Status: ~hiatus
Clubhouse
I'm so surprised you would dare.
Bert watched closely as the moving vans pulled up to the house next to his. It had been vacant for several years and he didn’t enjoy the idea of new neighbors. The ones he had were already way too friendly. They always wanted to have dinner parties and invite his family over. His mom was the only one who ever tried to keep them together; Bert thought it was a hopeless attempt.
He saw a dark headed boy emerge from an old Pontiac. The kid looked like he didn’t want to be here. Bert smiled a little at his apparent discomfort with the new place. There was finally another new kid to feel awkward. It had always been Bert’s dream to be able to have something over someone else, even if it was only how long he has lived in this town. To be honest, it wasn’t anything to be proud of, but they didn’t know that yet.
The dark haired boy, whom Bert had dubbed tool, looked up to the window where Bert was seated. Tool smiled up at Bert; Bert just kept on staring at him, never losing eye contact. Tool’s smile faltered as he looked away awkwardly and went to help unload the truck. Bert let that smile creep onto his face now that he had thoroughly freaked the new boy out.
A lady who, he thought, must be Tool’s mom got out of the driver’s side of the same car looking sleepy. She wasted no time going inside their new house, leaving Tool and the movers. Bert silently wondered where his father was. They could be like Bert’s family, though. His dad might not be around just because he didn’t want to be. He hoped that wasn’t it; Bert would never want anyone else to have the same kind of family as he did.
Bored with people watching, Bert turned himself away from his window and heaved a heavy sigh. It was a Saturday and his mother would want to take him to the grocery store with her. Bert didn’t want to go; he never did. He just figured that if he went with her at least once a week, she would leave him alone for the rest of it.
He pulled on some actual pants and walked into the kitchen where his mom was cleaning any surface she could find. She was very beautiful; Bert couldn’t understand why she always wore so much makeup. She had on a shirt that Bert got her for Christmas last year. She loved it so much. Bert felt special when she wore it.
“Bert, honey, will you do me a favor?” She said. Bert couldn’t help but to sigh out loud.
“Yeah, mom?” He was dreading what it could be. It was often stuff she was too scared to do herself.
“Will you go take a shower, please? I have the new neighbors coming over later for dinner.” Bert felt himself getting annoyed. They had never been so involved with the community. It was almost sickening that his mom would change just because of where they moved.
“Are we not going to the store, then?” Bert tried to hide his excitement as he asked.
“You aren’t, I am. You have to clean up. I’ll be back soon,” She said as she kissed her son’s head and walking out the door. Bert felt a little angry that he had to clean all by himself, but he was going to have to.
As he wandered around the house, he halfheartedly picked up anything that looked out of place and put it back in the appropriate place. He really wanted to be doing something else, although he didn’t know what exactly it would’ve been if he wasn’t cleaning. It’s not like there were any friends of his that he could call on to hang out. So, he simply did as he was told like a male Cinderella.
A couple of hours had past and his mom was home with groceries, trying her hardest to cook the recipe the correct way. Bert just sat back and watched. He had already taken his shower and was waiting on the guests to arrive. His mother told him to behave himself when they got here, but in all honesty, she knew he wouldn’t. He never did, really. He didn’t like the idea of people coming over into his space.
When six o’clock rolled around, Bert heard a knock on his door. His mom yelled for him to answer it. He sighed and slowly walked to the door. He didn’t bother to pull on a smile as he opened it up to meet his new neighbors. Tool and his mother stood there, probably waiting for an invitation in. She looked more rested than she had when Bert saw her earlier. He noticed that Tool’s dad still wasn’t there, too. Bert muttered a ‘Please, come in’ and shut the door behind them.
They were dressed nicely. They looked as if they had manners; something Bert never looked like, simply because he didn’t. When his mom noticed them, she put down the plate of food on the table and scurried over to greet them.
“This is my son, Bert. Bert, Say hello, darling,” His mom said.
“Hey,” He said simply, causing his mom to snarl briefly before turning back to them and calling them into the kitchen. The two mothers went into the kitchen, but Bert and the boy known as Tool stayed in the hall. He turned to Bert and stared. Bert knew exactly what he was doing, so his look didn’t falter. They both continued to look at each other. Bert knew the other was feeling awkward when he cleared his throat. He finally gave up and held his hand out for Bert to shake.
“I’m Jeph Howard; it’s nice to meet you,” He said. So, Tool’s real name is Jeph, huh? Bert thought. He’s still tool to me.
