The Brains and the Bad Boy <Editing>

Daddy Salaway

I woke up early the next day to feeling like I was being crushed, I then remembered that Keith had me take his bed. I turned my head the best I could to see it was Keith, laying across me. It wasn't even like a cutesy movie where it's the guy's arm around the girl's waist, it was him just plain laying across my back, crushing me. "Keith, your crushing my spine." I whispered, nudging him with my arm. He stirred and rolled off me, still asleep. "Doofus." I mumbled as I got up. I twisted and cracked my back before slipping on my glasses. I got myself a small bowl of cereal and sat down quietly. Keith's parents woke up early along with Lauren and Zack. "What are you guys doing up so early?" I asked.
"Church." Zack complained and I shrugged.
"Want to come, Alice?" Keith's mom asked and I shook my head.
"I'm not very religious." I told her and she nodded before they all left. Keith woke up a while after they left. "Where'd everyone go?"
"To pray to lawd Jesus Christ!" I wasn't mocking them, just joking, be sure not to mix them up. Keith laughed a bit and sat down with an apple. "I'm bored."
"You just woke up."
"Shut up I have ADHD." He gave me a light shove. I laughed, "so how much more do we have to do for our video?"
"Just what the damn thing eats." He sighed, looking at the sheet we taped to the wall.
"Good. I'm sick of this project."
"But um, what are we going to do after we finish the project? You won't have to be stuck with me anymore." I asked,
"I'm kicking you out-" I stared at him with eyebrows risen- "of my room, my mom keeps throwing your shit in with mine."
"Mkay." I said, I was actually expecting him to pretend I didn't exist like everyone has done for the past 11 years. I plopped on the couch and found Walking Dead, it was Season 5. Maybe I can catch up for a little bit.

"Alice, do ya want lunch?" Keith asked,
"Shhh, shut up. Carol's threatening a nine-year old!" I was fully focused on the screen in front of me, the phone even rang and I told it to shush. I lowered the volume of the TV and decided to listen. "Sup?... Dad?" I heard from the kitchen.
"What do you want?"
"I couldn't care less the greeting you want after 7 years, you bastard."
"Shut up, what in hell do you want?"
"My behavior isn't based on Mom and I don't want to visit. Bye." He said, hanging up. I didn't say anything and he sat down next to me and turned up the volume. "You want to-"
"Nope."
"Got it..." We just watched in silence. Apparently Keith watches Walking Dead too so we were content. When everyone got back, Ms. Salaway called Keith aside. The rest of us were listening from the door that separated us from the conversation. "Your dad wants you to visit." My eyes widened when I heard that.
"I know, I already told him."
"Told him what, Keith?"
"No."
"I want you to go, it'd be good for you both." She said calmly.
"No fucking way."
"I know your angry at him. I still am too. But he's become a mess since the accident, you need to talk to him."
"He's killed Darcy and you want me to see him again?" My blood ran cold and everyone froze.
"He didn't- he didn't kill her, she ran out in front of the car when he was on the phone."
"she was only 3!"
"Please, I know it's not the easiest thing. If you won't do it for me or him, do it for Darcy."
"You can't do that to me!" Keith seethed at her and I bit my lip anxiously.
"I'll make a deal. You can bring Alice if you want, I'll talk to David and see if he has room."
"You need to talk to him." Lauren whispered in my ear.
"Before he breaks something." Zack mumbled. I shook my head quickly and with a sudden shove, the door was opened and I fell to the floor. Keith glared down at me and I raised my hands in defense. "I swear, I didn't do anything." Suddenly I was shoved into an argument between a mother and her son. I really didn't know what to do but sit quietly, tapping my foot and biting my nail. "Can you talk some sense into this boy, Alice?" Mrs. Salaway asked and words wouldn't leave my mouth and I was just stuttering like an idiot. "She isn't the boss of me."
"Oh please, you'd jump though hoops for her."
"Oh shut up, I do not." A bit harsh to me, too harsh.
"Don't talk to your mom like that." I said, standing up.
"Whatever." He said and I sighed.
"I'll give you a few days to think about it." She left and I sat down next to Keith on his bed. It was quiet for what felt like ages. I watched each shadow of feet leave the door. "I don't think it would hurt to go." I said as gently as possible.
"Why is that?"
"Do you realize how it must've felt being him when that accident happened. Imagine you look one way and your daughter runs the other and into on coming traffic. Imagine watching it happen and when you go to help it's too late." I said and flashbacks to my dad rushing my mom to the hospital run through my head in a blur.
"I know it was hard for you but your really all the poor guy has left. What would a weekend hurt?"
"I hate when you do that." He mumbled.
"Do what?"
"Say the saddest fucking thing ever to change my fucking mind. It won't work this time." I looked at him for a second and he tried his hardest not to meet my eyes. "Fine!" I smiled.
"But-" I frowned knowing what he was going to say- "your coming with me to god knows where."
"Fuck."
"But imagine what it feels like being me..." He pouted dramatically and I threw his pillow at him, hitting him square in the face. He spiked it at me and this went on for a good 15 minutes or so. I threw one last one at him but I was the tackled and a pillow was pressed onto my face. "Hush, just breathe deeply." I shoved him off and I was pulled onto the other side of the bed, on top of him. I blushed and scrambled off of him. My flustering caused me to tumble to the ground off the bed. "Ow" I moaned in pain, he just laughed at me. It wasn't until a full minute later that he helped me up. "So is it a deal? You'll go."
"Only if you swear you'll go."
"Fine, we have a deal."
When I opened the door and a tangled ball of people fell into the room. "What the fu-?"
"How in hell to you do that?" Lauren asked, gesturing to Keith who was cracking up as Zack was stuck at the bottom of the pile. "It's called the magic of friendship." I said, moving my hand in a rainbow shape like Spongebob. "I'll text David and tell him that he doesn't have to refund the ticket, and to buy a second one." Mrs. Salaway cheered.
"Where does he live again, Ma?" Keith asked.
"Minnesota."
"Minne- ughhhhh!" He groaned.
"Imagine what it was like!"
"Shut the fuck up, man."
-that Friday-
I had packed my duffel with my stuff and Keith packed up his stuff. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this damn fucking shit."
"I can't believe you can fit so many curses into one damn fucking sentence."
"Let's just get this over with." I half smiled and we left. He tossed our stuff into the back of Steven's car and we pulled out and went to the airport, Mrs. Salaway and the rest waving us off. I cranked up the radio as my favorite song came on,
'She's all laid up in bed with a broken heart,
While I'm drinking Jack all alone in my local bar...
And we don't know how we got into this mad situation,
Only doing things out of frustration," I didn't even realize I was singing but I was.
"Trying to make it work but man these times are hard.
She needs me now but I can't seem to find the time.
I got a new job now at the unemployment line.
We don't know how we got into this mess, this is a god test.
Someone help us because we're doin our best trying to make it work but man these times are hard.
But we're gonna start by drinking on cheap bottles of wine,
Shit talkin up all night,
Sayin things we haven't for a while, a while, yeah.
We're smiling but were close to tears.
Even after all these years, we just now got the feeling that we're meeting... For the first time. Ooh!" The song finished after another minute and the car turned off. "Nice singing, Red." He didn't seem sarcastic but I wasn't sure.
"Thanks?" I replied, sheepishly.
"Got your stuff?"
"Yeah, leggo." I said and we went inside, I waved my warm weather goodbye for the weekend as we went through security and luggage check, ect.
"Shoot, I don't have a coat."
"It can't be that cold, chill out." The irony.