___
Josiah adjusted the red and white striped beanie atop of his head in the mirror, before sitting on his bed and trying to put his feet inside of his shoes. Or as much as he could with one hand. He actively ignored his mom's worried glances she kept throwing him from the hallway everytime she passed his door. His mother was quite the anxious woman. In his 15 years, he's never seen his her completely calm unless she was taking care of plants or sleeping. Or completely blazed with his dad.
The sound of her chime anklet and matching bracelets combined to make a short song as she stepped into his room.
"So, where are you going?" She interrogated.
Josiah got frustrated of trying to tie his shoes without the use of his left hand and decided to stuff the laces inside. This cast was really getting on his nerves. With a enervated sigh, Joey looked up at his mother.
"Ma, I told you and dad yesterday. The football team's having a game tonight. You guys said I could go."
Not like he actually liked the sport. Why would you willingly try to get a concussion? No, he was going to support Patrick's endeavor to support Brad. Even if he himself didn't understand why the senior was doing this, he and Sam would be there for him.
"You can. It's just that we usually spend time together on Fridays."
"And every other day after school. It's only one night, Ma. I'm sure I won't miss anything that can't be done tomorrow." His parents were normally nonchalant about whatever he did, but ever since he fractured his arm, they were, understandably, overwhelmingly interested in everything he did. He couldn't even ride his bike anymore.
His mother put her ring covered hands on her hips, before answering.
"Just don't do anything the fuzz could bust you for. At least not in public." There was an amused twinkle in her eyes that suggested she was kidding, but he knew she meant it.
She spread her arms out on either side of her and gestured for him to get up. "Come on, give mama a hug."
Without hesitation, Josiah stood up from his slumped position on the bed and wrapped his mom in an embrace. Nobody could ever say he didn't love his mama.
"Something is going to happen tonight," she whispered into their hug, "I can feel it." His mom liked to think herself physic, but his family (himself included) took everything she said to heart. She hasn't been wrong yet.
"Good or bad?" Joey asked, but he wasn't sure he really wanted the answer. She predicted the same thing when he had his bike accident. Who knows what would happen to him tonight, but he wasn't one to run away from a problem. No matter how hurt he might get in the process.
She pulled away from their prolonged hug to stare at him warmly.
"Now that, sweet flower, is up to you to decide." He always hated her riddles. It was like she expected him to understand what any of them meant. *She* didn't even understand them.
She let go before adjusting his hat for him.
"Do you need a ride?" She asked. Skye carried herself towards the door without stopping for him to answer. He knew that she already knew the answer to her question, but he humored her anyway.
"Nope, Sam and Mary Elizabeth are picking me up." Normally, they would go with Patrick, but he was probably having a randevu with Brad.
"Oh, Sam, huh." She said from over her shoulder. He narrowed his eyes and gave her the look that he had been working on for months. The flawless disappointed gaze; it works most of the time.
"Not, 'Oh, Sam, huh'. Just Sam." He scolded. She raised her hands in front of her in defense. It was like she was trying to set him up with any available teenager in the area.
"Okay, okay. Be safe. And lock up on your way out, we'll be in the back." In the back was obvious code for getting fried in the back room. Not that he was judging.
_
"You're sure you're not going?" Josiah asked Mary Elizabeth one more time from where he and Sam stood outside her car window. It wasn't as if she ever actually went, but you never know.
"It seems you've forgotten that I'm supposed to be grounded." She shot back.
"Hey, don't get snippy. I'm not the one that got caught drinking watered down Brandy." She rolled her eyes and set the car in reverse. Him and Sam stepped away from the car as she pulled off.
Josiah turned towards Sam with determination written on his face. Everytime that the three of them would go to a football game, they had a system. Patrick would find them seats, Sam would claim she didn't have to use the bathroom before hand while helping Josiah get snacks, because football bored him, and Patrick would have to sit between them so Sam wouldn't drink half of his soda then complain about having to pee at school. She still did though.
"Sam, you're gonna have to carry the load as I am handicapped," Joey lifted his left arm up to show the cast that Sam and Patrick basically scribbled on, "And you need to go to the bathroom now, because I won't be paying attention enough to tell you what happened and Patrick is shit at explaining." They walked up to the booth and showed the teacher managing it their lime green wristbands, that were impossible to match anything with.
Sam grasped his non-encased hand and they maneuvered through the sea of chattering students with practiced ease until they got to the girl's outdoor bathroom.
