"Do you remember when we would throw rolls of tissue at Miss Jefferson? Good old times, right?" Kevin nudged Andrew's arm as if in confirmation; what greeted him was silence. The two had been walking around the block for a while, Kevin forced to carry the entire conversation while Andrew tagged along, yet to contribute a single word.
"How about we go to the park? I know you might be against it, but trust me that-" Andrew cut him off, not rudely, just plainly. "When will you stop smoking?" His question made Kevin pause. A wry smile latched onto Kevin's lips as he gave a dry, awkward chuckle. "I've been trying to quit for some time now. Just don't tell my mom about it; I'll never hear the end of it ."
Andrew walked towards the park; Kevin followed, curious what he would do. The two sat on a bench; the old playground that had enriched Kevin's childhood was no longer in use. The swing set had fallen; the seesaw coated with auburn rust akin to a new paint, and the slide had holes all over. Andrew didn't say a word, and Kevin was too afraid of ruining the moment.
Kevin recalled the last time he was with Andrew, the golden rays back then and now. He wanted to spark a conversation; however; he seemed lost on where to begin. As more time passed, the background noise grew louder and louder. Be it people on their evening jogs, chatting, or just enjoying the scenery.
"So…I was wondering, do you know about Trevor as a ghost, or was that just me?" Andrew remained leaned onto the bench, his hair lightly swaying with the breeze. The more Kevin looked at him, the less of Andrew he saw in him. The silence that lingered around him was mind numbing and his eyes, deadpan, barely closed, which sent shivers down his spine.
Andrew rose to his feet without a word and began his trek back to the house. Kevin was perplexed about what was going through Andrew's mind as they arrived at the house. 'Seriously, what did he go through for him to be this fucked up! And here I thought I was going through it.' A flicker of recognition flashed on his face as Andrew made his way to the family dining table and sat.
He didn't move, barely blinked, and his breathing was barely noticeable. "Ugh, I get that he's gone through it, but he's giving creepy vibes." Kevin's whisper failed to achieve his intention of secrecy. "Can you be a bit more considerate? How could you say that?! Besides, you don't know what he's been through."
Lara, however, didn't seem mindful of her words as she casually waved her hand off to Kevin before making her way to her room. "Don't start with your lectures on being considerate, Kevin, when you left him back then." Kevin's lips parted; however, no words left them. It was akin to a wound opening up. "... In my defense, I didn't leave him; I tried to protect him, but I couldn't." Kevin's words were hoarse as he struggled to articulate to the now uncaring Lara.
"Just tell him before I do." Lara's words barely caught Kevin's ear as she disappeared into her room. "How am I supposed to tell him?!" Kevin muttered to himself as he forced himself to take a seat at the dining table opposite to Andrew. "Andrew…I have something to tell you."
The latter seemed indifferent to Kevin's words, as if disregarding what was transpiring, he would never leave his state. "How do I put this lightly…it's about your mother." Kevin had expected Andrew to swarm him with questions about Lucy, and yet what he was met with was his usual silence. "She's…she's dead, Andrew."
Kevin had expected something out of Andrew, something resembling worry or concern. Shock or intrigue, or at the very least, a contortion of discomfort on Andrew's face, but what he was met with was Andrew's neutral line and his lifeless eyes. "Oh. Thank you for telling me." Kevin's eyes narrowed with suspicion. 'What kind of person reacts to the death of their mother with an oh? Seriously? There has to be something wrong with him.'
"I thought you would be more bothered by this, but I guess I was worrying for no reason. She took her own life after the search team failed to find you after three months. It was silent; we couldn't stop her, Andrew."
Andrew went on with his expression, the silence on him heavy to crush Kevin to death. 'Andrew, I know that this has grieved you. It's only a matter of time before you heal.' Kevin cleared his throat.Somehow, he seemed more troubled than Andrew. "Look, Andrew, if you need someone to open up to, we're here if you need us. You can stay here for as long as you'd like."
*Creak*
The front door opened and Clara made her way to the kitchen; still, Andrew hadn't bothered with a response. "Kevin, could you give me a hand here?" Reluctantly, Kevin rose to his feet as he took a long look at Andrew before leaving his presence. Andrew's eyes trailed Kevin before going back to his fingers, which remained presented on the table, unmoving as if he was waiting for something to happen.
. . .
"It could be shock." Clara concluded as she took a bite of her food, still bothered by Andrew's reaction so far. "After all, he's been through so much, so it would be best to give him space and time." Andrew was missing from the table, already in the kitchen washing his dishes. Once he was done, he made his way to Kevin's room, where he had been told he would sleep.
Andrew met Kevin walking into his room, seated at the edge of the bed, his obsidian eyes unflinching in the darkness. "Okay, that's creepy as hell. I didn't know that you took up acting, though it could use some work." His joke amused only himself. "Nothing, okay." He reached into his closet and presented a sleeping bag. "I'll be taking this for the night; you can have the bed."
