S L O W T O W N

Mother Knows Best

"Wake up," Josh stirred a little and rolled over, Abby standing by his bed. He sat up and pulled the covers up his chest, a shocked gasp escaping him.

"Knock maybe?" He defended, gripping the blanket closer to his chin. She rolled her eyes.

"I did knock and you didn't answer, mom wants you to get up now,"

"What's the time?" Josh rubbed his eyes, yawning and letting his jaw slack for a moment.

"Dunno, time to get up," Abby grinned sarcastically and strode out of the room.

"Twerp!"

"Lazy!" She called back. Josh rolled his eyes.

"Lazy," he mocked her voice in a high tone and clambered out of bed, pulling on a pair of boxers, glad the sheet had been covering him when he was so rudely interrupted from his sound sleep. He was honestly glad no one really came to wake him, sleeping nude was something Josh would never give up, a guilty pleasure, and he was grateful to usually wake up with his own body clock. The day previous must've made his body want more rest.

"Or you're trying to avoid your new route," his conscious replies with an evil grin. Josh pushes it back into place and begins to father clothes from his dresser.

Once dressed he lumbered out to the kitchen, his mother working on a pork roast that Josh would keep an eye on when he got home. Abby rushed past with her bag, toast in her mouth.

"Hey!" Josh blocked the doorway and she looked up, pulling an earphone out in confusion. "Where's my hug?" He gestured for her to embrace him and she grinned, jumping into his arms and holding him close. Josh pecked the top of her head and she pulled away.

"Love you Joshua!" She called as she rushed out the front door.

"Don't call me that!" He replied with equal affection in his tone. He sat down at the now empty table. "Has everyone already left?" Josh questions, taking the juice from the middle of the table and pouring it into a glass.

Laura came and sat beside him for a moment, patting him on the shoulder as she sat.

"I let you sleep in a little today, needed time to prepare dinner anyway," she smiled. Josh smiled back, drinking from the what he assumed to be already used glass as he got the taste of milk in his orange juice. He put the glass down and soured his expression, hiding it from his mother.

"How was work yesterday?" She asks, rising again to put the roast onto the oven. Josh shrugs, sloshing the juice around in his cup.

"Yeah, it was okay, lots of old people on that side of town," Josh complains and Laura smiles adoringly.

"Anything interesting happen?"

"Well there's a kid that lives right at the edge of town, practically inside the forest, his name is Tyler. He's pretty cool, weird though, he watered his driveway," Josh let his shoulders drop along with his stomach. "Oh shit I gotta go," Josh got up and grabbed his duffel bag. Before he rushed out the door he did a double take, kissing his mother on the forehead.

"Have a good day!" She called to him knowing he wouldn't hear.