Autumn/Winter

Part Three

“We’re back,” Ryan calls out.

“Okay?” calls another voice from the kitchen. “Does this affect me?”

“Yes, yes it does because you’re going to come and play video games with us,” Ryan says, leading Brendon by the hand to the kitchen, where Spencer’s eating noodles and managing to watch the television through the archway. Hobo is at his heels, looking up and waiting for fallen food.

“Can’t you just go have sex in your room like normal teenagers?” Spencer complains, but with some prodding from Ryan he agrees, and they end up in Spencer’s room, versing each other at video games while Hobo yaps loudly at the noises.

Brendon wins nearly every time.

“Well, Brendon,” Spencer finally says, and Brendon doesn’t know how long they’ve been playing but his hands hurt, “I have deep respect for a man that can kick my ass in three different games.”

“Your respect is appreciated,” Brendon replies, grinning, and Ryan’s nearly asleep on his shoulder. “What’s the time, anyway?”

“Uh...” Spencer checks his watch. “About 1am.”

“Shit,” Brendon says, his eyes widening, “I have to go.”

With a quick peck to Ryan’s forehead and a fleeting good bye to Spencer, Brendon manages to get to his car and speeds all the way home.

***

He tip toes in the front door, trying not to make any noise. Slowly, he heads for the hallway silently, before a voice cuts him off.

“It’s late, Brendon.”

It’s his mother, sitting at the table with her coffee in her hands and a resigned look on her face.

“I didn’t realise,” Brendon tells her, waiting for her reaction.

“What if I had to go to work late tonight, Bren? You know I can’t leave Tim by himself, and you said you’d be home by that time.”

“I would have kept an eye on the time if you had work,” Brendon groans, falling on to one of the chairs. “I really didn’t know it was so late.”

“What were you doing?” she asks, disbelieving.

“Hanging out with friends,” Brendon defends.

“Doing what?”

“Video games,” he replies truthfully.

“Brendon...” she says wearily. “You’re not...you’re not doing anything bad are you?”

“Like what?”

“Like, drinking...or drugs...”

“No!” he says, frowning, “Jesus Ma, didn’t know you thought so highly of me.”

“I’m just checking,” she says, her mug on the table as she raises her hands in the air. “Just, of late you’ve been acting different. Although, we are getting closer to...”

And Brendon had almost forgotten. In a few days, it’ll be one year since Shanna died.

“It’s not about that,” Brendon mumbles, looking at his hands. “Can I go to bed?”

She just nods, her brown eyes following him as he leaves.

***

Brendon isn’t expecting Jon and Cassie to come barging into his room at sometime in the morning, dressed like a power couple and telling him to get the fuck up. It’s Sunday morning and Brendon really kind of felt like sleeping in, but it looks like the plan has changed.