviously Kankri had Latula on his mind, too. It was quite for several minutes while they ate, Mr. Vantas scarfing down his food, not noticing how reserved his sons were. Or maybe he noticed and was trying to think of a way to address it.
Finally, putting down his fork he announced, "So did you talk to Gamzee about how you guys will be keeping in touch?"
Karkat's head snapped up. "What?" Didn't people kind of ignore each other after they broke up?
"Well, I figured since he's going so far away you two would have every day thought through, between talking and visitation and whatnot. Maybe I could take you up to see him if I ever have a free day, but that wouldn't be for a long while, of course, given that Ampora is a lazy ass in the office. Give a man a couple hundreds and he suddenly thinks he's too good to file some forms, you know?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You know, ever since he discovered that he has some type of prince-y history attachment-"
"Not that, about the Makaras?" Karkat hurriedly interrupted, heart racing.
Mr. Vantas frowns, "Mr. Makara got a better job deal in another town, he and his boys are moving, didn't Gamzee tell you?" The concern in his dark brown eyes made Karkat's eyes dart back down to his plate. "We don't talk very much anymore."
Kankri was staring too, their eyes buring into his face, scrutinizing it. He felt fidgety and his stomach was his throat with anxiety.
"Well that's a shame, he was a good kid, especially to you," one pair of eyes return to their plate, but Karkat could still see out of his peripheral that Kankri was still trying to hold his gaze.
After eating, Kankri loaded the dishwasher while Karkat packaged up the leftovers and wiped down the counters, table, and stove top. He hurried through it, making sure to rush upstairs into the shower to avoid any questions from his brother.
By the time he got out, hair still dripping and his feet feeling icy on the hardwood hallway floor, he was relieved to see that Kankri was already in bed, softly breathing, soundly asleep.
He plugged in his phone to charge, checking to see if he had any new messages. He didn't.
************
The next morning he and Kankri walked to the joint school in silence, not once mentioning the Makaras. Upon to getting his locker and replacing his books, Karkat scanned the hallways for a certai tall, messey haired boy who would tower above everybody else.
He went the whole day not seeing Gamzee, his throat feeling tight as he would duck around. Eventually he found Tavros, but he couldn't get the nerve to go up to him, too intimidated to go up and ask about Gamzee after he had the nerve to ignore both of them for weeks. Tavros was a nice guy, but Karkat would have to be stupid to believe that he didn't hold the smallest bit of resentment.
    After the final bell rang, Karkat toom the longer way home, walking in the opposite direction from his house. His feet carried him all the way to the home of the Makara's. The all white house with its pretty, baby blue trim and perfect yard was absolutely empty, the only thing remaining being a For Sale sign, freshly hammered into the dirt.