Carpe Diem - Clifford

Chapter 3 - Adri

Chapter 3 - Adri

"Can you please come in today?" John's voice begged me through the phone.

I stretched my head pacing around my kitchen thinking.

"John, I'm not sure," I replied to him.

I had promised to take Nate out today so he could look around at some University programs in the area, I knew he didn't need me to be there but I wanted to be. He was my little brother after all.

"Adri, you know I wouldn't be pleading unless I really needed the help," he argued.

I was having a mental dilemma with myself, I knew that I shouldn't cancel on Nate but I also knew that I owed John. He'd helped me out massively when I was younger and really needed a job.

"Let me talk to Nate, give me a second," I told him, placing my phone down and putting it on mute.

I walked over to the guest room and knocked on the door.

"Come in," I heard a voice answer.

"Hey Bud," I smiled at him as I entered the room. It literally was his room, posters had slowly made their way up onto the wall and the closest was full of his clothes.

"Hey are you ready to go?" He chirped and grab his back pack opening it and rummaging through it.

"Nate see... Here's the thing-" I was stumbling over my words, I hoped Nate wouldn't pick up on it yet and just guilt me into going with him.

"It's alright Adri, you can go."

"Pardon?" I asked him puzzled.

"Well your tone, body posture, and stuttering..." So he did notice, "something come up. I get it." Nate smiled at me but I knew it was a forced one.

"Never mind I don't ha-"

"You wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important Adri," he told me while placing his back pack once again on the ground.

"But I didn't ask-"

"Adri! It's alright. I'm OK!" He exclaimed to me giving me a stern look, "go ahead." He continued on calmness overtaking his voice.

"I'm really sorry, it's just John is having issues- technical ones and he's short on staff," I tried to explain to my brother. He knew that I put family first but whenever it came to my career Nate was always by my side being my biggest cheerleader. I even got him to model some of my others for a show I was in. He hated it but many people wanted to eagerly sign him to their modelling company after it, of course he refused though. Schools number one for him (well besides family obviously), always has and always will be. I respect him so much for that. It wasn't like I never put family first but John was like family, if I went in today it wasn't for the money but for John instead.

"You better call back John," he reminded me.

"Ya I - oh crap!" I remebered, "I left John on mute!" I stared at Nate who had a big smile on his face, I knew he was laughing at me inside that head of his.

I scrambled back to the kitchen and grabbed the phone.

"Hey sorry John," I breathed out readjusting it against my ear.

"Shh be quiet boys," I heard on the line, "oh hey, no problem. What's the verdict?"

I quietly laughed. I didn't know why John constantly decided to take on projects that involved rowdy people. He literally had the worst luck when it came to that, however they usually did make him loads of money.

"I'll come in today," I informed John, and I heard someone scream a "yes," from the other line. I definitely knew it wasn't John but I also knew it wouldn't be because of what I said.