Good Guys Finish Last - 3. Chapter 3

When Derek had left, I sighed, not knowing what came over me. It was the boldest that I had ever been in years. The only other time that I had been bold was when I constructed a ramp in my neighbor’s barn that overlooked a pond. I had the idea that I was going to jump the ramp with my skateboard and land in the pond, safe. Well being laid up the rest of the summer with a broken hip stopped my bold approaches, but now that I was older and a lot smarter I was inviting a guy who I had just met on one other occasion over to stay at my house for the summer until we started college if he wanted to stay that long that is.

“Closing time kids.” Kathy announced and I looked at the clock on the computer and it was just a few minutes until she normally let me and Julie go home and I frowned thinking Derek had backed out.

“Is Romeo back yet?” Julie asked louder than I wanted from her doorway as I stood switching the sign from open to closed while rolling my eyes.

“Does it look like it?” I asked glancing at her.

“It was just a question ass.” Julie snapped bagging up the trash and left it for me to take it to the dumpster on the way out.

“Where are you going after we close this place up?” I asked curiously.

“Over to Lucas’ house for a little while.” She stated blushing.

“Come on Julie you’re eighteen it’s ok to go have sex with your boyfriend.” I stated and her jaw dropped.

“That is not what I do when I go over there.” Julie whispered looking behind her to make sure Kathy wasn’t anywhere near her.

“Oh and what were you saying about late night snacks then?” I asked coyly remembering her little slip earlier.

“You know what little man, shut the fuck up before I have to kick your ass.” Julie huffed, but I could tell she was joking.

“Well I don’t want to get kicked in the balls so I guess you have your way.” I joked and she started laughing.

“Less talking, more sweeping Julie.” Kathy barked as she walked past the open door.

“Have you noticed that she only yells at me?” Julie asked and I had noticed, but I shook my head no.

“I think the old girl has the hots for you.” She whispered batting her eyes and I grimaced. Kathy was a pretty woman when she was younger, but age has done her wrong. She was also an aunt figure to me.

“You’re the worst Julie.” I responded and she laughed a little. Then I heard a knock on the door from behind me and I looked to see Derek standing there. I waved for him to come in and he tried the door that I hadn’t locked yet and he stepped through it smiling.

“I almost missed you.” He announced and Julie had disappeared when I turned to tell her to leave so blushing I turned back to Derek.

“Nah, we just don’t want customers to walk in on us.” I announced, “Take a seat while I clean up a few things.”

“Can I help?” Derek asked and I looked down at the trash that Julie had bagged and he followed my gaze.

“Can you take all the trash out while I close down the computer and turn on the security systems?” I asked and he smiled wider.

“Sure thing, boss.” He then grabbed the bags in my part of the room and stood.

“Oh the dumpster is right outside the farthest exit in the movie part of the store.” I directed him and he stepped through. I heard Kathy yelling at him telling him that we were closed and I started laughing when Derek tried to stop her to explain without having much luck.

“He’s spending the night with Charlie, Kathy stop hassling him, woman.” Julie yelled over Kathy and then I heard Kathy reprimanding Julie for yelling at her. Then I locked the entrance to my part of the store and closed and locked the door that the video-store shared with the electronics store to join the others.

“You kids can leave now I have the rest.” Kathy announced and I looked around and saw that all she had to do is turn off a few lights and turn off the air conditioning.

“Well you two have fun.” Julie stated as she grabbed her purse and walked to the door.

“Don’t have too much of a late night snack, cause you know what they do to you.” I joked and she frowned blushing.

“What?” Derek asked and she shook her head.

“Nothing Charlie is just nuts.” Julie stated, then walked out of the door quickly. I turned to Derek who had a weird expression.

“I’m not nuts, she’s just horny.” I countered and he burst out laughing.

“Don’t talk about Julie that way.” Kathy had overheard and I started laughing.

“I’m just joking Kathy.” I rolled my eyes and she hit me in the ass with the broom she had in her hands.

