A Numbers Game

Chapter 5

Hey guys! I just want to say thanks a lot for all the votes, views, and comments! It's greatly appreciated and I wasn't expecting it so soon. So here is the next chapter as promised. Let me know what you guys would like to see from a character in the upcoming chapters and I'll see if I can make it happen for you. ~Lots of Love, BB

I wake up with a jolt. Something loud just hit the floor. I hear quiet talking and the sound of the kitchen faucet running. I check the time. 10:04pm. I shuffle into the kitchen, indebted to whoever the heck created pain pills. Danny cleans up tomato sauce and strings of spaghetti off the floor. But of course, everything smears instead of dissipating. My sister was like a messy tornado everywhere she went. I'm convinced her clumsiness factors into her number 3.

"You need a wet paper towel or everything will just spread." I say. She looks up wide eyed and startled.

"Well you look like death." She states.

"Why thank you, I'm trying out a new style. Glad you noticed."

"Whatever, what happened to you? Thanks for leaving me out in the cold by the way." She fake shivers and sticks out her bottom lip like a child.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry about that. I was too busy killing an elk with my car." She makes a face, opening the trash bin.

"Yikes. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, a kid from school interfered before I, you know, died or anything." She nods.

"Want some dinner?"

"No thanks, where's dad?" She shrugs.

"Where do you think?" I find him in his work study room assembling some of a boat figurine inside of a bottle. Yes, people really do that. He holds up a finger once I walk through the door. I cross my arms and clear my throat. He places his tools down on his desk and rolls the chair to face me.

"Hey kiddo, how ya feeling?" He asks giving me a quick once over. Dad had the tendency of being under protective while Mom was the opposite. It proved to cause many arguments while they were together. But Dad ended up gaining custody of us and I'd say we dodged a bullet on that one. Saying it was stressful living with Mom when she watched every move I made looking for some sign of instability was an understatement.

"Good enough, Carter's mom is a doctor at Memorial Hospital so she checked me out and recommended some things. No prescriptions though." I see Dad's face darken and his number flickers momentarily.

"Who's Carter?"

"Just a kid from school, he's new and saw the accident and stopped."

"Is this kid a boy?" I shrug.

"Dad, come on. So what if he's a boy. You know Jackson and Rodney and your perfectly fine with them."

"Yeah and it took me three years to get to that point. I'm not looking for another guy to add to that group." I roll my eyes.

"Relax, he's a numb-" I quickly catch myself and Dad pauses looking at the ground. "numbskull anyways. Especially for the child of a doctor." I laugh softly to hide my slip up but silence follows anyways. I think Dad knows I still see the numbers. I think he just pretends to not know in order to keep things normal. As far as he's concerned unless I'm a danger to myself or anyone around me, there is no reason to bring it up. I love him for that.

"How did your car make it out?"

"The passengers side is all banged up...I forgot to call a tow truck so it's probably in the county pound or scrap metal by now." I say sadly

"I'll take care of it. See if you can catch a ride with one of your friends in the morning if you feel up to going to school." I nod appreciatively. I do end up getting some spagetti and watching Survivor with my sister until she has to go to bed. I gingerly take a warm shower. It helps my neck but stings my shoulder. The contrast is confusing to my brain and I imagine smaller mes' at war over which to express in my head. Once I put the Neosporin on, the gash calms down. Once sitting on my bed I turn on my PS4 and play some Thatcher until my phone rings. It's Jackson.