16. Auspicious New Start （Minus the Vomit）
Auspicious New Start (Minus the Vomit)
It should’ve taken a day, tops, to pack, but Theo took a full week. It was the last time he’d live with his mom and aunt, and while he wasn’t exactly sad, he was nostalgic. Even borderline melancholy.
“Moving day!” His mom sang-screamed. She’d been pretending all morning that her red eyes were from allergies they’d been hitherto unaware of, which was likely for Jason and Caleb’s sake, since she’d never had a problem weeping in front of Theo before. Dog adoption videos were a particular weakness.
“You’re throwing this away?” Jason picked up the weightlifting thing, still in the box, that Theo’s dad had gotten him for Christmas three years ago.
“It won’t fit in the new apartment,” Theo said, outright lying. “I’m devastated.”
Jason steamrolled past his sarcasm and tucked it under his arm. “Anyone mind if I—”
“Take it,” Liana barked. “Get it the hell out of this house.”
Jason disappeared with the offensive death trap while Caleb heaved the last box and followed him, leaving Theo alone with the two women who’d raised him.
The living room didn’t seem all that different without his stuff—it wasn’t like he had a lot—but it felt different. Like something was missing.
“Looks like that’s everything.” His mom’s voice was thick.
Liana rubbed her back. “Think of all the fun we can have now that we don’t have this freeloader weighing us down.”
“I’m right here.” Theo pulled them both into a hug, which was always adorable because their heads didn’t make it past his shoulders. “You know you can visit my cool new apartment anytime.” He paused, wiping a stray tear. “Okay not any time, but you can come at appropriate times. If you call first.”
“That’s cute.” His mom patted his arm with one hand and wiped her nose with the other. It was very gross. “I’m coming any time I want.”
“Love you.” He kissed her on the forehead, then hugged his aunt again and whispered, “Take care of her.”
“If by that you mean get her drunk, I’m already on it.”
Taking the first step beyond the threshold was hard, like the air had turned viscous just to stop him, but the second step was easier, and then all he had to do was take another, and another, until he was at Jason’s car—a cute relic that needed a pep-talk before it would start.
“What’s with the frozen dinners?” Theo moved them from the back seat, so he could sit down amidst his boxes, duffle bags, and the one suitcase he owned.
“Your mom wanted to thank us for helping,” Jason said, turning the key in the ignition, then shushing them as he counted to five, let go, then pumped the brakes, holding his breath to see if the car would continue to run.
It did. It was all very exciting.
“You guys are helping me move. I’m treating you to a real dinner tonight, no microwave required.”
“So…” Caleb turned in the front seat, the seatbelt almost strangling him. “Pizza?”
“Yes, but from the fancy place with the smelly cheese.”
Jason hummed. “I love smelly cheese.”
Theo rested his elbow on the open window and breathed in the city. The autumn breeze carried exhaust, spicy meat, and turning leaves.
And new beginnings. For all of them.
He watched Jason’s profile as he merged into traffic, a skill Theo had yet to master. His tight curls were the kind of messy that had definitely been shaped that way, and his voice as he sang along to the radio could melt rock into magma.
“The internship is good for you.”
Jason’s lip hiked up on one side. “It’s minimum wage.”
Caleb shook his head. “No, Theo’s right. I’ve never seen you this confident before.”
His smile was dazzling as he stole a glance at them. “They hinted they want to keep me on when my contract is over.”
“They’d be stupid not to.” Theo’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out so fast that it escaped his fingers and wedged itself between the seats. He swore and started digging.
Jason was unsuccessful in holding back his snicker. “Finally. You’ve been checking your phone all day with a sad-sack pout. Is it him?”
Dae hadn’t texted him back since his drunken escapade. Theo had been sending hangover tips and pictures of every bizarre knick-knack he found during the moving process, all with no response. They’d never gone this long without at least texting before, and it was making him itchy.
He finally fished his phone out of the dark, evil crevasse to find a picture of his mom and aunt drinking wine straight from the bottle. Whatever his face and body did must’ve been depressing as hell because Caleb hissed through his teeth and twisted back in his seat to face the right way.
“He’s been busy with interviews,” Caleb said. “And with the time difference and everything, it’s probably hard to respond.”
Theo didn’t know Dae had interviews. He’d made it seem like the job was his. Or did Caleb mean Dae was translating interviews? He didn’t want to ask, because he shouldn’t have to ask. The sting was venomous and unrelenting.
Caleb and Jason shared one of their quick glances of silent communication, then Caleb softened his voice. “Are you upset? About Dae staying in Korea?”
He was always so earnestly interested in the truth with no ulterior motives, it was impossible to lie to him. “A bit, but not at Dae. Just the situation.”
Caleb nodded and Jason hummed in agreement. The silence afterward was comfortable and soothing. Commiserative.
“But you’ll be okay with Jordan, right?” Caleb actually sounded worried.
“Of course. She’s Jordan.”
“Right, it’s just that when Dae left…” He cleared his throat. “I mean, you’re picky about your roommates.”
“Which, by the way, is flattering for us,” Jason said quickly. “But poor Seth…”
“Poor Seth?” Theo mugged out the window as if he’d find pedestrians to take his side.
Jason’s voice boomed over the sound of horns blaring at an intersection. “You barely spoke to him.”
“I was shy.”
They both laughed a little too hard at that.
