Chapter 9
nine
Fearful Rebel
Jim
-Brrrrriiiiinnnnngggggggg-
“Fuuuuck–”, moaning. I reached up to the nightstand above my head, and swiped the alarm clock in my grip to tag the lever, making the bell that was ringing stop, then sat it down beside me, closing my eyes again.
Sleeping on the floor was horrible. I barely got any shut eye. And by the sound of it, Charlie didn’t either because I heard him tossing and turning most of the night as well. God, he was a mess. I got to get him moving to find his place, hopefully before Mike was aware he was gone.
I sat up to see if the alarm woke him, but my eyes only saw an empty bed.
Startled, I got up off the floor and headed for the hallway to see if he’s somewhere in the house, like the bathroom, but that door was open with no one in there.
David's door was still closed, rightly so. It’s Saturday, our day off and it’s six o’clock in the morning.
I should probably check to make sure he’s not dead though from that punch he took for me last night.
I turned the doorknob slowly and quietly trying not to make any noise.
When I could get a peek, I saw David lying on his side, facing away from me.
I saw his torso expand with a breath so that’s the only sign I needed and quietly closed the door.
I should have probably checked on him throughout the night, but my mind was clearly more worried about the now missing man that was in my bed last night.
I headed downstairs and Charlie was nowhere to be seen. The outside door in the kitchen that we came in last night was unlocked. He must have snuck out during the short time I was asleep.
Exhaling and locking the door, I turned to the stove and put on the coffee and water kettles. I’m up and awake now, might as well stay standing. As I sat and waited, I daydreamed about icy eyes with a hurt that I wanted to cure.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and popped awake, looking up at David.
“Please tell me you didn’t sleep here last night,” looking worried.
Sitting up, I groaned from leaning over with my head laying on my folded arms against the table. My full coffee cup sitting where I left it, having only taken three sips before clearly passing out again.
“No. I slept on the floor in my room, once I was able to get Charlie into bed,” taking a breath and stretching my arms up, then shaking them out to get the blood flowing again.
I looked up at the clock, seeing it was almost ten in the morning, then glanced back at David. God, his bruise is bad. Richard really got him good. I hope his hand was useless. “Your face looks like shit. How does your head feel?”
“Tender, and I have a headache which is to be expected,” reaching up to lightly touch the side of his face.
“I probably should have iced it last night, but I was a bit drunk and didn’t think of it.
” Then like a light bulb turning on, his facial expression bops in shock, “Oh shit, my mother is going to freak out when she sees me when I get home!”
“Yeah, that’s not going to be good,” as I gave a sympathetic look.
“It wouldn’t be such a big deal if they didn’t live with you.
It’s not like they don’t have options.” We had talked about this before.
He moved his parents in with him almost a year after he started working in the mine to save money all around for everyone.
I am still surprised the company allowed it to happen.
His father didn’t work in the mountain, and never had.
“They are better than any housemate that I could find or be partnered with by the company,” as David gave a nasty shiver.
“The house stays clean because of my mom, the expenses get paid with the help of my dad, and I still get all the freedom I want.” Then pausing to think before shrugging and saying, “Except not being able to bring a girl home. I’ve got to get creative in that situation.
Plus, you know I would probably drive you nuts if we lived together.
We might be best friends, but we are too different to go that route. "
“Speaking of nuts, thanks for getting in Richard’s way last night. But also, you’re an idiot on multiple accounts,” I expressed, giving him an unserious irritated look. “You want coffee? I’ll make a new pot,” getting up from my small two-person table.
“Why am I an idiot? And yes, but only because I want to stay and hear what the hell happened last night after you left me here to take Charlie home.”
I kept silent while dumping out the old pot and filling it back up to start boiling, trying to process how to tell David the events of last night without telling him everything. He knows something went down by the way I got rid of him after we came back here.
“Don’t call me an idiot and then clam up. Are you seriously going to keep me waiting? What happened?” David sat down at the table with a plop.
I turned around and rolled my eyes, “You’re an idiot for taking that punch.
Even though I’m appreciative that I have a best friend that would protect me like that, you shouldn’t have.
Especially with it coming from that dick.
” I took a breath before continuing, “You are also an idiot for getting Charlie drunk last night. Are you kidding me?”
Last night was exhausting.
After he mumbled a “sorry” with a smirk mixed with a guilty expression, I shook my head then told him about trying to get Charlie home and him not knowing where he was, so I brought him back here.
“Once I got him here, he started to panic,” veering away from what I think is the truth with a white lie.
“Not only has he never had beer before but he also has never been drunk, you idiot,” I threw at him again.
“He was worried about his dad finding out. It took me a minute to get him to calm down,” turning around to pour the coffee into two cups.
Setting them on the table and sitting down with David hoping the outcome at Charlie’s house was positive.
“Where is he?” He took a sip of his coffee, which is black as coal. The way we both liked it. “Is he still upstairs, hungover?”
Also taking a taste of my coffee, burning my mouth in the process. I grimaced before swallowing, “Jesus, how did you drink that without even gasping? It’s scalding hot!” Setting my cup down and away from me, steam pillowing up from the top.
“Coffee tastes better when it’s burning as hot as coal on fire, and stop stalling. Where is Charlie?” David took another sip, probably just to prove his point that I’m a wimp.
“When I woke up, he was gone.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I set my alarm for six so he could leave early to try to find his place and get back before his dad woke up and noticed he was missing.”
“Well, regardless of the outcome, Monday at the mine should be interesting,” chugging the rest of his coffee and taking his cup to the sink.
“I'm going to head out and get emotionally assaulted by my mother.” Before he opened the door, he looked back at me, “You want to go down into the city tomorrow? There is a new movie at The Stanley Theatre with James Dean that seems good. Something about a rebel, I think.”
“Sure, sounds good. Then we can go over to Kaufmann’s. There is a book I’ve been wanting to get,” giving him a rare smile knowing he was going to roll his eyes at my hobby that he didn’t understand. Few people did, but that’s okay. I’m a man that likes to read. I fully admit that proudly.
David opened the door and stepped out, the last thing I heard before it closed behind him was, “Be ready by eleven.”
After finishing my coffee in silence and letting my mind wander over last night’s events again, I headed back up the stairs to take a hot shower to loosen my stiff muscles from sleeping on the floor, hoping Charlie was okay.
Jumping under the spraying water, I thought of the fear I had seen in his eyes.
It’s not easily forgotten and I wished it had never been an emotion that he should have ever felt.
Or continued to feel. I have felt fear before, but mostly because I was fearing myself rather than fearing others.
It’s a powerful emotion that triggers your physicality and is not easily controlled at a heightened state.
Mike asked me to protect him, and even though he didn’t mean it in this circumstance, away from working at the mine, but maybe after last night Charlie will be more comfortable and feel safe around me.
Turning off the water and grabbing my towel, I stepped out of the shower.
I wiped the condensation from the mirror with my hand, and I looked at myself and wondered how I went from feeling annoyed and put out by being stuck with a nineteen-year-old kid, to wanting to care and protect him.
What had Charlie done to me that had me being forced in his direction like holding a magnet close to metal, feeling the forceful pull?
Fighting it was starting to become a losing battle.
I shook my head, trying to clear it and exhale.
Turning away from the sight of myself, I walked to my room to get dressed for the day of doing nothing but escaping into, and finishing the book ‘Hemlock And After’ by Angus Wilson that the store clerk secretly suggested the last time I was in the city.