Not so Shallow

Chapter 16

"The boy is coming here again?" Uncle Hawk smiled while scrubbing a plate with a sponge. "It's good that you're finally having a friend."

"He's not a friend." Dylan might have surprised me yesterday but it sure as hell didn't make him my friend. It did change the way I see him, though. He cares about people. I don't know why or how, but he does. He wouldn't risk killing himself just so I would think he's a good person. I'm not that delusional.

"He might fucking be mine then." He rinsed the plate. "Kid's left a good impression on me."

"He's not a child." Uncle Hawk only used the word kid to people he might like. It bothered me to hear him calling Dylan a kid.

"He is." He placed the plate on the drying rack. "Just as much as you are." He pointed his index finger at me. "Wanna act grown up having your first friend in your 20's, Soybean?"

"You're talking as if you're surrounded by friends." I rolled my eyes and he chuckled.

"I'm not. But I'm a brute." He patted my head. "Daisy was the friendly one and she was a fucking menace." He laughed. "She'd want you to be happy, Soybean."

"I'm happy by myself." I crossed my arms.

"Daisy used to say: It's only happiness when you want to share." It's true. Mom always said if you're really happy, you want to spread the feeling around.

"I am happy." The doorbell rang and Uncle Hawk smiled walking to the door. "Now drop it, okay?"

"Who fucked you up?" Uncle Hawk asked. Dylan stood at the door. His hair was shiny and looked smooth, as always. He wore black shorts and a white shirt that matched his sneakers and cast. I realized I hadn't told Uncle Hawk about what happened.

"It was an accident." He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair.

"He pushed someone out of the street before a car could get them." Uncle Hawk laughed, clearly impressed.

"You have a bone in you, kid." He pointed to the bag Dylan had in his hand. "What do you have in there?"

"Oh." Dylan looked down on the bag. "I made something for you, Nixie." He pulled out a rectangular glass container with a blue lid and I grabbed it. "This one is for you, sir." He handed Uncle Hawk a round glass container with a red lid.

"Call me Hawk." He grabbed it and opened the lid revealing the lemon cake. "That's Nixie's favorite." My uncle smiled at me and I rolled my eyes. He thinks I told Dylan that. As if I would let him pry into my life like that.

"Seriously?" Dylan looked at me with wide eyes, surprised by the new information. "Last time I was here I saw it, so I thought you'd like it." His ears were getting red. He was still looking at my uncle and, for a second, I wished he was looking at me.

Argh!!

Stupid. Attraction.

"Kid's polite, brings me food and treats my baby well." Uncle Hawk slapped his good arm. "Might as well have my house."

"Don't care about him." I said, opening the lid of my container and being bombarded by the smell of garlic and basil. It was pasta covered with a creamy green sauce, dotted with bright green olives and flecks of red pepper flakes. "You made this?" He nodded, a small smile on his lips. "When?"

"Today." His voice was faint, almost a whisper.

"You bought olives?"

"There's a market near my house."

"Why would you do that?" I said. Completely caught by surprise. He went away and bought olives and made something for me. With Olives. That he doesn't usually have in his house. Olives.

"As a thank you." He ran his fingers through his hair, his cheeks burning red already. "For driving me to the gathering."

"You must be a hell of a boss for them to want you there." Uncle Hawk chimed in, putting his hand on Dylan's shoulder. I stood like an idiot, still processing his gift. Another gift. He keeps giving me gifts. Why does he keep giving me gifts?

"I'm just lucky to have a good team." He closed the bag and put it on his other shoulder. "They're the reason the company is awake and running."

"You're a good kid." Dylan chuckled, looking as red as he could be and, for the first time, I might believe he's embarrassed. "I'm not gonna make you put up with me for long."

"Good." I said, taking his hand off Dylan's shoulder. "Cause we're leaving."

"I haven't cracked a joke yet." Uncle Hawk extended his arms in clear frustration.

"As I said. Good." I smiled.

"Kid wants to hear it." Dylan nodded. I rolled my eyes, sighing in defeat. "How do you call a fish wearing a bowtie?" Dylan shook his head. "So-fish-ticated." They both laughed while I stared at them by the door. "It's a good one, isn't it?"

"Yes." Dylan wiped a tear that came from all the laughing. "Would you mind if I tell this joke at the gathering?" Uncle Hawk waved his hand to say it didn't matter and hugged Dylan.

"Come back, kid." He pulled back slightly from the hug, facing Dylan and holding him by the shoulders. "I like you."

"I will." Dylan smiled. "Thanks for inviting me."

"Okay. Goodbye." I waved my hand and pushed Dylan out with my uncle's laugh in the background.

The party was in Rebecca's house. She said it was always there, since she moved. The whole journey I was thinking about the olives. The big elephant in the room of my mind is the fucking olives. He knew me too much. I knew very little of him.

Maybe not.

I know he grew up without a father and he used to hang out with his mom and grandma a lot.

But I don't know what makes him bleed.

Except for saving someone else, that makes him bleed. Literally. I know he goes out of his way to help people, even when they don't ask for it.

I thought it was a mask.

Maybe that's why I'm bothered. I'm beginning to believe in his mask. Actually, I'm almost sure he doesn't wear a mask. He's just - good - like an idiot.

Good.

I find it hard to believe there are good people.

There isn't.

People only do things with their own self-egotistical wishes behind them. And in front of them. People don't do things they wouldn't benefit from at some point. Even if the benefit is the feeling of helping someone, even if it builds up their ego, even then, if it wouldn't benefit them in the long run, it wouldn't be done.

Why is Dylan doing things for me?

The glasses. The headphones. The little cute sign I'll definitely wear a lot. Olives. He has a broken arm and cooked for me. After going to the market to buy something he doesn't like. Because I do.

Salty Olives.

"I was waiting for you!" Rebecca was at her door, bouncing up and down with a grin bigger than her face. She came to us almost galloping and I laughed.

"Good someone's excited." I said while she hugged Dylan and came to hug me.

"You're about to have the time of your life." Her voice was loud in my ear and I pulled away from the hug.

"Where's Hugo?" Dylan asked.

"He's taking a nap." She locked arms with me. "He's super anxious to meet you but couldn't resist naptime."

As soon as we stepped into her house, I froze. This wasn't a work gathering. People were going wild. Dancing on top of tables and slouching everywhere. There was a lot of food. A lot. Everywhere. Even on the ground. How is Rebecca okay with this?

"Dylan, are you wearing a cast?" Rebecca gasped and I laughed. She took so long to notice it. "What happened? Oh my God, how did you drive?"

"Nixie, I was waiting for you." Blaze appeared in front of me holding a cup of what I assumed to be soda. He had a smirk on his face and no shirt. Absolutely no shirt.

No. Shirt.