Kyle’s eighteenth birthday was coming along. Just five short days and he’d finally be of age. Try as he could, he couldn’t really help himself from wishing his father would be a little bit more relaxing with him now he’d finally be an adult.
‘Have you decided where you want to go, son?’ Clay asked over dinner that night.
‘Not really, no. We can go for some burgers, though.’
‘Burgers sound good.’
‘Yeah. Hey, dad. Can we talk?’
Clay looked deep into Kyle’s eyes and lowered his fork. He used the napkin to clean the corner of his lips, buying himself a little time.
‘Sure. What is it?’
‘So, I’ll be of age soon, right? Can we arrange so that my days are a little bit freer?’
‘And what do you wish to do with your extra free time?
‘I don’t know, at first. But that’s the point of it being called “free time”, isn’t it? Please, dad?’
Clay kept his gaze. He raised both his arms above the table and closed his hands right beneath his cheek.
‘And do you want this so-called “free time” at what part of the day?’
‘After school. I want to have the rest of the afternoon off to myself.’
‘And you’re sure you still have nothing in mind as to what you’ll do with your time?’ Clay raised a suspicious eyebrow.
‘To be entirely honest, the only thing I have in mind is to be able to go around town a little on my skateboard. Know the place and stuff. I want to find a job after finishing school, so I want to already have an idea of what is out there. And I was also thinking if maybe I could take up some classes.’
‘What type of classes?’
‘No clue. I want to see if something sparks my interest.’
Clay continued staring into Kyle’s eyes. At long last, he spoke.
‘Two hours a day after school. One extra hour if you find yourself a course.’
Clay picked up his fork again and took a bite of dinner, making it clear his decision was final. He thought for a moment that Kyle wouldn’t be satisfied with it, but the boy opened up a bright smile instead.
‘On one condition, though’, Clay added through a mouthful. ‘You must always call me the second you enter home and remember...’
‘Don’t open the door to anyone’, Kyle finished his sentence, torn between rolling his eyes and not believing his luck. ‘Dad, I know.’
* * *
A few doors down the hallway, an exhausted Roger threw himself in bed after driving for almost three hours from his parents’ house. He was at long last done with his best man task. His best friend was finally married and by now aboard a cruise ship with his new wife. Roger had the next two weeks all for himself, because the clinic would remain closed during Liam and Jen’s honeymoon.
Roger was looking forward to this personal time. There was a bunch of stuff he wanted to organise in his flat and he was really eager to install some nice natural stuff for Jake. Talking about Jake, the bird had flown towards Roger, landing on his chest and staying there for a while, allowing his roommate to caress his beak a few times before fluttering away, resting on top of the headboard of Roger’s bed.
‘Were you a good boy, Jake?’ Roger asked through a sigh. ‘How many little presents are there for me around the flat?’
The bird clapped his beak jokingly and stayed there. Roger waited a few more minutes before getting up. Half an hour later, the flat was spotless again. Much to Roger’s luck, Jake only had one spot he liked to use as bathroom, so cleaning up was always rather easy. Nothing’s perfect, of course, because Jake’s ‘bathroom’ was the topmost shelf of this spectacularly tall bookcase in the living room.
The next day, Roger allowed himself to sleep until late. It felt good sleeping in on a Monday, almost a sense of foreboding.
‘And for my next trick’, he said after checking the clock and seeing he had slept until one. ‘I’m going to stay in bed as much as I can.’
Roger rolled over, hugging a pillow and grabbing his phone to check on his social media. He got distracted for a bit more than one hour until he couldn’t ignore the protests of his empty stomach any longer.
With a groan, he got up, got dressed and left the flat. He was distracted looking at his phone when he stepped into the lift and, instead of entering the small space, he collided with a wall of shopping bags and cardboard boxes. There was a thud and a scream. Someone had fallen down on the opposite side of that wall, which was now collapsing on the floor, sending cans and soda bottles down the hallway and spraying the lift and whoever had fallen with oranges.
‘Oh, shit, I’m so sorry!’ Roger had said putting his phone away and reaching out for a hand so he could help his victim get up. The hand that grabbed his was heavy yet cold. Roger pulled it up a bit and along with the hand came a young man he had already seen once or twice around the building. Honestly, the last time he had actually paid attention to him (the first time their eyes ever crossed), Roger dismissed the guy as just some teenager he hoped didn’t cause trouble. But in front of him now was a gorgeous young man, with a sad look on his face and an apologetic attitude.
‘No, no. It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have piled so much stuff to cover my face, anyway. I had three near accidents coming home, I really wouldn’t be as lucky as to really end this unharmed.’
‘You got close, though. You made it to your floor.’
The young man let out a little laugh. It really suited him better.
‘Oh, well’, he continued, ‘let’s hope I haven’t spoiled anything. Let me just get the stuff from the lift first so you can take it.’
‘Nah. I won’t hear a word of it’, said Roger, already bending over collecting oranges. ‘You wouldn’t have fallen if I hadn’t bumped into you. Let me help.’
Once the lift was clear, they closed the door and let it go, the hallway still quite a mess. It took the pair of them a couple of minutes to retrieve everything, because a can of custard had rolled all the way down to hide under the fire extinguisher cabinet. Returning to the young man with the can on his hand and a smile on his face, Roger was surprised to see he was trying to pile up everything at once like it was again. Roger grabbed for the three boxes that were blocking the man’s face and for the bags in one of his hands.
‘There. Now you can see where you’re going and you also have a free hand to open your door. I’m Roger from 8-D, by the way.’
‘Kyle, 8-A.’
‘Nice to meet you, Kyle 8-A. Come on, let’s put these things inside.
His father’s orders to not let anyone inside their flat entirely forgotten, Kyle distractedly held the door open for Roger, who was also carrying a lot of stuff. They placed everything on the kitchen counter and started to put all the stuff away.
‘Looks like you’re having a party, Kyle 8-A’, Roger said while organising the soda bottles under the sink.
‘Yeah. Not really a party if there’s no one to invite, though’, Kyle said, his sad face already prominent. ‘But I’ll be eighteen on Friday, so I thought I might have a little something for a change. I never really celebrate my birthdays, you see. Usually dad just takes me out for the day. But this year I wanted something a little different.’
Roger heard it all trying to keep a light face, but the idea of having a lonely birthday, especially at such a young age, was more painful than he liked to admit.
‘I’m sure you’ll love being eighteen, Kyle 8-A’, Roger said with a smile. ‘I loved it when it was me! Sure it hasn’t been that long, I’m barely 22, but I’m sure you’ll have a blast.’
Kyle smiled feebly as he showed Roger out.
‘Thanks again for all the help, Roger.’
‘No problem, Kyle 8-A...’ Roger hesitated for a second. When he was already outside of the door, he turned round to face Kyle, perhaps a little too close for comfort, because he could see well the dark blue of Kyle’s eyes. ‘Listen. If you ever want help with anything, or just someone to hang out with... You know, play some video games or watch something... You’re welcome to knock. Be well, Kyle 8-A.’
‘Thanks.’ It was all Kyle was able to say without showing his burning face.
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