Figure It Out

“Mom!” I yelled, bolting down the stairs and turning into the kitchen. My eyes darted around the room and I groaned when I realized she wasn’t there. “Mom!” I yelled again, peaking into the living room. My eyes landed on a slender, familiar looking figure with dark brown hair like mine. Of course, her hair didn’t have the bright blonde streaks that I’d dyed into my hair a few months ago. Her brown eyes glanced up to meet mine and she let out an annoyed sigh.

“May, where’d mom go?” I asked, checking my phone after it buzzed in my pocked. I smiled as I read the text and started moving my thumbs to respond. Before I could get very far, May took away my attention.

“Jack!” she spoke my name harshly, her favorite 'I’m-the-big-sister-therefore-I’m-holier-than-thou' attitude was prominent in her speech. “I’ve been trying to respond to you, but I guess whoever you’re texting is more important.” She scoffed, looking down at her nails, seemingly uninterested. “Who is it, anyway? Your girlfriend?”

I let out a sharp laugh and locked my phone, the unfinished text falling to black.

“I don’t have a girlfriend.” I replied, crossing my arms defiantly.

May let out a fit of laughter, causing me to cock my head slightly and furrow my thick eyebrows. She did this a lot. She’d just start laughing at something I’d say and half the time she wouldn’t tell me what the hell was so damn funny.

“What?” I demanded sharply, gazing at her through squinted eyes.

“Nothing.” She giggled.

“You must be pretty crazy if you’re laughing at nothing,” I pointed out “maybe I should call someone about that.”

She brought a wicked grin to her face, widening her eyes and smiling as if she were in a state of utter madness.

“You look like a cartoon witch on crack.” I said passively, “Now tell me what was so funny.”

May somehow was able to just look at me and make me feel as if I were a nine year old boy begging to be part of the conversation. I fought the urge to pout and stomp my feet as she shifted her position on the couch, purposely delaying her response time.

“You just spoke so proudly.” She giggled, and the raised her hands as if to announce something “Like; scrawny fifteen year old boy with stupid hair and bad clothes is proud to be alone! Ladies, come from far and wide to hear him listen to sad punk music and play an old guitar. He’s a real keeper!” she busted into another fit of laughter and I rolled my eyes.

After a solid two minutes of watching her roll around the couch, clutching her stomach as if it were about to burst, I spoke.

“Look, can you please just tell me where mom is?” I pushed my floppy fringe up with my bony fingers, only to have it fall back down again. It rested in the same spot, only a little messier.

After another couple seconds of quiet laughter, May finally caught her breath enough to speak.

“She went to the store and left me in charge of you. So, what do you want?”

“Alex.” I said casually, plucking my small, black phone out of my pocket again and checking for any messages.

“Wait.” May started, causing me to roll my eyes at my cell phone. Whenever May started something and thought it was funny, she’d never let it go. “You want Alex?”

My head snapped up and met with her too-serious eyes.

“What?” I demanded, a small blush creeping onto my cheeks.

“That’s what you just said. I asked “what do you want?” and you responded with “Alex”. Is there something-”

“No!” I shouted, cutting her off. “I meant to say Alex’s house! I don’t… no!” my knuckles were white from clenching my phone so tightly. I didn’t know why I was getting so upset about this. I looked at May. Her unwavering concern prickled like hot coals under my skin.

“Bro, it’s okay. Calm down.” she raised up her hands and brought them down, as if I were a parachute that wouldn’t land. I wanted to open my mouth and respond with something rude, but there was no reason to.

“You can tell me anything, alright? And before you go on and scream at me that you’re straight and you don’t think of Alex like that, just know that being your age is weird. Really, really weird.” She pressed her mouth into a small, knowing grin.

I stared back at her, wondering what the hell she was talking about. I could’ve pointed out that she was only three years older than me, but for some reason, that seemed unnecessary.

“Stop staring!” she finally broke off from her serious composure and held up her hands, making a motion as if to shoo me away. “Go play with your friend.”

“I’m a teenager. I don’t ‘play with my friends.’” I remarked.

I watched as she tried to bite back a smile and failed. “That’s what you say now…”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I demanded.

I waited a few seconds for a response, and then realized I wasn’t going to get one anytime soon. So with that, I spun around on my heels, sliding my phone up to text Alex and notify him that I was on my way over. His house was only down the road, and midday summer air in Baltimore felt like heaven in the suburbs.

I kicked at the rocks that littered the road. May’s words kept rolling around in my head, sending my thoughts tumbling down like the stones that collided with my toes and bounced down the sidewalk. There was still an itch under my skin, as if something weren’t right. I’d tried multiple times throughout the walk to shrug it off, but no peace of mind would come.

You want Alex?
Why hadn’t my initial reaction been no? Why had I even said it in the first place? He was my best friend, and I’d dated and liked plenty of girls before.

I blew a hot breath of air out, forcing the thoughts away. I turned a corner and Alex’s house came into view. I smiled as I saw his slim figure sitting in the middle of his driveway. It had become a silent tradition for us to meet in each-others driveways when we’d visit the others house, no matter if it was raining, snowing, or below 0 out.

For the first time, I noticed that his hair glittered as if it were woven from gold in the Baltimore sun.

Notes

aye story number 2. starting over. ya.

again, i was bakakarat so if this looks v familiar, that's why. I promise i'm not stealing. i love u guys. xoxoxo