Learning to Be Happy Again

Chapter Seven: Breakfast is Awkward

I wake up, light streaming through the open curtains. Why were the curtains open?

Someone shifts next to me and I start, remembering what happened last night. It's almost hard to believe, so I turn and look over at Tam. He looks peaceful, for once. I don't think I've ever seen him with such a calm face. It suits him.

"Wake up sleepy head!" Elwin's voice comes from the now open door.

Tam shifts next to me, and I quickly cover him with the blanket. "Oh good morning, Elwin." My voice sounds like a criminal caught red handed and I silently curse my suspiciousness.

However, it is not me who gives away Tam's whereabouts. Said boy sits bolt upright and groggily says, "Huh?"

My head jerks towards Elwin, whose face has shock written all over it. "Um, good morning to you too, Tam."

Tam curses under his breath. "Um, hey, Elwin. Nice to, uh, see you."

"Yeah, you too, kid." Elwin gives me a look. He turns around and walks away, muttering something.

Tam curses. "Well."

"Yeah," I sigh. "What do you want to tell him?"

"The truth. I had a nightmare and needed to talk it out. He'll understand."

"Somehow I don't think he'll buy that," I answer.

"And why is that?" Tam seems genuinely curious, and I sigh again.

"Well, see. He thinks that I, uh, have feelings for you." The word feelings feels forgein on my tongue and I cringe slightly.

Tam turns slightly red. "Oh. Um. Right, and do you?"

"No, no. I mean, I like you as a friend, so my general feelings have been improved I guess. But not the kind he means."

"Oh, okay." A wave of... something comes off of Tam then. It feels like despair, but I can't imagine why he would be sad at my answer. I shrug it off. "So, uh, should we go down?" Tam asks.

"Yeah, sure."

"Cool." We get up at the same time and awkwardly make our way downstairs. Huz and Elwin are talking at the table and Ro is in a corner drinking something.

"Good morning," I say, probably a little more loudly than necessary.

Huz looks up. "Oh, good morning, Keefe. And are you Tam?"

"Um, yes. And you are?" Tam responds.

"I'm Huz. Do you two need food?"

"Yeah, that would be great, thanks," I say.

Breakfast is tense, but not in the same way that meals back at dad's were. It feels less fraught and more like no one knows what to say.

As if on cue, Ro slurps her drink loudly. "So, Keefe, did you sleep well?" She looks pointedly at Tam.

"I did, thanks for asking," I respond, rolling my eyes at her.

Tam hides in his oatmeal.

"Yeah, actually, what happened last night?" Elwin asks, raising his eyebrows slightly. He sips his tea.

"Well, last night I woke up from a recurring nightmare and needed to talk to Keefe about it since it related to Neverseen stuff. I ended up staying because he figured the nightmare would probably happen again, so I was better off just being here just in chase," Tam answers with a surprisingly level voice. "And I came in the first place because both you and Keefe said I should." He mumbles something that sounds like, "And I didn't want to hurt Linh," but his voice was too quiet to be sure.

"I see, and did the nightmare happen again?" Elwin asks, comfort laced in the words. I look over at Tam, curious to see his response.

"Um, it didn't actually." He looks down at his oatmeal again.

"And was that because you two got all snuggly?" Ro asks, an evil twinkle in her eyes.

"What, no, I," I say hurriedly.

Ro sips her drink, possibly coffee, again, smirking. Tam is, yet again, hiding in his oatmeal.

"Let's lay off on them, okay? Tam, do you feel better now?" Huz speaks, lifting the growing cloud of tense teenager feelings.

Tam looks up from his oatmeal. "Um, yeah, I guess. But there's always that feeling in the back, you know?"

"Mm, that makes sense," Huz responds.

"Don't go therapist on him, honey," Elwin interrupts.

Confusion flits across Tam's face. "Therapy? Is that what you do?"

"Well, yes. I run a center for Lost Cities kids. It helps with education, social activities, and therapy," he answers, looking like he wants to say more, but one look from Elwin and he stops talking.

"That's cool," Tam answers, scraping the last of his oatmeal out. Silence falls again. Just then, Tam's imparter rings. He scrambles to pick it up and curses. "I forgot to tell Linh. It's her."

A/N: Sorry this is late. Last weekend was... hng.