Andrew watched Kevin lay down the bag, his eyes locked onto his movements before he spoke. "That won't be necessary; I don't plan on sleeping." Kevin gave an uncomfortable chuckle. "As much as I understand things may be too much for you, it would do you good if you catch some shut-eye." Andrew, however, remained with his lips pursed as he got off the bed and sat on the floor and leaned on the side. "I guess I won't be able to convince you since you want to be so stubborn. The mattress is right there, and if it's not comfy, just tell me; we can trade."
With you distant Andrew has been, Kevin found it best to give him some space. 'I'm sure he'll come around eventually,' He mused to himself as he prepared himself for sleep. 'Besides it's not like he can actually stay the entire night awake. He'll get sleepy, eventually.'
*A few days later*
"What do you mean he hasn't slept in five days?!" Lara asked as she shot Andrew a look of suspicion. "I thought it would be a onetime thing and as he spent more time here, he would be at ease up but no, he hasn't slept once ever since coming back." Kevin sighed as he prepared his breakfast, similar to Lara.
"Hello darlings, I've got a lot of work, so I might be late tonight." Clara gave her two children pecks before giving Andrew attention. "Andrew, tomorrow we have to go to the precinct, so Kevin, make sure he's ready." Kevin gave a half-hearted hum in agreement as he munched on his breakfast. And with that, Clara took her leave.
*Roar*
The sound of an engine reverberated through everyone's ears, followed by a notification message on Lara's phone who instantly perked up at a glance at her screen."Looks like Jasper's here." Quickly wrapping up her meal, Lara shot up from her seat and made her way to the front door, switching to her outdoor shoes. "You're still dating that trash? I mean, sure, your tastes aren't good, but isn't this a new low from you, sis?"
Lara clicked her tongue as she tried to adjust her short black hair, kept in a low ponytail. "The moment you get a girlfriend is when I might consider getting any form of advice from you about my love life. But I doubt anyone would date someone still living with their parents."
Kevin couldn't shoot back as Lara had already taken her leave. "Fucking bitch…" Kevin sneered as he finished his meal, Andrew seated at the dining table motionlessly serving as a prop rather than a human. "Okay, I have to go to work, so you'll have to take care of the house. I take it you can do that."
Andrew's lack of response was Kevin's response, as he too made his way out the door. As for Andrew, after Kevin left, he looked around with no interest, as if what was presented to him was nothing more than an afterthought.
. . .
"Nice to see that you're all cleared up, kid. And here I thought that I would have to fire you. Haha!" Reece said with a smile on his face as he counted the money in his hand, money from the day's harvest. "Here, kid, don't blow it all in one place or buy any junk." A small band of money carelessly thrown on Kevin's side. "Of course, and thank you, Reece." Kevin's words masked the rage and insults he was brewing inside.
Reece realizing Kevin had no intention of leaving, raised a brow. "What is it you want? Don't tell me you want a raise, kid." Satisfied with the tally, Reece placed the money to the side. 'As much as I want to say yes, unfortunately this time no, you pig!' Shaking his head, Reece was at a loss with what Kevin wanted.
"I was wondering whether you had room for one more person to work here." His words met with a laugh that made Kevin tighten his jaw. "That's a good one,kid; however, I can't afford another person working here. Besides, the store isn't that busy for two people to be working on the register. Unless you want me to half your pay, then no." With a sigh of resignation, Kevin flashed a knowing smile. "I understand Mr Reece; I was just wondering, that's all."
Reece gave a final look at Kevin before rising to his feet. "Good, then leave because I'm about to close shop." The walk back home was pretty uneventful for Kevin; however, he was inwardly pleased as he hadn't been tormented by Trevor's phantom ever since the return of Andrew.
'I wonder how he's doing. I doubt some dishes would overwhelm him.' Before Kevin could go on with his thoughts, a person stopped him dead in his tracks. Behind him, a group of three people, all hooded up. "Kevin, I was wondering when we would run into you." The man who stopped Kevin flashed a smile Kevin wished never to see again.
"What is it you want this time, Ace?" Ace, a person who would supply Kevin, among other people, with all kinds of contraband. Kevin recalled the first time he met Ace, a day he was roped in after completing a shift with Trevor pestering him. However, with Andrew lurking around, he found it hard to sink back into the habits of his old self.
He wasn't sure why, but it felt as if any of his actions would be revealed to Andrew and his beady eyes. "What? Can't I talk with a good friend, or what does it take these days? Anyway, here's your drop." Kevin didn't reach for Ace's hand. "Well, it would seem that you forgot you owe us money from the last two drops. So you better cough up the money, or a broken arm will be the least of your worries." Running in this situation was pointless; they knew where he lived but the idea of handing over his pay was a thought too bitter for Kevin.