Just Friends

33

୪𝚃𝚎𝚜𝚜୪

The most awkward thing about bringing a friend to my parents' house isn't the point in time where my parents choose to have a 'quiet' argument right in front of us.

It's the point where Dad is forced to go up to the attic to find the air mattress while Mom stands at the very bottom of the ladder yelling at him about where the air mattress is.

Levi and I stand very quietly to the side. Neither of us have the courage to tell them that we're completely fine sharing and that we've done it before.

"Oh, for god's sake, Peter." Mom grumbles to herself as she lifts her hand to pinch her nose bridge.

Dad gasps when he hears her. "Pamala, it is Jesus's birthday!" He reminds, exasperated.

Levi tilts his head at the ceiling at that. I hush him before he can even think of correcting what ever it is he has to correct.

Dad gasps again. But this time, some tumbling follows. Mom backs up from the ladder just in time for the big box that holds the air mattress to slide down the ladder.

There's a moment of silence as we all stare down at the box that almost swept my mom right off her feet. Right in front of the stairs too.

Levi clears his throat quietly. "Got it." He assures. "Thank you." He adds, awkwardly looking back down at the box.

"You're welcome." Dad delightfully calls back. Mom shakes her head as she leans down to pick the box up.

She nudges the ladder back up as she passes it and smiles to herself when Dad groans. Levi feels bad as we head back to my room, so he tugs on the little string above to get the ladder to come back down all the way.

"Okay," Mom mumbles to herself as she drops the box down loudly on the ground. "You two get to figure that out. I'll get some sheets." She dismisses as she leaves the room.

She shuts the door behind her and immediately starts 'quietly' arguing with Dad about the ladder. Neither of them have great arguments. It's one of those arguments they have that remind me they still love each other.

Levi smiles when I look back at him. "I like your parents." He admits as he walks over to the box to kneel down on the ground. I smile at that.

Jasper decided to head out with his parents earlier, so it's just me and Levi tonight. Besides my parents across the hall.

I can't help but feel a little sad that Jasper won't be here tonight. He always has been the one we get the air mattress out for. This is the first year that he won't be here.

Things might've been a little awkward with both Levi and Jasper here, but I still kind of wish he was. At least then it wouldn't be a clear end of certain things.

I tilt my head as Levi lifts the air mattress out of it's box and starts unrolling it. It's not that big of an air mattress, but my room isn't the biggest in the house either. It takes up a good amount of space.

I shift on my feet while I uselessly stand here and watch him. Levi doesn't ask for help or even look at me for it. He seems content just doing it himself.

"You seem good at that." I playfully tell him. But he is. He figures out how to open the tiny compartment on the air mattress to find the plug quickly.

Levi laughs quietly and starts glancing around for an outlet. I quickly point it out to him by my dresser. "Thanks." He reaches over to plug the mattress in, but doesn't flip it on just yet. "My dad liked camping." Levi adds with a little smile my way. "Well—Camping that wasn't exactly camping."