When Dae left for Korea, they’d put a bulletin up at school and tried to pick someone who would fit in with the fun yet responsible, silly but not wacky, cool but not exclusive vibe they’d created in their home.
Seth seemed fine at first, a history major with a loud laugh that made Theo proud when he made it happen.
Until he realized Seth laughed at everything.
Every. Thing. Turned out he was a nervous laugher, and even something like asking him to do his dishes would elicit a chuckle.
Theo tried to like him, he really did, but he was in Dae’s room, taking up Dae’s space, breathing the air Dae should’ve been breathing.
“Okay, fine. I didn’t like Seth, but that doesn’t mean I can’t live with anyone but you three. I’ve grown as a person.”
They shared yet another look, but let it go, and the rest of the ride was spent singing along to the radio and talking about the looming future.
Jordan greeted them with beer when they arrived, and they tried to video-call Dae but got no answer. Probably the time difference. Or maybe he was at one of his interviews.
Theo needed to shake off this feeling, or he was going to do or say something destructive.
“This place is great!” Caleb said as he walked through the still mostly unfurnished apartment.
“Then call Avery and tell her to get her butt over here.” They all turned to Theo, lips shifting into apprehensive smiles. They’d heard that tone from him enough times to know what was coming. “In fact, call everyone you know. We’re due for a party.”
??? ???
Theo’s leg jiggled against Jordan’s desk chair as he watched her read his notes, impatient for her thoughts on his five-year plan for her musical world domination.
She sat on her bed, still in her pajamas with her legs tucked under her.
They weren’t allowed to paint, so her room wasn’t as pink as she wanted it to be, but her belongings made up for it.
Her strawberry candle even made the room smell pink.
Theo’s own boxes remained unpacked, despite having moved over a week ago, though he had used sticky-tack to decorate his walls with his collection of polaroids, which had grown to almost unmanageable proportions throughout the years.
People had taken it upon themselves to pass the camera around during gatherings, or just randomly snap pictures of everyday life, which meant sometimes Theo would find piles of pictures he hadn’t even known had been taken.
Including from the party last week, which he’d honestly rather forget.
It had gotten a little out of hand. He’d apparently made out with a random neighbour in the hallway for over twenty minutes, then threw up in the pocket of the guy’s jacket.
The rest of the early morning was spent drunkenly ranting over the toilet seat, though his memory was hazy on the topic, and Jordan refused to fill him in.
He was still in recovery, which meant he couldn’t possibly think about unpacking. What he could think about, however, was making his Number One Client Extraordinaire into a worldwide star. “What do you think?”
She turned the book sideways, trying to read the scribbles that didn’t always follow the lines. “I think you’re a chaos demon, and I regret peering inside your brain.”
“Fair, but what do you think of the plan?”
She handed it back, sighing. “I don’t know.”
“I know you don’t, which is why you have me.” He sat down on the bed beside her, the fluffy duvet poofing around him. “It’s a solid plan. Nothing too big or fast; slow and gentle.”
“Are you taking my virginity?”
He winked at her. “All you have to do is ask.”
The joking energy drifted away as she sat up straight, pulling the blanket over her lap and fiddling with it, her eyes on her fingers as she tugged at a string. “Theo, can I ask you something?”
“Always.”
“Are all your hopes and dreams pinned on me?” He had no idea what to say to that, and his silence forced her to look at him. “What will you do if I don’t make it as a singer?”
“Juggle on the street for spare change.”
A laugh-breath. “Theo.”
He took her hand. “I’m building a career on my own, and I have other people on my radar. It just so happens that you’re the one I care about the most. I’m not encouraging you because I want to be an agent, I’m doing it because I honestly think sharing your gift with the world will make you happy.”
She leaned forwards and put her head on his shoulder, nuzzling a little. “Did you practice that speech?”
“Yes.”
“It shows.” She stayed there a while, then finally nodded, her voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. “Okay.”
Fuck, he loved these moments when she believed in herself, however reluctantly. Slowly but surely, he was going to make her realize how extraordinary she was.
They called the café and secured the weekly time slot, then she got nervous and kicked him out of her room so she could practice.
Theo wandered to his own room, pulled out his phone and opened the text he’d written days ago but hadn’t sent.
“Fuck it.”
?? ??
Dae
Wow.
Finally! If he’d known all it would take was some Korean to get Dae to respond, he would’ve sent it sooner.
I miss you too.
Did you google that or have you been secretly learning Korean this whole time?
dont make fun of me
You know I can’t promise that.
I texted your mom
dae?
Can’t type. Laughing.
she was rly cute about it
invited me for dinner
Will you go?
i’m honestly tempted
The three dots came and went, then stopped altogether with no message.
are u ok?
u sort of disappeared on me
I’m sorry.
im not mad just worried
want me to call?
send snacks
fly to Korea
Would you?
If I asked?
searching for flights now
window seat
ohhhhh they have gluten free meals!
You’re not gluten free.
for the experience
Click away from Expedia, Theo. I’m okay.
how do i know thats true
I’m sorry. Things got crazy.
are you rly ok?
Yes, I’m fine.
fine isnt enough
I’m going to my cousin’s tonight for Chuseok. It’ll be fun.
so I can expect more drunk texts?
His dots hovered and disappeared for a full minute.
No, that won’t happen again.
why
drunk dae is hilarious
i miss the old-timey gentleman
He misses you too.
Dae
don’t disappear again
please
I won’t.
promise
I promise, Theo. I won’t disappear again.