Buddies ~ Colby Brock

01

"Just come back here and spend the night. I'm sure the others won't mind," he spoke softly as he heard her voice had cracked and could hear her sniffling.

"Are you sure?" she asked softly, afraid of breaking down on the phone with someone who had only seen one side of her. He reassured her it would be okay and hung up saying he'll be waiting for her by the gate. She finished putting her belongings in her car, a few boxes in the backseat and a few suitcases in the trunk. She sat in the car for a few, resting her head on the steering wheel as tears ran down her cheeks. She couldn't believe they took her money and never wrote down that she paid. She wiped the tears off her face and started the car, heading back to the house at almost 05:00. She was sure everyone else was asleep at this time.

She parked on the side of the road and walked over to the gate where Colby was standing in only a pair of sweatpants and an open sweatshirt that showed he wasn't wearing a shirt underneath it. She walked over with a small bag that held her pajamas and night care products. Colby walked her into the house and showed her the couch in the gaming room had blankets and pillows on it from his room and had curtains covering the windows and doorways so the sun and no one can peek in, they also were from his room - he had bought more than he was going to use. She thanked him and he smiled as he went into the kitchen to make himself some food as she went to the bathroom to change into a pair of sweatpants and a black tank top. She brushed her teeth and french braided her short hair before starting her face care. Once done, she walked out and entered the kitchen to see Colby sitting at the small table attached to the counter eating a bowl of ramen. Another bowl of chicken ramen sat across from him with a plate over the bowl, chopsticks sitting next to it as well as a fork.

He smiled as he pointed at the bowl, "I figured you'd be hungry. You didn't get to eat much before they came home."

"Thanks," she smiled as she sat at the table, taking the plate off of the bowl only for a large amount of steam to rush out of the bowl. She grabbed the chopsticks and put them in between her thumbs and the side of her pointer fingers as she placed her palms together and bowed  her head slightly as she muttered under her breath, "Itadakimasu." She broke the sticks below the table and then started to eat, not noticing the look of confusion on Colby's face.

"What was that about?" he questioned, though his question seemed rude, his tone told Aliyah that he was just curious.

"What?"

"The thing you did with the chopsticks and bowing," he explained.

"Oh. It's Japanese etiquette. My mom's boyfriend was Japanese so I grew up using Japanese etiquette. I guess it just sort of stuck with me from then on," she smiled at Colby though he could tell that she didn't really want to talk about it. Colby nodded and continued small conversation with her, starting with simple questions such as her favorite color, if she wanted pets, what her favorite animal was, et cetera. She finished her ramen before Colby, being more efficient in the use of chopsticks than he was. She place the sticks on top of the bowl, neatly next to each other and put her palms together once again and bowed as she whispered out, "Gochisousama."

Aliyah got up and picked up her dishes, putting them in the sink before sitting back down at the table to continue her chat with Colby as he spoke, "Where are you going to live from now on though?"

"I don't know. My mother died a few years ago and her boyfriend went back to Japan and Sam and Brennen are my only friends so I have no clue," she chuckled slightly as she shrugged. "Moving in with Brennen would be awkward and a bad idea though."

"He can get you to drink in no time. I've see you guys at parties," he chuckled as he looked down before he looked up with only his eyes, his head still facing down. "Of course. If you move in here, we'd get to see each other more," his voice was husky as he looked her in the eyes, both of them starting to lean over the table towards each other.