by T. N. King
Which meant that, thankfully, there was no one there to see his juggling of bags and takeout up the walkway and in through the front door, his bag of clothes dropped by those stairs nearest the landing and all three heads just over the back of the couch turning in time of the front door closing behind him. “MASON!” Chorused from all three of the same and a fumbling, laughing stumble off of the couch by the eldest woman, her feet tripping like they were an obvious sign that Paul had bought her a new bottle or two of wine that she’d already gotten into.
“Oh, honey, you’re late, and you weren’t answering your phone!” Too happy, her tipsy words followed by an even tipsier attempted half-hug that was only partially returned, just enough to satisfy her before detangling enough to make it the rest of the way into living room where Paul and Nicole were still sitting. “I got worried, but of course Paul told me that I was overreacting and that you were a grown man. Grown! Like you weren’t still in college. And I told him that a mother is allowed to worry,” he didn’t even have to turn around as he was setting all of those take out bags down on the coffee table to see why her voice was fading. Without lifting his head, he knew that she was already en route to the kitchen to uncover her stash of plastic wear and dishes that she would deny ever having to bring into the living room. “He said you probably just stopped for some pretty girl or something, which would be nice…” Right on que, her bustling back with said plastic wear in hand, and fumbling to make room on the table for them alongside the Chinese.
“Actually I told her that you were probably caught up with school first, but that wasn’t a good enough excuse for Marie.” Not that he seemed anything but amused with that fact, already reaching around his wife and pulling his own plate out of the plastic wrapping she was still trying to unravel. “The possibility of an illicit love affair though…” His laughter was cut off by the sharp slap to his shoulder, chuckles slowing little by little and shaking his head at Mason as if to say there was nothing he could have done for it.
“I told them they were both ridiculous, that for any of that to be possible you’d have to actually talk to other people without sneering… but…” He’d waited for her to speak, had very carefully not looked at anything but the back of her head since he’d come inside of the house. Unlike junior high, there was no one left to call her ugly duckling, even just to try and cover their attraction, and he was almost certain this was only because it would be too obvious now. Just like, half the time, he was afraid his own would be too obvious. She wasn’t all over-long limbs and too large for her face eyes any longer, she’d grown into all of that, and the soft smile pulling her lips off to one side, now only made that more obvious.
“I speak to other people.” He spoke to his professors, to those he was assigned to work with, he had spoken to the lady he placed the order for the food with as well. He was just leaving the specifics off to spare himself the retort it would be sure to receive. Not that, by the way her lips widened with the words he did give her, it was going to spare him much of anything at all.
“Oh, that’s enough, he’ll meet a girl soon enough.” Saved by Marie and her unfailing timing, piling that plastic plate with more Chinese than she’d ever be able to eat on her own, but then that would probably be why Paul’s barely had any on it at all, and why he was already picking pieces off of Marie’s. “He’s in college, he has plenty of time. He’s actually focusing on his studies, which you know, Nicole, you could do the same.” And just that fast attention was diverted, Nicole gasping in mock outrage and mumbling something that he was sure was supposed to have been coherent while he got his own plate and settled back into the couch to watch their back and forthing.
He couldn’t be faulted for using that time, and their distraction within one another, to look at her. It wasn’t a crime, it wasn’t even as if anyone noticed- not even all of these years later. They were too involved with one another, teasing and arguing taking the form of their catching up and engrossing them completely enough to allow him to fly under their radars. It was actually a large part of why he’d managed to adjust with them as well as he had ended up doing, their lack of need for his input in order for them to feel as if he were included. Or rather, their inclusivity without expecting much in the form of return verbally from him. They had adjusted as much as he had.
Even if they, all three, were completely oblivious to how often it was he liked watching Nicole speak, especially since her vocabulary had evolved and she began talking about things more interesting than her school friends and what the newest trends for girls her age were. Once she actually developed some sort of world consciousness that, like most kids, she had been absent previously. He didn’t even have to tune into their conversation to read it, somehow or another they had gotten onto technology, which somehow or another meant that she was once again standing on her soap box concerning technological advancement in third world countries. He didn’t need to hear it, not only from having already been party to said lecture himself a good handful of times, but because of the way that her face lit up from it. Red in her cheeks the more and more irritated she got when laying out who she felt was to blame for the entire ‘debacle.’ Her lips pulled into what Paul had begun calling her ‘Mason sneer’ when she hit middle school, and her body leaning half forward as if leaning into her argument was going to make it any more valid or understandable to whoever was listening.
It wasn’t until her entire body swiveled away from Marie and in his direction that he tuned back in, eyebrows half lifted on his forehead and the bite of kung-pow he was chewing turning more slowly between his teeth just to aggravate her. Her, “Well, did you?” forcing him to backtrack in his own mind and try and scramble those pieces of the conversation back together in order to remember how he was expected to reply.
“Did I…?” He questioned leadingly, spearing that last bite of chicken and tearing it off of the fork in one fluid move, chewing it much faster than he had the previous. “Forgive me, but I zoned out, I’ve heard that rant before…” Paul’s chuckle in the background only partially restrained and mostly covered by Nicole’s indignant huff.