Bert just stared at the boy’s outstretched hand, not making any effort to become this boy’s friend. Jeph slowly let his arm fall to his side. Bert felt accomplished as Jeph took off into the kitchen after his mother. Besides, the last thing Bert wanted was friends; they never got him anywhere.
He saw a dark headed boy emerge from an old Pontiac. The kid looked like he didn’t want to be here. Bert smiled a little at his apparent discomfort with the new place. There was finally another new kid to feel awkward. It had always been Bert’s dream to be able to have something over someone else, even if it was only how long he has lived in this town. To be honest, it wasn’t anything to be proud of, but they didn’t know that yet.
The dark haired boy, whom Bert had dubbed tool, looked up to the window where Bert was seated. Tool smiled up at Bert; Bert just kept on staring at him, never losing eye contact. Tool’s smile faltered as he looked away awkwardly and went to help unload the truck. Bert let that smile creep onto his face now that he had thoroughly freaked the new boy out.
A lady who, he thought, must be Tool’s mom got out of the driver’s side of the same car looking sleepy. She wasted no time going inside their new house, leaving Tool and the movers. Bert silently wondered where his father was. They could be like Bert’s family, though. His dad might not be around just because he didn’t want to be. He hoped that wasn’t it; Bert would never want anyone else to have the same kind of family as he did.
Bored with people watching, Bert turned himself away from his window and heaved a heavy sigh. It was a Saturday and his mother would want to take him to the grocery store with her. Bert didn’t want to go; he never did. He just figured that if he went with her at least once a week, she would leave him alone for the rest of it.
He pulled on some actual pants and walked into the kitchen where his mom was cleaning any surface she could find. She was very beautiful; Bert couldn’t understand why she always wore so much makeup. She had on a shirt that Bert got her for Christmas last year. She loved it so much. Bert felt special when she wore it.
“Bert, honey, will you do me a favor?” She said. Bert couldn’t help but to sigh out loud.
“Yeah, mom?” He was dreading what it could be. It was often stuff she was too scared to do herself.
“Will you go take a shower, please? I have the new neighbors coming over later for dinner.” Bert felt himself getting annoyed. They had never been so involved with the community. It was almost sickening that his mom would change just because of where they moved.
“Are we not going to the store, then?” Bert tried to hide his excitement as he asked.
“You aren’t, I am. You have to clean up. I’ll be back soon,” She said as she kissed her son’s head and walking out the door. Bert felt a little angry that he had to clean all by himself, but he was going to have to.
As he wandered around the house, he halfheartedly picked up anything that looked out of place and put it back in the appropriate place. He really wanted to be doing something else, although he didn’t know what exactly it would’ve been if he wasn’t cleaning. It’s not like there were any friends of his that he could call on to hang out. So, he simply did as he was told like a male Cinderella.
A couple of hours had past and his mom was home with groceries, trying her hardest to cook the recipe the correct way. Bert just sat back and watched. He had already taken his shower and was waiting on the guests to arrive. His mother told him to behave himself when they got here, but in all honesty, she knew he wouldn’t. He never did, really. He didn’t like the idea of people coming over into his space.
When six o’clock rolled around, Bert heard a knock on his door. His mom yelled for him to answer it. He sighed and slowly walked to the door. He didn’t bother to pull on a smile as he opened it up to meet his new neighbors. Tool and his mother stood there, probably waiting for an invitation in. She looked more rested than she had when Bert saw her earlier. He noticed that Tool’s dad still wasn’t there, too. Bert muttered a ‘Please, come in’ and shut the door behind them.
They were dressed nicely. They looked as if they had manners; something Bert never looked like, simply because he didn’t. When his mom noticed them, she put down the plate of food on the table and scurried over to greet them.
“This is my son, Bert. Bert, Say hello, darling,” His mom said.
“Hey,” He said simply, causing his mom to snarl briefly before turning back to them and calling them into the kitchen. The two mothers went into the kitchen, but Bert and the boy known as Tool stayed in the hall. He turned to Bert and stared. Bert knew exactly what he was doing, so his look didn’t falter. They both continued to look at each other. Bert knew the other was feeling awkward when he cleared his throat. He finally gave up and held his hand out for Bert to shake.
“I’m Jeph Howard; it’s nice to meet you,” He said. So, Tool’s real name is Jeph, huh? Bert thought. He’s still tool to me.
Bert just stared at the boy’s outstretched hand, not making any effort to become this boy’s friend. Jeph slowly let his arm fall to his side. Bert felt accomplished as Jeph took off into the kitchen after his mother. Besides, the last thing Bert wanted was friends; they never got him anywhere.