AllFreeNovel
Share Us
JOSIE
When I started walking, I was meaning to do a lap of the main block and head back home, but I walk the familiar path to my parents’ house. The screen door is propped open by a gumboot which has a crack down the side.
With one foot stepped inside, I knock, peering down the hallway, the heat of inside almost knocking me over backward.
“Hello?” I hear Mum call.
“It’s me.”
When I enter the lounge room, Mum is on her tiptoes dusting the shelves, Dad’s on his knees digging something out of the fireplace, and Sam is lazily sprawled on the lounge, a book in his hand.
“Hi, hon.” Mum smiles. “How are you?”
“I’m good, you?”
“Oh, you know. Busy, busy,” she replies distractedly.
Dad stands, not meeting my eyes and excuses himself. It stings watching him retreat, not even glancing my way. There’s an awkward silence which follows, before I walk over to the lounge and smack Sam’s leg. He groans, lifting his foot so that I can sit. I lean over and tug out one of his ear buds.
“Hey!” he protests.
“Good book?” I ask.
“Pretty good,” he answers, shaking his head so that his hair falls out of his eyes. “What are you up to? You must be bored.”
“Can’t I come visit my family without a motive?”
Mum looks over her shoulder, meeting Sam’s eyes, and they both shrug.
“Gee, thanks.” I turn to Sam. “What are you doing tonight? Let’s hang out.”
“So youarebored.”
“I want to spend time with you.”
He rolls his eyes, looking much like he did as a teenager. “Okay. Maybe we can grab dinner and play some pool later?”
“Sure. That sounds good.”
“I’ll swing by at 5:30?”
I hook two thumbs up. Mum hums to herself as she goes about tidying and Sam’s earbuds are jammed back into his ears. I lean my head back and stare up at the ceiling.
It doesn’t feel normal to be here with them.
Everything here is sodull.
* * *
It’s a quarter to six before Sam strolls into my place, not announcing his arrival. I startle, almost spilling wine on myself and the lounge.
“Took your time,” I say sarcastically.
“I was busy.”
“Doing what? Wearing in the lounge a little more?”
“Something like that.”
