The Tick Tock of the Clock

“Just put everything on the lawn for now!” Pete yelled as I sat on the patio swing in front of his suburban Chicago house. “I’ll figure it out later and I swear! Cash, if you break one more thing I’m going to have to booted from your own damn band.” He yelled pointing at him as he watched the man carry a fragile looking lamp. “I’m not kidding.” Pete added softly as Cash nodded and took slow careful steps up the lawn. “Thank-you.” He laughed softly. “Oh, on a side note...” He laughed. “Who wants a car?” He asked. Everyone froze at the simply question.

“I told you.” I stated lightly as I held Jack in my lap. He squirmed, wanting to get down to play with all his uncles and aunts here helping Pete move. “You don’t have room.” I stated. “I don’t even see why you’re moving everything. You could have just come here,” I stated waving my hand at his house. “And stayed here with out even bothering to move everything in your apartment.”

“I’m selling my apartment you know-it-all midget.” Pete snapped at me. Slowly I lifted a finger at him as a soft warning. “What’re you going to do?” He asked placing his hands on his hips.

“Pete.” Nate muttered softly as he readjusted his hold on the large chair he and Marshall were carrying despite the fact both Gabe and Singer were sitting on it. “She can walk, despite the fact that you won’t let her and the doctor frowns on it.” He stated softly. “On there?” He asked looking around the two in the chair.

“On now.” Marshall stated. “Now.” They tipped the chair forward dumping Gabe and Singer on the ground.

“Jerks.” Both Nate and Marshall huffed as they moved the chair further up the lawn.

“Ow.” Singer yelled over dramatically as Gabe giggled like a school girl on the dried out grass.

It only took a total of three hours for all the things and junk that had once been located in Pete’s Chicago apartment to be in his Chicago house, and the two cars in the garage parked in a parking lot near by with For Sale signs in the window.

“It’s probably a mess in there.” I stated to Pete as he stood by the front door waving to everyone as they left. I waved back. “Why’d you decided to move everything anyway? You could have just come here and not even bothered with the apartment.” I stated, trying to put reason into the situation. Pete simply rolled his eyes.

“I don’t want the apartment anymore. I’m selling it.” He stated turning towards the door. “And the house isn’t a mess.” I rolled my eyes. “And the garage is bomb looking.” He added as he scoped me up.

“I can walk.” I stated softly, crossing my arms over my chest.

“You’re delusional.” He sang softly.

“Am not… oh my god this place is a disaster zone.” I gasped seeing things crammed into corners, things that shouldn’t have been staked were stacked, and there were little pathways carved into the chaos so that movement through each room was possible.

“Is not.” Pete muttered rolling his eyes as he moved a lamp off a chair and put me in it.

“yeah, It’s sparkles it’s so tidy and clean.” I scoffed sarcastically.

“I never said it was clean.” Pete countered. “I just said it wasn’t a mess, and it’s not.” I raised a brow at him, confused beyond belief. “Everything is organized into piles and rooms and I know where everything is. For something to be a mess then I wouldn’t know that and everything would be tossed haphazardly into a bunch of different rooms.” He nodded proudly.

“That’s what I’d call this.” I stated waving my hand at the mess around me. Snorting he scoped Jack up and made his way through a small little path way. “Pete.” I stated standing up. I whined at the pain in my foot. It throbbed as I took careful steps.

“See you can’t walk.”

“Not in this mess.”

“It’s not a mess!” He gasped dramatically at me.

“Then what is it?” I asked, placing my hands on my hips I shifted my weight to my good foot and stared at him. Slowly his eyes scanned the room around me.

“Organized Clutter.” He stated with a sharp nod. “Now sit down.”

“Where?” I asked looking at every object made for sitting covered in his ‘organized clutter’. “It’s a mess.” I stated

“Organized Clutter!” He snapped bitterly at me, a finger pointed in my face to try and make his point. “It organized clutter, stop calling it a mess.” He huffed at me. Rolling my eyes I followed him into the kitchen, the only clean and organized room in his whole house.

“Wow.” I whispered sitting on a bar stool. Pete glanced at me as I pulled open the fridge. “You’re kitchen has never looked this clean. Even the pile of dirty dished in the sink,” I stated lifting my hand at the dish that seemed to sparkle compared to the mess echoing in the doorway just to the left of it. “Even looks cleaner than the other room. By the way…”

“I have no idea how long those have been there for, so don’t ask.” Pete stated, staring at the dish as I did. My stomach churned at the thought of the last time Pete had even come to his house.

“Puppy!” I froze at the small squeaking voice. My eyes darted to Pete as I took in a sharp breath.

“Oh my god.” I whispered standing up quickly.

“Was that Jack?” Pete gasped following closely behind me.

“I hope so or you’ve got a random little kid in your house.” I stated

“Touché.”

“Puppy!” I stopped looking at the open front door. My brows narrowed at the sound from outside. Moving out the door I looked around. “Puppy!” My shoulders slumped at the blonde little boy across the street playing with a golden lap puppy in their front yard, his parents watching from the doorway.

“Come n Aaron let’s go inside.” His mom stated as she clapped her hand calling both her son and his new puppy in the house.

“Fuck.” I whispered. “Jack?” I called looking around the mess. “Jack?” I called again looking around the mess. “You need to clean this place up.” I stated.

“I know, I know.” He mumbled as Jack appeared behind us. “Hey buddy.” He laughed scooping Jack up in his arms. “Let’s get you some juice.” Jack smiled at the idea of juice. Laughing I closed the door and watched the two. They were so good together. “You go up stairs and lay down.” Pete added over his shoulder at me.

