Raphael /BoyxBoy/

||Five||

Right you were

So you've sent me a text. What next?

Did she leave any other instructions?

Funny

I'd like to think so

We should hang out again. Somewhere other than that tea shop

Agreed. I think you'll start associating me with garbage bins after this

Oops, I think it's too late for that

A minute went by while I fiddled with my thumbs, tapping them against the sides of my phone.

Can I call you?

I sat up as if he'd just walked into the room.

Right now?

If you're free

Yeah

I am

Lemme just leave the room. Dorm mate's asleep

Sure

I slowly got out of bed with the thought of his abrupt request.

"Hey," I spoke into my phone.

"I would've called you."

"Doesn't make a difference."

There was something about hearing someone's voice over the phone for the first time, adjusting to the difference in sound.

"Student loans?"

I gave a chuckle, mindlessly walking farther away from the dorms. "Good point. Where are you?"

"Behind you."

"Of course you are."

"Did you check?"

"No."

I did.

He snorted. "Right."

"So why'd you call?"

"Sort of have a job in mind for you."

"Yeah?" I leaned against a wall in the hall.

"Yeah. Meet me at the store tomorrow. I'll walk you there."

"Do I get a hint?"

"Nope."

"Nice."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

I glanced down at my phone after he ended the call.

You could have texted me that

No

Yes

He didn't leave a reply.

**
We took a trip up the mountains which is why I couldn't talk to you for a bit. Sorry about that. Nic enjoyed it, I think. He cried a little on the way up and I felt like doing the same, the bumps we had to drive over were infuriating. I think I banged my head against the window at least a billion times.

Anyway, Dad drove and Mom sat next to him on the passenger seat while Nic and I sat at the back with Ian. It was nice seeing my dad like that, doing things like normal parents would. Road trips. I wish it wasn't a few years late, though. I would have liked it a lot better when I was a kid. I used to dream about it. I would be sitting at the back with Devin and we would be jamming to whatever we listened to back then. Probably some Fall Out Boy.