Lights, Cameras, Outsiders!

Chapter 56

LCO 56

"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be down at the set for the barbeque," I said to Matt. He was sitting on the bed, picking at his fingernails in a blank tank top and jeans.

"Nah. I decided to be here with you. How were your tests?" He asked, patting his lap. I hung my jacket on the back of the chair and went to go sit down on his lap.

"Good. Said they were closer to figuring out what it is I have," I said, putting my arm around his neck and smiling.

"How was your work today?" I said before he gave me a kiss.

"Since we're using the hospital, we said hello to a bunch of patients."

"How was that?"

"Really cool, y'know? I met some new people, and they said they'd come out to see the movie when they got out."

"What were some of things that were wrong with them?"

"I mean one guy had a heart attack, a woman had a stroke-"

"Okay, you don't need to go on," I said.

"Hey, I didn't know you had a little brother," he said all of a sudden.

"What? I don't have a little brother."

"Yes, you do. Your brother, what's his name?"

"My older brother Charlie?"

"Yes! Charlie called here."

"At the hotel?"

"Yes. He said he needed to talk to you because he got in a fight with your parents too, and they kicked him out because they were talking about him moving out because they needed room for the baby and-"

"What baby?"

"I don't know, he just said the baby and-"

"Give me the phone please. Did he leave a number?"

"Yeah, I wrote it down," he said, handing me the phone and a sticky note. He answered on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Charlie!"

"Essie! Hi, hi, hi! Thank you for calling me!"

"Charlie, what's this about a baby?"

"can I tell you the story first?"

"Sure."

"Well, Mom decided that I was too old to keep living in the house since I'm twenty now and so she started to go on this rant about how I'm too old and the baby needs more room and-"

"What baby?"

"You don't know about the baby?"

"No, I don't. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Mom was pregnant, and she produced a spawn, Essie. There's another one of us."

"You're shitting me."

"I'm not. His name is Jack. He's 4 months old."

"Charlie, I swear if this is a joke-"

"It's not because I'm calling from John's house in Orlando!" My family lived in Miami but his best friend lived in Orlando after they moved in junior year of high school.

"So We have a baby brother?"

"Yes."

"Why did you call me again?"

"To ask you if Aunt Susie has any room at her house," he said. I looked at Matt with wide eyes.

"She will because I'm going to New York."

"Why?"

"Because we got a great place up in New Rochelle."

"We? Who's we? Are you married?"

"No! I have a boyfriend."

"How serious is this boyfriend?"

"Dating a year and a half," Matt chimed in. More like a year.

"And you're just gonna move in together?"

"Yeah."

"Does Aunt Susie know?"

"Aunt Susie encourages it."

"And is your boyfriend the one that answered the phone earlier?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, do I know him because he sounds really familiar."

"You saw Over the Edge?"

"Yeah, but what does th-"

"He's the guy who played Richie. Matt Dillon."

"Matt Dillon? Get real, Essie-"

"Have you seen the trailer for Tex?"

"Yeah and that was Aunt Susie's b- You're not lying. You're actually dating that furry eyebrowed freak."

"Shut up, Charlie! He's right here!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, man. God, Essie, I can't believe you're dating him."

"And I can't believe you got kicked out of the house."

"Maybe it's about time you came home."

"Yeah. Maybe I should go home and teach Mom and Dad a lesson."

"You should. And let me know how it goes."

"Okay. I will."

"Hey, say hi to Aunt Susie for me and ask her about the room scenario, okay?"

"Okay."

"Bye. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye," I hung up the phone and put it back on the nightstand.

"Jesus, my mom was pregnant and she never even told me."

"Okay Essie I think it's official. Your parents don't like you," Matt said.

"Seriously?! Don't I have the right to know about my own brother?!"

"Yes."

"You know what, Matt? Maybe we should just go down to Miami and see the little guy ourselves."

"WE?"

"Yes. You can meet my parents like I met yours."

"We're gonna drive to Miami?"

"Yes."

"This weekend?"

"Yes."

"Essie, you keep me on my toes."