“No.”

“Yes or I’ll never clean this house.” He threatened. “And you’ll have to do it by yourself.” He added. Groaning I moved up the stairs into his room and laid down on the large bed. Sighing I stared at the ceiling bored as I listened to Jack and Pete down stairs in the kitchen.

”Mom…hey mom…” I looked up at the tall, lanky boy leaning in the doorway of the office. “What’re doing?” He mused lightly as he pushed his thick, dark brown, chin length messy hair out of his large green eyes.

“Did you dad do your make-up?” I asked softly noting the black eyeliner smudged around his eyes. His tan cheeks flushed a soft pink.

“He said girls will like me.” He whispered looking down at his shoes as he scuffed them against the carpet.

“You’re fifteen.” I laughed softly at him. “You’re already five-foot-nine and you don’t need to be worrying about girls till you’re sixteen.” He shrugged lightly.

“Mikey has a girlfriend.” He defended himself as his shoulders tensed a bit.

“I thought he was gay.” I whispered. A perfect smile spread across his features.

“That’s Aaron mom and if I was gay would I have to wait till I was sixteen to start dating still?” He questioned.

“First off,” I stated leaning back in the large leather computer chair as I watched him. “Yes you would. Secondly are you trying to tell me something?” I asked

“No, I’m just…” He sighed looking away. “I’m just trying to make a point, but it’s not going well.” He took in a deep breath as he shifted his large green eyes back to me.

“What can I say you got your father’s arguing skills.” He shrugged looking back at the computer again.

“He doesn’t have…oh…” He gasped. “Ow mom, ow. Right here.” He stated tapping his chest over his heart. Turning my chair towards him I raised a brow.

“Did you come to bug me for a reason? Or what?” I laughed softly as he nibbled on his bottom lip lightly while looking over his shoulder. Taking in a deep breath he fully stepped in the room and closed the door behind him softly. “What are you doing?” I laughed at his actions.

“I want to ask you something… personal…” He stated lightly. “I’d ask dad but… he’s,” He licked his lips lightly as bobbed his head as he waved his hands around.

“Strange, mindless, out there, deranged…” I trailed off rolling my hand at him. He placed his hands over his mouth.

“Okay those are mean why are you two married?” He asked softly. I shrugged.

“Because he makes massive bank?” I asked softly. His mouth dropped open and his eyes went wide. “I’m kidding. I like the fact that he can make me laugh, now moving on.” He nodded slowly.

“Now I see why you’re evil to each other.” He snorted rolling his eyes.

“Jack.” I warned.

“Okay, I’d ask him but he’s kinda psycho right now with one of my millions of uncles who I’m not actually related to.” He gasped throwing his arms up in the air. Groaning I gripped the bridge of my nose. “And it’s not Uncle Gabe, or Uncle Bren.” He added lightly and quickly. “Dad is going with the fact that they are banned from the house.” He added defending his father.

“Hmmm… so what can’t you ask your father?” I asked softly.

“Um…well.. .you know…” I raised my brows at his as he stumbled over his words. “The hair… the… the walk.. .the packs…” He gasped. “Girls.” He stated defeated.

“Girls…” I whispered nodding my head. “Meaning there’s a girl you like and you want to go out with but you’re not sure how your father and I will react or if she’ll even agree.” I stated.

“I don’t know how to ask her and I don’t think she’s interested.” He sighed lightly, sitting on the floor. His long slender legs folding into a criss-cross as he gripped his ankles staring at me. “And… I’ve kinda got a rep to hold up.”

“You’re fifteen!” I gasped. “What rep could you have?” I gasped he shrugged.

“People think I’m cool.” He shrugged. “And all the cool guys know how to ask out girls and I can’t ask them otherwise they’ll think I’m not cool anymore.” He shrugged.

“Why do they think you’re cool? Or do they not know you play Dungeons and Dragon with the Rolling Stone’s editors on Friday night with your dad?” His cheeks went bright red at the idea. “By the way this Friday it’s canceled.”

“I know dad told me we’re going to that red carpet thing.” He sighed lightly. “I hate those things. I’m not Paris Hilton.”

“Hey be nice, she’s our neighbor.”

“No she’s not!” He gasped throwing his arms up. “She live like a five minute drive away.”

“Have you seen the size of our backyard?” I asked softly.

“Fine! But I’m not her!”

“So be a man and studded your way through asking that girl out!” I gasped.

“Ella!!” Rang through the house.

“Pete!!” I called back. The door opened in seconds and my chest felt tight.

I opened my eyes I looked at Jack sitting on my chest with a juice box.

“Get off her.” Pete laughed pulling Jack off me and sitting him in his lap. My cheeks went a soft pink as I sat up. “Good morning sleeping beauty.” Pete laughed at me.

“Shut up.” I whispered watching Jack and Pete. Pete frowned softly. “I don’t feel good.” I whispered more to myself than to anyone else.

“Why?” Pete asked lightly lifting his hand to my forehead. “You’re not warm.” He added.

“I had a really weird dream.” I stated lightly.

“About?” He asked softly. I leaned over taking Jack and tucking him into my chest. “Ah.” He sighed lightly ruffling Jack’s hair. “Don’t worry he’s okay.” I nodded. The weird thing was that the thing that had bothered me most about my dream was that Jack had asked how he’s father and I were married and in the end I’d yelled back at Pete.

My eyes lifted to Pete as he smiled at me, sucking on a juice box as well.

“How old are you?” I asked softly. He held up four fingers. “Thought so.” I laughed lightly.