Miles drove me home again that day, this time he didn't have to follow me with a car to get me to get in.
I opened the door to get out and looked over at Miles, "Do you uh. . . Wanna come in for a bit?" I asked. Miles smiled and turned the car off before opening the door and getting out.
We went inside and Miles flopped down on the couch again like he had done that morning.
"You have a habit of making yourself at home, did you know that?" I asked as I opened the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water.
"Yeah, runs in my family I think," he said with a smile. I rolled my eyes and threw a water bottle at him before sitting by him on the couch.
When I opened my mouth to say something, Fury screeched from upstairs. Miles narrowed his eyes and looked from me, to the staircase.
"Are you sure that's a bird. . .?" He asked quietly as Fury screeched once again. I sucked in my mouth and shrugged.
"He could have turned into a chupacabra while I was gone. Should probably get him some food. Do you mind if I bring him down here for a little bit?" I asked. It was the after school ritual, and if I didn't do it, Fury wouldn't let me sleep that night.
"Yeah sure. I like chupacabras," Miles said with a grin. I jumped off of the couch and ran up the stairs quickly.
Fury was pulling at the cage door in an attempt to get it open when I reached my room. I opened it for him and he flew to my shoulder and rubbed his head against my cheek.
"Hi!" He said in a high pitched voice. I scratched his head and he made a noise that sounded like a dove.
"Well, hello there. What have you been doing today?" I asked. That was the usual way we greeted each other.
"Sitting," he responded. That was also the usual thing he would say in response. I had been trying to teach him new words and other things, but 'sitting' was one of his favorite words.
"Wanna go downstairs, bud?" I asked and Fury bobbed his head in response. For a bird, he was extremely human.
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, Fury took flight, like always, and sat himself on the back of one of the chairs at the kitchen counter.
"Woah. He's really cool," Miles said, rising from the couch and moving towards Fury.
"Go slow. You could freak him out," I said. Miles slowed his pace slightly and continued towards the counter. Once he reached it, Fury turned towards him and cocked his head to one side.
"Fury, what do we say to knew people?" I prompted Fury, running my finger down his back.
"Hello, I'm Fury!" He responded quickly, his full attention on Miles still.
With that, Miles cracked a wide smile, "Hello, I'm Miles."
Fury cocked his head again at the new name. He would have to hear it a couple of times before he could repeat it.
The bird turned his attention to me then, "May I eat?" He asked and rubbed his head against my finger.
"Yes you may," I grinned and grabbed some food out of the fridge for him. Apples, cottage cheese, and grapes. Add in some peanuts still in their shells for some added fun.
I put the plate of food on the counter and Fury jumped onto the counter and hobbled over to it. He picked up half a grape and looked at me.
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome," I said with a wide smile. Miles looked at me in amazement.
"How the hell did you teach a bird table manners?" He asked.
"I didn't, my mom did. Fury was hers until I was about a year old. Then she passed him down to me," I said, watching as Fury went after one of the shelled peanuts.
"Oh. Where's your mom?" He asked, mesmerized by Fury, which didn't give him the chance to see the look that must've crossed my face then.
My heart sank and I responded as best as I could, "I don't necessarily believe in heaven, but she did, so I believe that's where she is."
Miles snapped out of his trance then and he looked at me uncomfortably, "Sky, I'm sorry, I didn't know. I wouldn't have brought it up."
"It's fine. I didn't really know her all that well," I said, which was true. My mom had always been too busy on her worldwide tours, so she had always left me with my dad. I wasn't about to tell Miles that though.
Before Miles could say anything else, Fury noticed the silence and he came over to me, "I'm here," he said and sat in the crook of my elbow, which was on the table. His head was nestled in my arm.
I didn't say anything in response, just ran my finger along his wing, his eyes closing in comfort.
"You two are really close," Miles said after another minute of silence.
"Well I never had any friends growing up. So he's my best friend. I don't know what I would do without him," I said. He may have been a thirty year old bird, but he felt like an eighteen year old person.
"Have you really never had any other friends besides him?" Miles asked, Fury had moved back to his plate of food and was picking at the cottage cheese.
"Just him and my dad. I'm not very good at friend making. Fury and my dad were the only two that have stayed by my side for as long as I can remember. Even if one of them is kind of stuck here."
"I'm sure Fury would stay here even if you let him go."
"I wasn't talking about the bird."
That made Miles crack a smile and laugh. After a moment, I joined in. It felt good to laugh with another person. I hadn't done it for a while.
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Author's Note
I'm sorry that I didn't update while I was on vacation, I had an extreme writers block on this story. I'm home now, and I Will be updating more within the next few months. I want to finish this book before November. That is the goal.
So do you guys love Fury? I got the inspiration from my aunt and uncle's parrot, Ashley.