Rainy Days

Chapter Seventy-Five: Tate to The Rescue

[jordans house–about eleven a.m., tuesday morning]

RON TAPPED his foot on the ground, glaring at Jordans closed door. Everyone but his brother and Five where downstairs, eating terribly made pancakes. He'd been sent to go wake them up, but t appeared hat they where already up; voices—their voices—could be heard through the door.

Ron took a deep breath and then pushed the door open.

"Morning," Jordan said to him. He was laying in the bed, his head hanging off the edge, and Five was sitting in a chair. "You good?"

Ron narrowed his eyes. He liked Five, but they both seemed perfectly awake; why hadn't they come downstairs hours ago? Had they been sitting up here talking?

"We're eating breakfast, if either of you care to join," Ron spits out; both of the other boys exchange worried looks. Before anyone can say anything, Ron turns in his heel and goes back downstairs.

~

Jordan sighs and sits up, shaking his head so his curls fall back into their natural positions. Five stands up and stretches.

"When are you going to call Tate?" He asks. Jordan shrugs.

"I don't know. I should probably do it today, but..." he hesitates, glancing out the door to where Ron had just been. "Ron already seems pissed off at me."

"It's okay," Five said, and then he goes to the door. "Everything will work out."

Jordan smiled and then followed the boy downstairs.

~{}~

Tate frowned and tapped his foot anxiously. Nico looked at him from where he lay on the floor.

"What's the matter?" Nico questioned. The two of them where sitting in Tate's room, studying for the final.

"Nothing," Tate said. He couldn't exactly tell Nico what was wrong. What would he say?

Hey, Nico, I know you're leaving soon and everything, but the reason  I've been so anxious is because my best friend, Jordan? Yeah, he's got the entire Umbrella Academy living with him! And they went to go save one that got kidnapped by some evil people! And Ron, Jordans little brother, he promised to call me when they got back but he hasn't and now I am freaking the fuck out!

No, he couldn't say that.

"Are you sure?" Nico asked, moving so that their faces where closer. Tate glanced down at the other boys lips and nodded.

"Yeah. It'll all work itself out, I'm sure it—"

The phone on his nightstand rang, and Tate practically shoved Nico off the bed as he threw himself across the mattress and yanked the phone to his ear.

"Hello? This is Tate," he says breathlessly.

"Hey," Jordans voice is like an angel in Tate's speaker, which is ridiculous to think but for a while Tate thought his friend died. "Are you free to babysit?"