Playboy's Backburner

2

[Keith]

Being a child of divorced parents, I learned one thing: Be capable. 

I started my university by looking for part-time jobs and I've had three so far. Don't ask me how I could balance them all along with my studying. I couldn't even believe it myself. 

On Mondays and Wednesdays, I work as a tutoring aid after school. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I work as a postman delivering mail door-to-door. On Fridays, I work as a bartender for the night shift. These three jobs helped me and my dad financially, so I can't complain. So far, I still can study on Saturdays and help out my dad in his auto repair shop. 

My jobs aren't so near my house so I use my motorcycle to travel. However, there's a reason why I do those jobs. The tutoring place is near Lance's family home and he's there on Mondays since he doesn't have classes.  Being a postman near Lance's area allows me to send him mail because his family loves writing to him while he's away on university. The bar I work for usually becomes Lance's hangout with his friends.

One may think that I'm going overboard with all of this, but when someone becomes your world, it's just unbearable not seeing them in the same space as you are. People can consider me a martyr, but I don't think so. I'm just a needy person who needs Lance to live. It's nothing that should be considered heroic. I don't think it's heroic at all. 

"Keith, it's your turn to close the shop this time." The bar owner said.

"Yes sir." I responded, while mopping the floor. 

It's 6 AM on a Saturday and at this time, my father should still be sleeping. I finished cleaning and closed up the shop. Just as I was walking off, someone bumped their bike onto me. "Ouch!" I shouted, and noticed it was Lance, riding his bike to who knows where. "Off from work?" He asked, smugly. "Yeah, and I'm going home." I said. "Come on Keith, let me make it up to you." He said, chasing me while I walk away. "You don't have to make up for anything." I said, not looking at him. "For yesterday. I'm not that dumb to not know I did something wrong." He said, grabbing my arm. Wow, he still has an ounce of conscience left. 

"Yeah, you left me to eat with someone else, and you didn't return my textbook so I had to share off of someone else's. You know how much I hate sharing." I told him, disappointed. He laughed and he put his arm around me. "You know, being aloof isn't going to work out, Keith. You have to go out there and have friends besides me. I'll introduce you to girls." He said and it got me irked. I pushed him off of me and stormed off. 

Introduce me to girls...that crossed the line. When I like you so much. 

"Get me to eat some other day." I angrily said. I jumped on my motorcycle and got out of there. "Keith!" I hear Lance call out my name and the sound of it fade into the distance. I got some better things to do. As soon as I got home, I hear banging on the door. My dad woke up to the sound of it and I grunted as I open it. Who could this annoying person be this early in the morning?! To my genuine surprise, it was Lance. Wow, he's being persistent. It's the first time. 

"Keith Kogane, will you eat brunch with me?" He asked, panting excessively. 

"It's too early to be brunch." I said and closed the door on him but he held it back. 

He's so persistent! "I will not be ashamed to cause ruckus until you agree!" He said and my dad came downstairs. "Keith, why don't you let Lance in?" He said and I gave up. I opened the door and Lance hugged me. "Alright. I'm just about to cook breakfast. Why don't you two wait in the living room?" My father calmly said and I hesitated. "I'll cook." I insisted but he shook his head. "Your friend is here, you can go on and talk or watch a movie." He said and headed to the kitchen. I looked back at Lance to catch him chilling in the living room. 

"Why are you so insistent for me to eat with you today?" I asked him and he smiled. 

"I missed you, buddy. I kind of wanted to catch up!" He said and I smiled. This feels good. 

I handed him the TV remote. "Here, in case you want to watch a movie." I said and he switched it on. The movie that was playing was Jumanji. It was our favorite movie back in the days. He quickly changed the movie and I was surprised. "Don't you like Jumanji?" I asked him and he shook his head. "If I was back to being a child I would, but I'm a grown-up now so it's kind of cringe for me to watch." He said and I shook my head in denial. "How much of a grown-up are you to forget our favorite movie?" I asked him and he scoffed at me. "That's still your favorite? You need to grow up man. It's for kids." He said and I took the TV remote from him. I shut off the TV and stood up from the couch. "It's time to eat." I told him. 

"Keith, you're such a stuck-up." Lance mutters but I heard. I decided to ignore it. 

I head to the kitchen to help my dad but he was almost done. "Where's Lance?" He asked. "I left him in the living room. Are you done cooking? I'll set up the table." I said, bringing out the plates. "You know, I'm thankful you're here, son. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you." He said. "Dad, don't get sentimental on me now. I'm just setting the table." I said in which he chuckled softly. "Sometimes, there are things we have to be thankful for, and we have to tell those things that we are thankful to appreciate their value." He said. What he said stuck to me like a moth to a flame. My dad's the only one who appreciates me. But the person I wanted to be thankful for me can never say that to me. Probably because I'm just useful to him when he needs me.

"Lance, let's eat." I called to Lance from the living room. 

He excitedly hurried up to the table and sat down like an adorable puppy. "This smells delicious, uncle!" He said, getting a spoonful of food into his plate. He chomps down like he hasn't eaten for days. "Are you okay, you can get more later. Eat properly." I told him and he suddenly shifted his rude behavior to something proper. Am I his mom? "Sorry uncle, your cooking is just so good. It kind of reminds me of Keith's cooking." He said and I almost choked on my food. "Keith, are you okay? Drink water." My dad said and I drank some water to ease down the food. "Keith's cooking is better than mine, but for once, I wanted to cook something for my son's best friend." He said, displaying a bright smile. I showed a faint smile and glanced at Lance who was busy eating. Best friend is a term of endearment we've forgotten. I'm just his pawn now. 

As soon as we finished eating, I gathered the dishes and washed them. While washing, Lance creeped up to me and whispered something. I got shy and pulled back. "Are you kidding me? I could have dropped a plate! Stop doing that." I exclaimed. "Sorry, sorry. But that look on your face was priceless!" He said, laughing. "Why don't you go home?" I asked him and he chuckled. "Why are you so avoidant of me? Come on man, we haven't been to each other's places for a long time." He said. It's because you never wanted to be here anyway. 

"Go home, I have to sleep." I said, finishing washing the dishes. 

"Stingy. But alright, Allura just texted me. She wants to go on a date." He said, happily looking at his phone.

I winced. "Date? Are you guys going out now?" I asked him. "No, but we're nearing there, I think. She's so cute, and she's got a friend if you'd like." He said and I glared at him. "No, I don't. Go home." I said, turning my back on him. "Alright, alright. Tell uncle I loved the food. See ya!" He said, closing the door behind him. My vision was starting to get a little blurry, and my throat was aching. Tears started falling down from my face and I begin to realize that he's never going to look at me the same way he looks at girls. 

I'm just not good enough.