The Cold Wind (Jake Kiszka)

Lunch

As I sat in the garage with Josh, us casually talking, Ronnie walk's into the garage with some of her friends. I knew some of them had a crush on Josh. "Hey, can you get your brothers and yall can play us a song?" Ronnie asked, although it sounded like a demand.

    "And, why would I do that?" Josh asked with a fake smile plastered onto his lips. "They want to hear you sing." She stated rolling her eyes.

    Josh looked at them and smirked at them. I hit his chest playfully causing him to sigh and look at me. "They are like two years younger than you." I said giving him a stern look.

    One time they were having a party and he was about to hook up with one of them but I had to find him and remind him of an oath we took when we were younger... 'We are not allowed to date anyone who is more than a year younger than us'.

    "Yeah - Yeah, I remember the oath." He said rolling his eyes. I scoffed jokingly and got up leaving him in their with his sister and her friends.

    I walked into the kitchen and slid up next to Sam, he was focused on his phone. "Whatcha doin'?" I asked trying to look at his phone but he locked his phone. "Nothing." He said turning around and leaning against the counter.

    I snatched his phone from the counter and started running with it. "You sure?" I said shouting, as a text came across the screen. "Oh a girl, Hannah, who's that?" I asked looking back at him and smirking as he chased me.

    "Ow, shit." I said as I ran into something, or should I say someone. The phone was snatched out of my hand as I looked up to see who I had bumped into, Jake. He tossed the phone back to his brother.

    "Thanks." Sam said going back into the kitchen. "Don't you think you've had enough fun today?" He asked looking down on me even though he was only two inches taller than me. "You might want to go home."

    "You aren't going to tell me to go home." I said crossing my arm across my chest. He just scoffed and walked off. "That's what I thought." I muttered. "What was that?" He asked turning around and walking towards me once again.

    "What did you say." He gritted his teeth, looking down on my once again. "I said, That's what I thought." I said raising my voice. "Leave her alone, Jake." Josh said walking into the room. Jake took a step back and Josh came between us.

    Josh glared at Jake, Jake scoffed and walked upstairs to his and Josh's shared room. "What happened." He asked turning to look at me. "Well," I started.

    "I went into the kitchen and Sammy was in there and he was focusing really hard on his phone, and I asked him what he was doing and he said nothing, so I snatched his phone and he started chasing me but he got a text from a girl named Hannah and I looked back at him for a second and then I ran into Jake and he snatched the phone from me and gave it back to Sam." I said exasperated.

    "Then he said I needed to go home." I said throwing my arms up dramatically. "Please stay here, I don't want to deal with her friends." Josh said pointing towards the garage.

    "I would stay here but I'm hungry, and someone ate all the food!" I said raising my voice at the last part; I was referring to Jake, every time Mama K and Papa K, their parents, bought groceries he would eat all the good stuff.

    "Let's go get food then." He said walking towards the front door. I followed him to the front door, stopping in the living room to get my keys and my phone.

    Josh and I walked out to my baby blue 1990 Volkswagen Beetle. Josh and Papa K had just finished putting a new sound system into it so I can play music from my phone.

    Josh hooked his phone up to the aux and started playing, John Denver. I groaned once his voice rang through my speakers. Josh always said how John Denver was his hero.

    I pulled into the gas station, Josh wanted to pump but I didn't let him. I put 40 dollars worth of gas into her. Yes, my Volkswagen Bettle has pronouns.

    I got back into the car and ask Josh what he wanted to eat. "Let's go to Main Street Tavern & Pizza, I'm craving one of their salads." He exclaimed holding his stomach like it was going to fall out into the floor of my car. "Of course, I guess I'll get what you get." I said rolling my eyes as I drove out of the gas station.

    I put the car in park and grabbed my phone and wallet from the center console before getting out. Josh was already out by the time I put the car in park. "Come on." Josh whined.

    We walked into the restaurant and took our seats at a booth. He took his phone out of his pocket and went onto it, I copied him and did the same thing.

    Eventually a waitress came over and took our orders; Josh ordered just a salad with Italian dressing with extra cucumbers, I order the same thing.

    "I don't want to go back home, her friends are so... clingy." He said covering his face with his hands. "They like you Josh, why do you think I'm clingy." I said jokingly. He chuckled and shook his head at my response.

    "You really are something else." He said leaning back into the cushion and crossing his arms. "Is that a compliment?" I asked letting out a giggle. "If you want to think that, you can." He said kicking my leg playfully under the table.

    "Why don't you and Jake get alone?" He asked studying my face. "Do you see the way he treats me?" I asked my eyes widening dramatically. "He's treated me like that, since what, we were 6."

    "I think he is just playing hard to get." Josh said scoffing. "What do you mean?" I asked cocking my head to the side slightly. "Jake only acts like that around you, I have no idea why." Josh exclaimed.

    "Come on, you have to know. Use your twin telepathy." I said grabbing his hands an closing my eyes. He started laughing causing me to open my eyes and give him a smile as I let go of his hands. "Twin telepathy only works when it wants to, the universe is weird." Josh said going back onto his phone.

    After we finished eating he drove back. I played some songs by Bob Dylan on the way back. He pulled into the driveway and put Butterfly in park. Yes, her name is butterfly.

    We walked into the house. Josh and I flopped down onto the couch, our stomach satisfied. "I'm tired." I said yawning. "Let's go take a nap." Josh said standing up and offering me his hand.

    He led me upstairs into his room, Jake was laying on his bed, reading a book. "We're going to sleep." Josh announced to him as I kicked my shoes off.

    I climbed in Josh's bed, he climbed in after me. His XL twin bed was big enough to fit both of us, kinda; but it worked. I laid my head on his chest, Josh started humming a tune. My eyes started to get heavy and soon, I would be asleep.