“Now get out of here before I make you come in on Sunday.” She warned and I walked to the door and held it open for Derek who walked by. He then walked around the building to where he parked and I rushed to get to my car so that he wouldn’t have to wait on me. It was a short distance to my house, but I can’t give directions worth shit, not even in a town that I grew up in. Then when we had pulled into the driveway he opened his back door of the car and I saw a load of bags that he had with him.

“You were going to spend the summer with that friend aren’t you?” I asked as I joined him at his car.

“Yeah, I’m sure they’ll get over it before the summer is over though. So I don’t think I’ll be much of a bother.” He responded and I shook my head.

“As long as you don’t throw any wild parties then we’ll be fine.” I joked and he started to laugh, knowing that I was talking about his friend.

“Don’t count on it. He was the only friend I had down here.” Derek explained and then I grabbed two of his bags and he grabbed the other three and we walked to the front door. Our house was nothing special. It only had two bedrooms, because that was all we needed. The kitchen was large and we had two bathrooms, a living room, and a small in-ground pool in the back yard. Entering the house, my mom’s cocker spaniel Lucy came waddling to me. She was an old dog that my mom loves. She refers to her as my old little sister when she explained her to her friends.

“Who’s that?” Derek asked also noticing Lucy.

“That’s Lucy. My little sister.” I explained and he snickered.

“She’s a little fat for a cocker spaniel.” Derek stated and I looked down at her.

“You’re going to hurt her feelings.” I joked and he put his bags down to rub her ears while I walked into the kitchen and poured her some food and water making her come bouncing into the kitchen.

“Well you have a nice house, Charlie.” Derek announced loudly as I was still in the kitchen.

“Thank you. I’m hardly ever here though so that’s why it’s not a mess.” I responded and I walked back into the living room.

“Where can I put these?” Derek asked and I shrugged.

“I don’t think you want to stay in my mom’s room so you can crash in my room and I can stay in the living room the couch folds out to make a bed anyway.” I offered and he frowned.

“I don’t want to take your room away from you.” He countered.

“Well we have two choices. I can stay in the living room or we can crash together in my room.” I announced, the couch was the most uncomfortable thing to sleep on besides the floor and I wasn’t going to enjoy sleeping there. I had never spent any time in my mom’s bedroom, not even when I was little. I of course go in there it wasn’t completely off limits to me, but if I stayed there it would make me feel bad. That was still my mom’s room and I was going to keep it that way.

“Well I guess we can crash in the same room.” Derek answered a little unsure of himself.

“Ok, because that couch is the most uncomfortable thing in the world and I’d have to sleep with Lucy.” I responded and he laughed a little.

“Well, let me move my things into your room.” Derek stated then grabbed his bags and I just stared at how his muscles flexed as he grabbed them heavier of the bags first. “Uh, where is your room?”

“Oh, up the stairs the last door to your left. You’ll know you have my room because my room is the only bedroom up there.” I answered quickly then I walked into the kitchen to fix a quick late night snack blushing when the thought came to mind. When Derek was finished packing all the bags into my room, I had popped a huge bowl of popcorn remembering that he had rented some DVD’s from the store.

“What’s up?” He asked entering the kitchen.

“Want to watch those movies?” I asked holding up the bowl of popcorn.

“Sure.” Derek responded and I led him into the kitchen. I had a DVD player in my room, but I didn’t think he’d want to lie in my bed to watch them. I had already seen all of the ones he had picked out when he showed them to me to choose which one we should watch first. So I decided on the most boring of the three, Fever Pitch. Then we settled down on the couch with the bowl of popcorn in between us and Lucy snoring slightly curled up on my feet.

“This has to be the most boring movie in the world other than those nature shows.” Derek groaned and I started to laugh.

“Well I knew it was boring so I wanted to get it out of the way first.” I answered lying. I was hoping he’d get bored so we could talk.

“Well do you want to watch another one?” Derek asked and turned to me.

“Well no, not really. I’ve seen all of them.” I responded and he smiled briefly.

“Well then what else is there to do here?” Derek asked and I looked around the room for answers of course not finding any.

“I don’t know I’m hardly ever here so it gets pretty boring here when I’m here by myself.” I announced and looked at Derek who looked thoughtful.