“I asked,” all drawn out like she was explaining something to a five year old rather than a man several years her senior, “if you had downloaded the newest version of Neverwinter yet or not.” Her own fork flicked in Mason’s direction with more attitude contained within the emotion than even her words had managed. He sometimes wondered if that wasn’t somehow his fault, that attitude, or just something she’d naturally been gifted with. He just couldn’t remember, before he had actually started interacting regularly with her, it being as present a part of her personality. Marie and Paul weren’t similarly afflicted either, which meant that the only other person within the home with which she could have picked it up from would be him.
It wasn’t like he was complaining either way, one eyebrow lifting up slightly higher than the other and nodding in affirmation. He was willing to bet that he had downloaded it before she’d even been informed that it was available to do so. Although she wasn’t nearly as behind as her mother was apparently, Marie’s voice cutting through whatever he might have ended up saying. “Neverwinter? What’s Neverwinter? Is that a new dating app? Or is it one of those food ordering apps that I keep hearing about, I wouldn’t mind downloading one of those myself.” Food and dating, of course they would be the first two places her mind went, after he had first moved out initially they were the two biggest things she worried about concerning him. Was he managing to eat three meals a day? Did he need her to bring him food? Had he managed to talk to any girls? All comprised within five text messages generally once daily.
“Noooo Mom, Neverwinter is that game that we play, on the Xbox.” Nicole’s hands twitching just in front of her frame as if she could somehow demonstrate the game. “The one where I have the bear as a mount?” Even if she was wasting her breath, at least it was entertaining to watch her do so, her hands moving as if to form the shape of a bear somehow. “Mom come on,
Mason and I played it like all the time…” Not stopping Marie confusedly shaking her head at all, but then she’d never really paid any mind to whatever they were playing on the TV as long as it wasn’t what she considered overly violent or inappropriate.
“What level are you anyway? Have you joined another clan? I can’t find your screen name anywhere, did you change it?” And just like her mother she had just as much difficulty posing only one question at a time to a person and allowing them the time to answer before she peppered them with another four to five. “Or did you block me again because I’m a higher level than you are?” She was dreaming again, she had never been a higher level than he had, she’d just been blocked within the first two weeks of her acquiring a headset so that he didn’t need to listen to her endless prattling. Or wind up in a party where he had to listen to every male that was online with them hit on her the entire time. He avoided both and let her believe her being blocked had to do with whatever she wished to keep from having to explain either of those options.
“You probably just misspelt it again.” Or she’d tried looking up his PC name or PS4 screen name instead, seeing as how well she actually managed to keep them straight varied on what she was searching them for. When she was being nosy she had an impeccable talent for remembering, when she was just trying to add him to some random thing or another… not so much.
“I didn’t misspell it you giant nerd, I double and triple checked this time.” Her eyebrows pulling together and forcing the one corner of his lips to twitch before the laughter from their sides cut in again, Paul already standing and reaching for everyone’s plates even as Marie began closing the to-go containers one by one.
“As entertaining as all of this is,” Marie cut in. “And really it is,” Paul chiming in with their super-twin act, like only those that had been married for so long seemed to manage. “I think I’ve had a bit too much wine.” Her fingers slipping on the lid of the container she was closing as if to further emphasize her words. “And I think I’m just too old to want to stay up much later.” Laughing out of the side of his mouth as he turned that corner for the kitchen to no doubt, deposit the plastic wear into it, the only reason Marie ever bought the stuff in the first place, even if the three of them were sworn to secrecy on the matter. “So we’re going to bed, and no doubt now I’ll dream about bear mounts, whatever the heck those are, and more of those ridiculous video games you kids used to play.” Her hands already lifting those containers above her head without turning to look at Paul coming up behind her for them, taking them off of her and turning back to the kitchen with his own, softer smile, for her. “I won’t though, don’t worry, I’m going to dream about a lazy chair and a whole day off of work.”
Mason didn’t move away from the hand clapped onto his shoulder on Paul’s way out like he once might of, nor did he duck away from those lips pressed to his forehead shortly thereafter by Marie. He wouldn’t say that he had come to enjoy it, physical affection in kind from those two was still as strange as it was unnecessary, for him at least. They seemed to enjoy the availability of being able to do so though, so it was allowed, the noncommittal noise he made in response a harsh contrast next to the humming and love yous coming from Nicole to his side. Some things never changed.
Made even more apparent by the laughter and sound of the two adults tripping up those stairs, and very possibly playfully tripping one another along the way. Not that either he or Nicole got up to verify such, both of them sitting silent until the over-loud clicking of the door upstairs resounded throughout the house. Slamming would have been more accurate probably, but the both of them knew it was mainly just a warning for the two of them. Not that they needed one. Just like neither of them were getting up to watch them play fight their way up the stairs, neither one of them were going to go walking into that room without knocking.
