AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Before all of this, Braxton was just a guy who didn’t like me, and now I find myself worrying about him. A lot. I want him to talk to me, to open up. But really, I just want to know he’s okay.He won’t meet my gaze while I stand in line at the feed store, and he doesn’t show up for choir practice that week either.
So I’m left to do the only thing that makes sense. I go to his house.
I just show up unannounced because I don’t have his phone number and it seems like the most logical thing to do. And in this small town, everyone knows where everyone lives. It’s like a requirement of moving here, so I don’t need an address, and I definitely don’t need directions.
I rap my fist on the rickety-looking front door, and his mom, Sarah, a pretty woman who looks a little run down, opens it. I’ve seen her a couple times over the years, working as a waitress down at the diner. She has graying hair and dark spots under her eyes. Her clothes are rumpled and worn. For a moment, I sense that she’s a little broken.
“Yes?” she asks, her voice hoarse.
I glance down and see a cat peering up at me. It meanders toward me and rubs its head against my ankles. I can hear it purring from here. Cute little guy.
“Um, hi. I’m Jimbob. I was here to see if Braxton wanted to come hang out.”
She arches an eyebrow and then pulls the door open a bit wider. The scent of cat piss hits me, and I try not to crinkle my nose at the smell. I’ve had my fair share of cats, but never has my house smelled like this. I bet the litter box hasn’t been changed in a few days.
Maybe she just hasn’t had it in her to take care of them. Seems like she could use a nice nap or a vacation.
“You can go get him. He’s in his room.” She gestures past a hoard of stuff, and I suddenly feel that I’ve made a huge mistake. Braxton is gonna be mad that I saw this. That I saw where he lives andhowhe lives.
But it’s too late now. His mom is watching me from her perch on a stool in the cluttered kitchen, a lit cigarette in her hand, so I move toward a partially opened door and walk inside.
It’s different in here, orderly and clean. A window is open, and I see another black and white cat perched on the ledge. In the corner is a nice computer setup, and I wonder if he works on his website designs on that.
Braxton is sprawled out on his back, wearing an oversized black sweatshirt and loose pants. He has large headphones on over his ears and his eyes are closed. He only opens them when the cat jumps onto his stomach to get to me. He sits up quickly, wrenching the earphones from his ears and glowering at me.
“What the fuck?” he hisses and then stands up, closing the door quickly and shoving at me lightly.
I don’t move, just bend down to pet the kitty’s back. It arches up into my touch and meows loudly. Well, at least someone is happy to see me. Not that I blame Braxton for being upset I’m here. I did show up unannounced. And he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who likes visitors.
“Sorry for just bargin’ in. I was just checking on you. I didn’t see you at choir practice.”
He huffs and looks away from me, his cheeks flushing. “Yeah, well, I’m none of your business. You shouldn’t have come here.”
“Yeah,” I say, standing up and running a hand across the back of my neck. “I realize that now. But yeah.”
He glowers at me and then sighs. “Well, now that you’re here, what do you want?”
“I wanted to know if you wanted to go out?—?”
He bristles and doesn’t let me finish. “Listen,Jimbob. I’m not into you. Get that through your head, yeah?”
“You’re not gay?”
He rolls his eyes, and I take that to mean that he’s not. Or at least he’s not sure what he is.
“Oh. I know,” I say, even though I’m pretty confused. I don’t know any straight guys who kiss guys just for the hell of it. But that’s not something I want to talk about right now. Maybe not ever. Maybe it’s none of my damn business, and I’m okay with that, but I’m not okay with not knowing for sure ifhe’sokay or not. “I wasn’t asking you on a date. Just like a friendly drive or something.”
My words hang between us, and he glances up at me before shaking his head.
“Fine. Butnothing else. This isn’t a thing. We aren’t even friends.”
I nod, not sure why he’s being so adamant about it when he was the one who kissed me. Every time. But it doesn’t matter. We can be friends. I just know it. I’m a great friend. Braxton will see.
“Yeah, okay. I get it. Just a friendly not-friend drive.” But we’re so going to be friends. I’m really damn happy he is coming out with me, for some reason. Real damn glad.
He grabs a dark-gray jacket and follows me out of the room, telling his mom that he’s going out. She just nods, her eyes narrowed at us as we exit the house. Don’t know what she’s thinking, or if she even cares where her son is off to. She seems more preoccupied with her phone and her cigarettes.
When we get to my truck, I almost open the door for him, like I was raised to do, before realizing he’d think I was trying to be gay or too friendly. So I just let him struggle with it. It’s a little rusty and hard to pry open, but I figure I’d rather him manage it than get an earful.