“Well didn’t you say you had a pool?” Derek asked and I nodded. “Then lets get wet then.”

“It’s dark.” I countered as he stood. It was still blistering hot outside being one of the hottest summers in the longest time.

“All the more reason to go, get up.” He urged and I stood.

“Well you can change first.” I announced and he rolled his eyes. “What?”

“Are you always this polite?” Derek asked looking at me.

“What do you mean?” I asked before thinking.

“Well you’ve pretty much acted like my butler ever since we got here.” Derek explained and I crossed my arms pretending to be mad.

“Well ok tomorrow you’re taking Lucy for her walk and if she goes, you have to pick it up with those little gloves.” I countered sticking out my tongue.

“That’s fine as long as you treat me like a friend instead of a guest.” Derek stated seriously.

“Ok then I’m going to go change first.” I groaned walking out of the room. I could hear him burst out laughing as I started up the stairs and I rolled my eyes. When I was done I waited for Derek to change and then we walked out the back door to the pool. It was dark and we didn’t have any backyard lights to light the place up a little either. The only light was from the full moon tonight and it engulfed us into a dull darkness where we looked like shadows. The water was already warm when I stuck my toe in it. I hadn’t gone swimming yet this year, but I had made the effort to keep it clean.

“Well let’s go.” Derek announced then I looked as he did a cannonball into the pool and I slid in quietly as he was under the water. When he came up for air he had lost sight of me and he started looking around.

“Charlie?” He asked and I started snickering and he turned to look at me. I was sitting on one of the indented areas that were on each corner of the square pool. When he swam over and sat at the other corner things grew silent for a little while. I didn’t know him and he didn’t know me. I was silently worried that we’d end up hating one another as the time goes by. He was wild I thought. He had been in trouble a few times already. He had to take his drunken friend to the hospital and I had yet to be to a party that involved alcohol. I didn’t know his last name or even where he was from. I had a stranger in my home and I was too scared to get to know him. Derek though seems to be adjusting to the change well like it was something he did everyday.

“Are you always this quiet?” Derek asked causing me to snap out of my thoughts.

“No, I’m not I was just thinking.” I answered honestly.

“About your mom?” Derek asked after a short pause.

“No about how I have a stranger living with me in my house at the moment.” I stated evenly.

“Do you think it’s not going to work out?” Derek asked quickly.

“No it’s not that. I’m not scared of you or anything it’s just that I don’t know you.” I reasoned carefully.

“Ok then lets get to know one another right now.” Derek stated then he swam to my area and sat next to me. The places to sit were barely made for one person but he managed to sit beside me after I scooted over and let him. “I couldn’t see you over there.”

“Ok, what is your last name?” I asked looking at him.

“Lawrence.” Derek answered immediately.

“What’s your major?” I asked thinking that was a boring question to ask.

“Biology.” He responded. “What’s yours?”

“My major is Biology too.” I responded and I thought I saw him smile in the darkness, but I wasn’t sure.

“Then that’s all we really need to know.” Derek swam away and I was amazed.

“There are a lot more questions I want to ask you though.” I huffed as I swam off following him to the other end of the pool.

“Then we have the whole summer to answer them.” Derek stated and I frowned. I was normally an impatient person. It comes with being an only child. I never have had to wait for anything and now that I have to it was going to be rough.

“So, are you any good at anything?” I asked curious.

“I’m a pretty good cannonballer.” Derek joked and I rolled my eyes. He wasn’t going to take me seriously.

“Ha, you mean that little thing you did earlier?” I joked and he hopped out and I followed him.

“I’ll show you how it’s done.” He posed and I thought this whole thing was childish but I went along with it. Then he jumped the highest I saw anyone jump and I was scared that he’d run out of water and break something when he hit the bottom. That cannon ball was good no doubt and when he stood and looked at me I shrugged.

“I give it a four you lacked good form.” I joked and he splashed me.

“Well let’s see what you can do then.” Derek countered and I prepared to jump but he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the pool.

“You scared that I was about to out do you?” I asked coming up for air.