Or talk for a few moments either, it appeared, Nicole rubbing at her eyes as if she could ignore that last overloud peal of laughter heard from upstairs. “So… ice cream then?” Just as uncomfortably posed, as her body would suggest she was.
“Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping or something?” Monotone, just as much of his other speech was, but the way that his lips shifted, he knew, gave him away. Unfolding his long body from the couch and stretching, or at least attempting to stretch, that kink from between his shoulder blades as her much smaller frame worked at unburdening itself from the mound of pillows she had, as she was like to do, piled on top of herself since whenever she’d first sat down.
“Oh please, stop acting like you’re so much older and superior. You’re like twenty-two, not forty you ass.” While she was technically right about his age… she was the one still struggling to escape from the couch, which pretty adequately addressed any question as to superiority in his opinion. She was, at least, intelligent enough to read that off of his expression alone- lifted brow and half glance down at her only inspiring her to kick harder at the pillows that she was surrounded by with an annoyed grunt. “You could help you know… or just stand there all condescending and judgmental. Or…” One final grunt and she stood, pillows falling back from her like a dramatic proclamation.
“Or I could wait for you to manage, more amusing that way,” he offered over his shoulder, already turning and walking towards the kitchen with his face turned to hide the pulling of his lips from her overly inquisitive eyes. Even more so, once she started huffing and stomping behind him. Always with the dramatics, always over the top, that was one thing that definitely hadn’t altered or dissipated with age.
“Isn’t college supposed to mellow you out or something? Why don’t you try some of that experimental stuff mom is always swearing you’re up to out there?” She was hustling, from the sound of how close her voice had gotten, she had to be right on his heels, trying to save some face with all of her deflection and pushing topics that she knew he didn’t necessarily want to discuss.
“Isn’t nearly being in college supposed to make you mature?” He could deflect himself, bowls lifted easily from the cabinet that he knew from experience she couldn’t reach without climbing, She could have reached the ice cream, but she was making no effort to do so, settling down onto one of the bar stools that were lined up along the counter with another exasperated puff of air.
“You know, you’re more annoying than Mr. Roberts, and I don’t know if you remember, but that’s pretty damn annoying.” Ah yes, he did remember Mr. Roberts, however he didn’t think that they were near in the same spectrum. He didn’t prattle on about cows and their multiple uses for two days as if there weren’t whole hours breaking up the joint lecture. “I’m still making an A in his class though, although really I think that’s because I actually show up to every class and he appreciates that, I don’t know how to tell him that I only do it because my mom would kill me otherwise… but you know…” She didn’t even pause when he set that ice cream bowl in front of her, stirring the spoon around inside of it and continuing without so much as a breath between. She had decided they were talking apparently, and true to form that meant updating him on everything, he’d ‘missed’ since the last time he was over.
“Mom says you’re still making good grades, so I don’t have to ask about that, but you said you talked to people now? Does that involve actual people or just computer programs masquerading as people, because you know Mason there’s a distinct difference there.” She was prattling, and he was having to turn his back anyways to keep from actually outright chuckling at her. He wasn’t technologically gifted or anything, he didn’t know why she always insinuated that he was, but he wasn’t about to argue with her. He didn’t mind offering up a few things though. For one, it kept the conversation going, and for another it ensured that Marie wouldn’t be continuing to badger him being that her information quota for the month would be considered satisfied, even without him having to speak to her about it.
“College is fine, thanks brat. I talk to people when I feel like it. I haven’t mastered any computer pr
ograms, I don’t know where to buy drugs and I don’t really care to find out- and I severely doubt that your mother would be pleased with it if I did.” Actually he expected her to be exactly the opposite, he expected her to start in on one of those multiple day long lectures and constant staring and slamming things. He’d managed to avoid those for years as it was and wasn’t looking to reinstate them.
“I dunno, she might be okay with it if you did it. She’d think it was a sign of normal behavior and adjustment or something, especially if it resulted in you being mellow enough to land a girl. Which you haven’t answered any time I’ve asked if you have.” She was mouthing around the spoonfuls being shoveled into her mouth now, staring at him all expectantly over them as he settled the back of his hips against the lip of the counter and ate at a much slower rate. He didn’t fancy diabetes like she did. He also didn’t fancy the route her questions had inevitably taken. Her mom had infected her obviously. He had dated, off and on, despite their lack of knowledge concerning it. He just never enjoyed it enough to continue past a certain point… or deal with the drama and headaches that came from them sticking around past a certain point. They had expiration dates, ones that were partially tied into the one being so nosey currently. Not that she needed to hear that, or that she would even want to. That was another road he just wasn’t going to even consider going down. Ever.
His thumb pressed too hard into the metal of the spoon, eyes focusing on that point that was turning redder with each passing second. He wasn’t going to look at her when she was talking about that, and he was sure she was reading it as him being annoyed with her prodding, much like she always did when it came up, but he didn’t care to look up and find out. “Have you?” Uninterested, at least on the surface, his spoon scraping along the bottom of the bowl to collect the last remnants of that sugared dairy. “Landed a girl that is?” Glancing back up only at the last possible moment with as bland of an expression as he could manage.