"Stand guard. When I get out, we'll go straight to the food stand."
"Alright, I am so stoked to sit on a hard bench until my ass goes numb, and eat stale popcorn, while watching boys throw around a cowhide covered ball."
"That's the spirit."
_
It wasn't exactly hard to spot Patrick in the bleachers, since he sat in the exact spot they always did. He climbed up the steps behind Sam to make sure she didn't drop the food, and to make sure she didn't fall, of course. But mostly, to catch any fallen food.
"Hey, Sam. And there's Waldo." Patrick exclaimed playfully. Sam moved to sit next to her step-brother further into the bleachers and left Josiah to sit beside the stranger in between him and Patrick. He was cute though, so he wouldn't complain.
"If you are referring to my red and white attire, I will have you know that I am sending a message." He raised his cast to emphasize his point. He stretched over the stranger to make it seem like he was getting his drink from Sam, which he wanted before she drank it all, but he was really trying to get a closer look at the boy out of the corner of his eye.
He had really long eyelashes.
"And what might that be?" Sam indulged in the younger teen's antics, while she discreetly munched on his popcorn, that was, as a matter of fact, stale.
He wrapped his lips around the bendy straw and took a long sip from his Sprite and kept drinking until the acid from the drink was too much. A quick peek at the unnamed kid showed that he was already looking at him.
"I don't know, I think it had something to do with finding yourself. Let me think on it."
The crowd, Patrick included, all cheered as something interesting must of happened with the dimeneck or whatever their name was, but Josiah's attention was solely focused on the kid sandwiched between Patrick and him. He tilted his head as he considered the other boy. What was his name? What grade was he in? He looked too young to be a senior. Maybe he was a freshman or a sophomore like him.
Luckily, Sam was curious enough to ask, because he wasn't sure if he was uncomfortable with being looked at or just shy.
"Patrick... who's this?"
"This is..." Patrick gave the kid an obvious invitation to introduce himself as he didn't know his name either.
"Uh... Charlie... Kelmeckis." Charlie. It was such a friendly name. He reached his right hand out to grip Charlie's, but he didn't shake it. No, he held it loose enough for the other boy to pull away if he so pleased.
"I'm Josiah Roberts, you gotta nice aura going on for yourself." He greeted with a lazy grin.
"Kelmeckis! No shit! Your sister dates
Ponytail Derek, doesn't she? And don't mind Joey, we're pretty sure he's high most of the time." Patrick made sure to, not so subtlety, sneak in a quip. Not, that it was a complete lie.
"Is that what they call him?" Charlie asked as if it wasn't a warranted nickname. The dude could put a horse to shame with his mane. Joey noticed the question was asked towards him and nodded. He also noticed Charlie hadn't pulled his hand away, he wondered why.
"Awww. Leave Ponytail Derek alone. You
put the "ass" in "class," Patrick." Sam jokingly chastised him.
"I try, Sam. I try."
"It's nice to meet you, Charlie. I'm Sam." Sam extended her hand to Charlie. Her parti-colored nails catched the light. They shook. Then, Sam grabbed a nacho from Charlie's bowl, even though she hadn't handed Josiah back his dry popcorn. He let go of Charlie's hand in favor of swiping at the half empty bag in Sam's other hand.
"So, what's the plan, guys? You wanna go
to Mary Elizabeth's house?" Patrick asked, eyes still locked on the field. Josiah chuckled out loud at the memory his suggestion brought up.
"Can't. She got caught watering down her
parent's brandy with iced tea. Let's
just go to Kings." He and Sam both were there when it happened and the look on her parents' faces when they walked in would bring him infinite joy. Well, until he forgot about it. And the prospect of going to Kings alerted him of how hungry he was.
"Yes! I'm Starving, since somebody ate my popcorn. Although I'm not naming names, they know who they are." He gave Sam a pointed look as she laughed around a chip. Patrick turned to Charlie.
"Hey... we're going to Kings after the
game if you want to come." Charlie nodded at Patrick's proposition just as Brad tosses a touchdown pass. The fans go crazy. Especially Patrick. Joey catches Charlie's smile as everyone celebrates around them.
There was something about Charlie Kelmeckis that hooked his attention. He wondered what.
He looked to his friends as a question gnawed at him
"So... did we win?"
____
A/N:
My Soft Baby Boys™ deserve the world. This'll be a short serious.