“Well I didn’t want you to hurt yourself not everyone can be as talented as I am.” He joked and I pushed him under the water and held him for a few seconds then I let him back up.

“Unfair you’re all muscled up and hard and look at me.” I took the time to examine him. He wasn’t thin and he had some muscle tone, but nothing as advanced as I was. Basketball had done my body good over the years and I had taken the sport seriously up until this one. It was only a matter of time before I lost this body and looked more like Derek and it was going to be a hard change for me to make, but it had to be done.

“Well I’m all wrinkly so I’m going to get out and dry off.” I announced tired that I had yet to sleep for the past two days.

“Me too.” Derek and I then got out and toweled off then sat on the concrete waiting for our shorts to dry before entering the house.

“Do you think Camdon is going to be fun?” I asked, thinking about college.

“No, it’s not going to be fun, but it’s all I have.” Derek stated and I wanted to ask him about his parents, but he said we had all summer to know that so I didn’t.

“I don’t think it will be fun either.” I agreed and he nodded.

“You could get out of here and go to Duke or anywhere else. I mean if Duke wanted you to play for them, then anyone else would too.” Derek explained and I rolled my eyes.

“Ok it’s time to go in.” I announced and he grabbed my arm to stop me.

“I’m just saying why waste talent if you have it?” He asked and I frowned.

“You understood the other day when I told you, so what is there to discuss now?” I groaned weakly.

“Because the other day I was trying to befriend you. Now that we are friends I think it’s my place to look out for you.” Derek answered carefully and I looked at him and smiled.

“Well I have enough people looking after me.” I countered and he frowned.

“Well then you have poor listening skills or you’re one stubborn ass.” Derek stated evenly. He still had hold of my arm holding me there not letting me go if I had wanted to. I hadn’t made an effort to jerk my arm from his grasp. I knew I could leave if I wanted to, but I sat there. I had lied to everyone. I still wanted to be out there, but I wasn’t going to do that anymore whether I liked it or not. Everyone has dreams that they have to give up or put off. Mine was just like that and there is no reason for me to think that my life was any more important that my mother’s and rush off to Duke and be unhappy while my mother is sitting up here in Maryland missing me.

“I have great listening skills.” I managed and he let go of me finally.

“Well I’ve put in my thoughts, but if no one else has made you change your mind I don’t think I’ll be able to either.” Derek stated and I looked over at him.

“Have you slept any since you were at the hospital?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah I slept waiting for time to leave to come here.” He answered.

“I haven’t slept yet.” I stated and I stood and he followed me into the house.

“Well then you go to sleep and I’ll come to bed when I’m tired again. I’ll just sit down here with Lucy and watch the other movies.” Derek announced and I yawned fixing to object, but he pushed me in the direction of my room.

“Goodnight Derek.” I yawned and walked up to my room. I then changed into a pair of boxer shorts and a pair of shorts and got into bed. I was tired, but sleep didn’t come to me. I could hear the faint sound of the television in the living room and I thought about everything that has happened the past year. I did that a lot from time to time. It kept my anger for my father strong and it made me more determined to help my mother for the time she had left. The time she had left was a reality that was hard to digest. It was going to be soon rather than later. I could never have imagined this happening to me. I was somebody in this small town. The basketball star and the biggest guy in high school now though I was the boring lost in the crowd guy that is normality in this town. Where the old people sit around and talk about their old high school football experiences or my mom’s friends talking about cheerleading in the old days and how it has grown into a sport instead of a show. I knew I didn’t want to be like that I wanted to be that same somebody that I was before, but I didn’t want to do what I had to do to be that person still. A little while later Derek opened the door and walked in, he then slowly unzipped one of his bags and I opened my eyes and watched as he changed in front of me. He had his back to me and I felt bad that I was looking at him without him knowing. Then when he turned around after getting his boxer briefs on I shut my eyes quickly and rolled to one side of the bed as nonchalantly as I could. When I felt him getting into bed, he sighed heavily and a few minutes later I heard his breathing slow and listening to him sleep gave me the comfort I needed to clear my head enough to fall asleep and I did.