Couch Surfer

Nana

ALEX:

I get a text from Lynn about the time she should have been home. She was staying at Sophie's tonight, so it was just me and David. I was making us a quick meal of tuna-pasta, having just put the pasta and sweet corn on to boil. I was laying on the couch, David sprawled out on the arm chair in front of the fan, staring at the ceiling. He was a handsome man, I admit, but I wasn't planning on anything to happen, I didn't want to mess up a seemingly good friendship, especially when I have no clue if he liked me too. Things would be way too awkward if I messed it up. The pasta is boiling now so I turn the stove off and drain it in the colander, cooking it down with some cold water before pouring it into two large bowls. Two small cans of tuna and several spoons of mayonnaise all mixed together with black pepper. I don't even like fish, but tuna was alright, and this one sea bass I tried when I was ten. I hand David a bowl, sit down on the couch with my own one, forks digging into the simple meal. We were hungry, especially after the long day of cleaning, it had been draining, now it was time to eat and take it easy.
"So, how is your job hunt going anyway? With any luck, I might stop making you clean shit."
"Well, it's only been like, two days since I actually started applying, so I haven't heard anything back yet..."
"Oh, well hopefully you'll get an interview..." I say. We were watching the news, not much new news, just Brexit, Grenfell and Donald Trump, the usual suspects and the usual subjects. I had to wonder what was going on with the government these days, it was all ridiculous. There are a lot of people who are in charge when they shouldn't be. The Thai boys stuck in the cave had been rescued, all of them, that was a nice ending to the story though it was a shame about the diver who had died trying to help. My phone buzzes as someone is calling me. My mum. I pick up, walking into the kitchen. "Hey, you alright?" I greet her with, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. When she spoke, I could tell something wasn't right, she sounded bunged up and snotty, like she had been crying. "Hey Alex, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, are you though, what's happened?" I asked, concerned, I hear her take a long, sniffly breath. "Great Nanny El passed away tonight... Auntie Terri found her in her chair."
"Oh..." I say softly. I didn't know what else to say, the shock makes the moment seem unreal, and in the next morning when you wake up, you feel like it was just a dream. I swallow a lump, clearing my throat. "Is everyone okay?" I ask quietly, my voice only had a small quiver. I guess I just felt hollow at that moment, like my stomach had fallen out from beneath me. "They're fine, just sad... everyone's just sad... I have to go now, I need to call your sister, love you..."
"Love you too..." I say, I hear the dead tone as the call ended. I walk back into the front room, still clutching my phone like a tether to reality, looking blank. Dave is on the sofa now, he noticed the odd change in mood, looking at me with a frown. "Hey, who was that?" He asked.
"It was my mum..." I say, dropping down onto the couch, next to him, still looking ahead blankly. "My nan's died..." I say, Dave sits up and comes closer. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked, and then winced like he knew that was a stupid question. "Of course I am." I say sarcastically, rolling tearful eyes. He pulls me off aa of the woods into a hug. He holds me like that, humming a gentle tune.

I wake up. David and I had fallen asleep on the sofa, the bed wasn't even pulled out. Don't know how we had gotten comfortable. I just remember a lot of crying. Nana. I remembered the phone call. A text. Funeral in two weeks.

The days go by.

I'm still going to work, I'd actually applied for more shifts since that night, so I had something else to focus on. Dave got an interview at the shop. Good for him. He goes, he gets the job but he still does his band thing on Wednesdays. The CV Sophie helped him fake must have worked out nicely. Life had seemingly found its rhythm, slow like the tolling of the church bell one Saturday morning.

I attended the funeral alone, until I met up with my sister and my parents in the church carpark. The sermon went by with little problem and soon we were watching the casket be slowly lowered into the grave. It's never nice to be reminded of your own mortality. I watch my granddad sprinkle the first dirt on the hardwood. Soon I'll be doing that for someone close to me. Mother, Father, lover. Then it will be someone else, maybe my sister or own child that sprinkles the first dirt on my casket. It will happen to all of us sooner or later, death doesn't care who you are or what you mean.

