The Fix

Trente neuf / Club Party

*unedited

Nathan

I tiredly pulled myself out of bed, heading downstairs where Audrey and my mom were.

"Nathaniel. Good morning." My mom smiled.

"Yeah aight." I mumbled.

Audrey shot me a glare, letting me know to relax.

"You hungry? There's food on the stove."

"Nah, I'm good." I said, opening the pantry and grabbing a poptart.

"Nathan I slaved over this hot stove all morning, eat something."

"I said I'm good mom." I said grabbing a bottle of water and getting ready to go back upstairs.

"Well, before you go. Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Go ahead and tell me. I got a busy day today." I said, coaxing her to tell me in front of Audrey.

"I think it's something that needs to be discussed thoroughly.."

"Well I'm right here mom. What is it? Hm?"

"Nathan I'm getting married."

"Married..? Like...like to a man?"

"I wouldn't marry a woman, Nathan. It was difficult to tell you because I know you wouldn't approve of the person I'm with..but it's decided."

"When- I didn't even know about a man!"

"Maybe you would if you'd call me, you would know things like this."

"Yeah imma go upstairs." Audrey said, putting her dishes in the sink and rushing up the steps.

-

"So..howd you meet this guy?"

We'd been in the kitchen all morning discussing her impending marriage and wedding.

"I've known him since you were a kid...but he just got out recently.

"Out where?! The closet??"

"Out of prison, Nathan."

"Let me get this straight. Rap is the devil, alcohol is the devil, sex is the devil, your man from prison? He cool."

"He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I won't go into details about it because it's not my place. But Nathan, I need you to be on board about this..the wedding is a few months from now."

"This seems very short notice."

"It is..things move quickly because I don't have time to waste. But I was thinking...for a wedding gift...could you get him and I this TV-"

"When the wedding comes around, sure."

"I was thinking maybe before then?"

"I guess I'll see. But right now, I'm gonna go upstairs..I got work to do." I said, looking for an excuse to end the conversation before she could ask for more shit.

—

When I got upstairs, Audrey was in my room looking through my closet.

"What you doing??"

"Did you know it was Ty's birthday? When were you gonna tell me?"

"Shit I forgot. How'd you know?"

"He texted me and inviting me to his party tonight, he said he'd called you but you didn't answer."

"I left my phone up here..why you in my closet?"

"I was thinking I could find you a cute shirt. You always buy stuff for me to wear, I was thinking I could pick your outfit."