Sequel: Thinking of Winter ›
Crowded Room
Chapter Three: Jace
I awoke the next morning, looking around sleepily as I realized I was lying on the living room floor. Rubbing my face for a minute, I let out a sigh before sitting up and making myself stand up.
Walking into the kitchen, I dumped the coffee grinds from yesterday from the coffee maker and put in a new filter, adding spoonful after spoonful of coffee grounds until I was satisfied. Filling the back up with water, I closed the lid, set the pot where it was meant to sit, and pressed the brew button. As I waited for the coffee to finish, I headed down the hall for the bathroom.
I quickly emptied my bladder from yesterday's liquids and splashed some water into my face, hoping to wake up a bit more. Drying my face off with the hand towel that hung next to my head, I quickly hung it back up and went back into the kitchen where the Elixir of Life waited for me.
After grabbing me a cup of fresh coffee, I sat on the couch and turned the TV on, hoping there was something other than news on this hour of the day. Finding something called Master Chef, I sipped on my coffee and got comfortable.
-Time Elapse-
I was currently walking the streets of Staten Island, getting waves and high fives from people who visited the club I worked at on a daily -- or rather nightly -- basis. Some I knew by name, others had to remind me, making me feeling an idiot.
I ended up running into an old friend from college as I was walking, which made my day all the better. His name was Wesley -- 22 years old, 6'4", built like and looking like a fucking god. His hair came just past his shoulders and was such a deep brown color, his eyes were a golden brown, and he had perfectly bronzed skin. His teeth were a pearly white and would cause someone to explode of jealously when he smiled. Sad thing, though, he was straight as an arrow. The women are some lucky bitches.
We grabbed a cup of coffee together and caught up, seeing what the other was doing since we last saw each other. "So, how's it going, Jace?" he asked, taking a swig of his coffee. "How's Zeth?" I felt my face fall when he spoke my brother's name.
"Uh... Zeth ... was killed three years ago. In a shooting," I replied, just barely over a whisper. I heard him cuss under his breath, knowing he was remembering the time I was out of school for half a month once it happened.
"I forgot," he said, grabbing my hands and squeezing them gently. "I'm so sorry for bringing that up, man." I pulled my hands away and waved it off, practically pulling myself away from the conversation.
"It's .. fine. How's ... uh... how's Jocelyn?" I asked, meeting his gaze for a moment before looking down at my coffee. Jocelyn was his wife. They had gotten married our junior year in college.
"She's great. We just had our second child, Damin Michael, about six months ago," he said, taking another sip of his coffee.
As we continued to talk, the hours seemed to blend together, and I almost didn't realize I was nearly an hour away from work. "Shit," I said, looking at my phone. "I've got to be at work in 20, and I'm nearly an hour away. Think I could get a lift?" Wesley nodded, throwing a tip down on the table as we stood up and ran like hell for his car.
I hope to god I wasn't late.
Walking into the kitchen, I dumped the coffee grinds from yesterday from the coffee maker and put in a new filter, adding spoonful after spoonful of coffee grounds until I was satisfied. Filling the back up with water, I closed the lid, set the pot where it was meant to sit, and pressed the brew button. As I waited for the coffee to finish, I headed down the hall for the bathroom.
I quickly emptied my bladder from yesterday's liquids and splashed some water into my face, hoping to wake up a bit more. Drying my face off with the hand towel that hung next to my head, I quickly hung it back up and went back into the kitchen where the Elixir of Life waited for me.
After grabbing me a cup of fresh coffee, I sat on the couch and turned the TV on, hoping there was something other than news on this hour of the day. Finding something called Master Chef, I sipped on my coffee and got comfortable.
-Time Elapse-
I was currently walking the streets of Staten Island, getting waves and high fives from people who visited the club I worked at on a daily -- or rather nightly -- basis. Some I knew by name, others had to remind me, making me feeling an idiot.
I ended up running into an old friend from college as I was walking, which made my day all the better. His name was Wesley -- 22 years old, 6'4", built like and looking like a fucking god. His hair came just past his shoulders and was such a deep brown color, his eyes were a golden brown, and he had perfectly bronzed skin. His teeth were a pearly white and would cause someone to explode of jealously when he smiled. Sad thing, though, he was straight as an arrow. The women are some lucky bitches.
We grabbed a cup of coffee together and caught up, seeing what the other was doing since we last saw each other. "So, how's it going, Jace?" he asked, taking a swig of his coffee. "How's Zeth?" I felt my face fall when he spoke my brother's name.
"Uh... Zeth ... was killed three years ago. In a shooting," I replied, just barely over a whisper. I heard him cuss under his breath, knowing he was remembering the time I was out of school for half a month once it happened.
"I forgot," he said, grabbing my hands and squeezing them gently. "I'm so sorry for bringing that up, man." I pulled my hands away and waved it off, practically pulling myself away from the conversation.
"It's .. fine. How's ... uh... how's Jocelyn?" I asked, meeting his gaze for a moment before looking down at my coffee. Jocelyn was his wife. They had gotten married our junior year in college.
"She's great. We just had our second child, Damin Michael, about six months ago," he said, taking another sip of his coffee.
As we continued to talk, the hours seemed to blend together, and I almost didn't realize I was nearly an hour away from work. "Shit," I said, looking at my phone. "I've got to be at work in 20, and I'm nearly an hour away. Think I could get a lift?" Wesley nodded, throwing a tip down on the table as we stood up and ran like hell for his car.
I hope to god I wasn't late.