Promise Me Tomorrow

Day 9

"So what do you do?" Jensen asked as the two watched the street below, "I know you draw but what else?"

He shrugged as he let out smoke, "Don't really do a lot. Outside of that, I take care of the place mostly. Otherwise just wander around, crash a party if I see one, chat with a homeless dude, just see what happens really." He almost took another drag before adding in more of a hiss than anything, "Oh and get in a fight if Ellis slips out."

"Slips out?"

"Yeah even outside of blackouts, he can still talk, or do little things. It only happens when he's really loud in my head and I lose focus. When my brain fails, his picks up the slack for the moment."

"That bad huh?" When did Ellis show up? Jensen bit his tongue before the question slipped out. It probably wasn't a good idea to ask a week into knowing him, "Soo, what do you draw normally? You're pretty good at dragonflies."

"Dicks mostly."

"Oh." Jensen frowned, only to hear Sunglasses chuckling next to him.

"I was joking. I just draw them on sticky notes and put them on random things to mess with my brother."

"You have a brother too?"

"Yeah, nearly double my age. He's the only family I have."

"What about your parents?"

"Never knew them. They decided to opt out when I was born. Story he told me was he was asked to watch me for a day, and never heard from them again. Number blocked, no way of contact, drove to the house, for sale sign out front."

"Oh, I'm sorry about..." Jensen really didn't know how to respond. It was something sad to hear but Sunglasses shrugged it off like he was telling him about the weather instead of his broken homelife.

"I don't care. We're poor but things are smooth. He loves to tell the story that me falling into his care is what made him get his shit together. He was 18 or 19, said it just made him work harder. I find it hard to believe he never complained about suddenly becoming a single parent. Another reason I think its best I just make my way out as quick as possible."

"Why not get a part time job and make things easier."

"Ellis has made sure no one would hire me"

"Oh." He guessed it shouldn't really be a surprise if this Ellis guy was as bad as Sunglasses was trying to make him out to be.

"So what do you do?"

"Well uh... you see..." Jensen watched the swirling smoke over looking at Sunglasses, "I don't really do... Anything."

"Like nothing?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, sometimes I read a book Emily recommends, but I don't really do anything myself."

"You don't go and hangout with your friends?"

"Only have one, and she's usually busy."

"You don't have a club or group?"

"No."

"Jesus."

"Sorry, I just always figured that once I was in college, I would find something. For now it's just school, homework and sleeping really."

"You just described hell to me." Sunglasses had his head in his hands, "How are you not bored out of your mind?"

"Well, I now have coming up here too. I'm usually the one what does the last minute errands, and then yeah just sleep, maybe watch something with my mom if she's home, but she's usually works nights."

"I'm finding you a hobby."

"It's fine, really. I've accepted my 'do nothing' lifestyle. Hey, just means I'm free if anything comes up." Even though there really isn't anyone to invite me to anything.

"So, you're an experience person?"

"I guess," Haven't really experienced anything though.

"Hmm." Sunglasses let out some more smoke before stubbing out what was left of the cigarette. "If I said I knew of a block party happening later tonight, you'd come?"

"Block party?"

"Some band is setting up to play in an empty lot a 9. Music, dancing, probably food and booze. I was planning to go no matter what but won't say no to some company."

"Um..." Jensen looked at the time on his phone, 9 was still another five and a half hours away. It would be the first time he stayed out that late alone, not to mention it would be in a sketchier neighborhood

"You don't need to." Sunglasses broke Jensen from his thoughts. "It's just an offer. If it helps; It's by the river, I'd be by you the entire time, and the chances that something dangerous would happen is pretty much non-existent."

"You know that how?"

"It's by the river. No one causes problems by the river. The police patrol there so often, since it's not in a neighborhood, no noise complaints either. Hell I've seen some officers get food at those pop ups." Sunglasses smiled. "I've been going to that area since I was like ten. I wouldn't have offered if I thought it would get your suicidal ass killed, my job to stop that remember."

"Well I would hope you wouldn't go somewhere that would get you killed." He looked at his phone again "But that's still five and a half hours away."

"So?"

"Well, I find it hard to think someone can stand me for five minutes let alone five hours."

"And yet I keep showing up."

"Okay Sunglasses, but what exactly do you suggest we do for five hours?"

"Well Dragonfly," Sunglasses smirked at him, "Would you rather eat the same thing for the rest of your life or never eat the same thing twice?"

"Would you rather? Really?" Jensen laughed, as Sunglasses shrugged.

"Why not? We have the time, now would you rather eat the same thing for the rest of your life or never eat the same thing twice."

"Okay, I'll play, I would go with the same thing."

"Why? That would make me go crazy."

"I love cheeseburgers okay. And if you could never eat the same thing twice you would run out of things."

"Bullshit. There are so many recipes out there. PLUS, everyone makes the same thing different! You could technically eat the same thing just not by the same cook. You would get a different meal."

"I don't know about that."

"So, you're saying a fast food cheeseburger tastes the same as a homemade one."

"They taste different, but-"

"Then you proved my point right there."

"It's still a cheeseburger!"

"No, one's fast food garbage and the other is actual food"

"Don't insult my shitty cheeseburgers." Jensen gave into laughing with Sunglasses. Maybe passing time wouldn't be that difficult.