The Chaotic Interim (boyxboy)

Chapter 15

The boys went back to sleep for a couple hours and when they woke up again around one in the afternoon. Josiah had a headache and neither one of them brought up what had happened earlier. Carson’s stomach growled loudly and Josiah’s sounded off shortly after, so they traded the attic for the kitchen.

Josiah had only just started to pull breakfast ingredients out of the refrigerator when his phone started ringing in his pajama pants. He answered it quickly and it was just his mom letting him know that Carson’s lawyer was going to be calling his phone soon.

Carson lifted his head off of his arms and watched his friend curiously as he spoke on the phone. He raised his eyebrows when Josiah relayed the information Lanai had just told him. Carson didn’t really have a response to that; he was sort of nervous about what was going on. He was worried for some reason that Gabriel and Jeremiah might somehow get out of this. That thought scared the life out of him.

When the phone did finally ring again, about five minutes after Lanai called, both boys went silent immediately. Josiah went to grab the phone that he had set in front of Carson, when the younger boy didn’t make a move to answer it. But the action caused a spark in the brunet, as he hastily snatched up the device before Josiah’s fingers could get it.

Josiah froze and watched Carson carefully. The boy with blue eyes just stared at the black metal rectangle ringing in his hand for another ten seconds. The number was odd--not programmed into Josiah’s phone--and Carson knew for a fact it would be his lawyer on the other end once he picked up.

With one glance to Josiah’s watchful eyes, Carson looked back at the phone and swiped at the button to answer it. Hesitantly, he said, “Hello?”

“Carson Mitchell?” a strong yet friendly voice asked into the speaker.

Carson licked his lip. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Ahh, it’s good to finally speak to you. I’m Nicole Mcnally, the lawyer your parents contacted for your case,” the woman said. Carson thought she sounded nice. “Is now an okay time to discuss a few things?”

Carson looked up from the tabletop and looked at Josiah. He wasn’t sure what this woman was going to say, how it was going to affect him, or what she would make him tell her. What he did know, though, was that he didn’t feel completely comfortable having the conversation with Josiah gawking at him.

The brunet got to his feet and mumbled into the phone, “Uhm, yeah. Give me just a second.”

“Oh sure, that’s fine,” Nicole chirped.

Josiah took a step towards his friend who was turning away from him. Carson wasn’t paying any attention to him, only focusing on leaving the room. Josiah frowned and hustled to catch up to the other boy and placed a gentle hand on his elbow. The brunet stopped and turned his head, putting the phone’s speaker against his chest so the woman couldn’t hear him.

“Where are you going?” the black-haired boy asked, laying his sage-coloured eyes on his friend.

Carson chewed on his cheek and glanced away, feeling awkward. “I wanna do this privately, okay? Sorry...”

Josiah shook his head and started to reassure the younger boy that he wasn’t upset--even though he was kind of disappointed that Carson didn’t want him around--but the twenty year old moved away from him before he could get a full sentence out.

Running a hand through his jet-black tufts, Josiah sighed heavily. He cast a wary look at the empty space where Carson had just been and then walked back towards the stove to work on their breakfast.

Josiah couldn’t deny that he wanted to know what was going on with the other boy’s case, but he didn’t want to pry or demand information that he wasn’t entitled to. He had to give Carson the privacy and space he wanted and deserved even if it drove him crazy to do so.