Drowning

Part 3

"Good morning, sweetie. How'd  you sleep?" 
"Good actually. Thanks for asking, mum." I kiss her cheek.
"Its nothing, Darling." She ruffles my gelled hair.
"Mom! I put gel in my hair!" I squeak out.
She laughs. "I know. It looks ridiculous." 
"Sheesh, mum." I laugh, "Thanks."
"I'm always here, honey."
"I know. I love you."
"Love you, too. Have fun at school, Leo."
"I'll try."

I wake up and sigh. I check my phone. It's 5 am on a Saturday. Saturday! I'm meeting up with Tim at the library today! 
I scramble out of bed. This would be the first time we hang outside of school. I mean we hung out after and before classes but we never hung out anytime besides that. One day, Tim called me like usual and asked me if we could meet up on Saturday. I agreed, obviously. 

I wait outside of the library, looking out for my friend who said he'd be on a bike.

"Tim!" He sees me and brakes on his bike. He drops it and runs over to me, hugging me.  "Leo! Sorry, I overslept." He laughs and smiles at me. 
"Its ok." I smile. 

He didn't want to come
He hates you
He wants to be somewhere else

"You ok, Leo?" Tim pulls me from my thoughts. I laugh nervously, "Sorry. Zoned out." He smiles, "It's ok. Do you know where a nearby park is?" I shrug, "I know where the middle school is." "How long have you lived here, Leo?" "7 years?" "And you don't even know your way around?" "Well, I don't leave the house much" 

There it is. 
He's going to make fun of me.

He hates me

"That makes sense" Tim hums, as I look at him in disbelief, "Wait, really?" 
"What?"
"You arent going to make fun of me?"
"No! Why would I?"
"I dont know. Ive lived here for so long.."

"So what? Its not like youre supposed to know everything"

This is why I like him. Hes so nice.

Its unnatural
He's pretending.

"Want to go to the tennis court?" I ask, smiling at him. 
"Sounds fun!"
"Ok!" 
We went by the tennis court but layed in the football field.
"Leo?"
"Yeah?"
"How often do you leave your house?"
"Uh.. Not a lot actually."
"Why?"
"I usually babysit my brothers and clean up."
"Oh.. How much brothers do you have?"
"I have four. One older and three younger.."
"Oh."

"What about you, Tim?"
"Six sisters and one brother. They're all older then me"
"Oh."
"I live with my mom."
"What happened to your dad?"
"He ditched my mom after I was born, only wanted her for her money. The asshole."
"Oh... My mom died in a car crash freshman year."
"Wow.. I'm sorry."
"Its ok. It's been hard but I manage."
"What's your dad like?"
"He's never home, always working. He usually ignores me or yells at me how I do everything wrong."
"Sheesh."
"It's not too bad. He doesn't hit me."
"Yeah. But it must suck to have him yell at you like that."
"Well, yeah. Sucks big time."
"How about your brothers, what are they like?"
"Well, my older brother is already gone. He moved to Florida to be with my cousin. He's 19."
"Oh."
"The two youngest live with my grandma over in Oregon. They're 11 and 8. Then my one younger brother lives with me, He's 15." 

"Wow.."
"My dad adores my younger brother. Always buys him stuff. Takes him out."
"Your dad sounds like a Jerk."
"Haha. Yeah. He can be."
"At least he feeds you and clothes you."
"He doesn't. I had to get a job when mom died since she was the one who actually cared about me."

"Oh..."
"Yeah..."
"Fucking asshole."

"You're great, Tim."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, I've never had a friend like you besides my mom."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean I got friends when my mom died but they were there out of pity. And the ones I made before started to hate me since I got so much attention."

We hung out the rest of the day, talking about random things. 
We got to know each other way better.
I'm so glad I have the shortie in my life.

I went to bed without crying.