A meal with heavy toasts of wine and quiet conversation, dressed in black.

I'm staring out the flat window, it's late, I can see the cars traveling the motorway, white light, red light, orange light. I light up a joint and let the cherry burn. Lynn was out, Sophie was at home and Dave was working late. I had the day off today. I won't lie, the flat had been kind of lonely since Dave got his job, but I didn't know how to make it seem less isolating, I would try having the TV on in the background  to make it seem like there were people here. Another thing, now that David wasn't around as much as he used to be, Mason eventually started to creep back from whatever pit he had hidden in, staring at me whenever I'd empty my bins, getting too close in the hallway or always waiting outside whenever it was time for me to leave, god knows how he was getting my timetable, being a zero hour contract, it wasn't set so one week was never the same as the last. I wasn't that starved for company just yet. I hear my phone ring from the kitchen counter where I had left it, walking out of the living room, I pick it up. Unknown number, I usually don't answer unknown calls but, it would be nice to hear another humans voice again, even if thy were just trying to sell me something. "Hello?" I answer cautiously.
"Dave? It's Alan... Dave?"
"Dave's at work, who is this?" I ask.
"Alan, who's this?"
"Alex, I'm the one who's letting Dave live at my place..."
"Oh, the girls mobile he borrowed?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Well, I have a spare room for him at my house, I coming to pick him up on Friday if that's okay?"
"Actually, I ..."
"Sorry, I have to go now, see you Friday, Dave already gave me the address in the voicemail, bye!" Alan said, hanging up the phone. I was left with the receiver still to my ear. I should tell David, ultimately, it is him who shall stay or go. I don't want him to go, but it's not my decision.

Friday. Only six days.

I hear the door open and he walks in. "Dave!" I say, a little too happily, he smiles. "Hey, are you alright?"
"Yeah, just... you got a phone call when you were at work..."
"Really, who was it?"
"He said he was called Alan, did you call him in my phone?"
"Yeah, ages ago, I didn't think he'd back to me."
"Well he did."
"What did he say?"
"Uh, he said he has a spare room for you at his house and that he's coming here on Friday to pick you up."
"Oh wow, just in time too, I had to quit."
"What?" I ask.
"Yeah, my CV fell through, they found out that it was pretty much fake and yeah, so now I'm out of a job. Managed to get paid before they found out though. I'll leave it all to you if I go."
"If you go?"
"Yeah, it's just, now that I'm used to this life, I kinda like it, so, if it's alright with you and Lynn, I might stay a little longer... of course, I will have to get a new job, unless Alan can sort me out."
"I mean, I wouldn't mind if you stuck around." I say casually, trying not to look overly happy.
"Cool, mind if I ring Alan on your phone? I need to ask him about some stuff." He says, I hand him the phone and not wanting to intrude, I go into my room.

DAVE:

"Hello?" I hear Alan say on the other side.
"Hey mate, It's Dave, back from work."
"Hey, did Alex tell you the news?" He asks, I chuckle to myself. "Um, yeah, I've been informed, I just need to ask you a favour."
"Depends, what do you need?"
"Well, I need you to go to my apartment in New York..."
"Jesus, really?"
"Yeah, I know, it's a big favour, but I need my phone and well, cards and ID and passport, everything that may seem important really. When I get my cards and get everything sorted, I'll be able to repay the expenses."
"Alright, sure." He agrees. I feel slightly relieved, getting my cards and ID and everything would sure make everything a lot easier, then I could finally repay Lynn and Alex. I don't know what to do with Fashion News, I owe them something, especially if I was going to abandon position as frontman. "Alright Al' thank you, I owe you a solid."
"See you Friday."
"See you Friday." I say, hanging up.

Just to let you guys know I'm so sorry for not writing in ages and this chapter seems like a huge let down but it's been a heavy time for me, with A-levels and stress and anxiety. I'm not having a particularly good time rn