May These Noises Startle You at Night
Keaton
It’s been my duty to welcome in the Slims for far too long; since the beginning in all reality. The only time I’m not on the job is when Kai happens to get to them first. And even then, I have to go behind him and clean up the damaged kids and clear up the horror stories the little twerp tells them. Usually however, I get to them before Kai and before they spend their first night. Yet this one seemed to slip through every crack. But a part of me thinks he planned that. He gives the impression that he keeps to himself the most he can. I don’t know when I got this reputation or rather liability of being the only form of authority around here. Everyone is supposed to pick up their own slack yet somehow, I’m the go-to when there’s an issue or something to be fixed because it’s broken. Not that I’m complaining. It gives me something to do and being the person in charge has actually given me the familiar and dearly missed feeling of being useful and helpful to people who need me. The feeling’s been lingering ever since I left Chad and Harrison at my aunt’s place, which has been a long and barely durable 2 years. I don’t know what I’d do without this place – whatever the hell it is. It’s hardly a shelter because some who come here have perfectly fine homes and families to go home to, they just simply don’t for one reason or another. Like Kai. But at the same time, it’s almost a refuge intake place for people who can’t go home but can’t go to a real place for legal or some reasons. Like Alex. And for others, it’s a place to get away from pressing issues that could run out on but could also be tolerable at the same time. Like me. It’s a safe place with no authority (except for me because apparently, I’ve taken on that role) for people who have authority issues, a place with established but bendable rules for those who need some form of structure, and a place where everyone takes care of each other for all of us who just need a family, big or small. Something tells me that this Slim that just came in, with the big Bambi brown eyes and the head of hair that’s almost too big for him, needs all of the above. It is heart breaking when someone comes in, lost out of their mind and without a clue of what they need. It’s even worse when they stay that way. Me – I’m just trying to figure out why the hell we call new kids Slims while thanking whatever the hell is up there that this place exists.
The kid is the same size as my youngest brother – 12 year old brother to be exact. Maybe a bit taller given he looks older but he’s short. Then again, everyone is short to me. Either way, I give him maybe 15 years old. We’re walking down the right wing and he’s keeping his head down, staring at the ground. I almost comment about how if he’s not watching where he’s going, he’s going to walk into someone or something else. But I let it slide because he clearly is a little clumsy, and flushes red each time he bumps into someone – me – or something. Despite the right wing not being too big, the journey to his room is definitely an adventure. There’s not too much you can learn about a person after only having known them for five minutes, but apparently in ten minutes you can find out that they have a bad memory, horrible sense of direction and they still have a hard time differentiating between their left and right. He even held up his hand at one point to make a proper L letter to make sure he was turning the right way. He’s tried a few different doorknobs a few times, even getting a scream from some girl to knock first. He stutters and closes the door then almost takes off at top speed down the hall. It takes a bit to catch up to him.
“Sorry.” He mutters when we’re finally side by side again.
“It’s all good.” I shrug. “Not like you walked in on me.” I try with a small chuckle. If I had a dime for every sorry I got from him, I will probably be a billionaire by the time he leaves here.
It earns a tiny smile from him and he nods. “No, just into you.”
I laugh lightly and nod. “Good point.” Spencer grins and keeps walking, silently after that. Eventually he recognizes a door and he tries the door handle, awfully hesitantly, then peeks inside. He nods with a small smile and steps inside. Without knowing that Spencer had only arrived last night, his room certainly shows it. Everyone has their rooms decorated in one way or another; different bed sheets or pillows, posters or paintings or pictures on the wall, or some have even paint their walls or doors. Mine has kept its white walls, but I have a couple photos of my brothers which I taped on the wall beside by bed, where my head lays. I also replaced the sheets and got myself a nice duvet to curl up with, not to mention my clothes are folded in the dresser, which has more stuff on top like my books and Spencer’s room is bare, with simple pale blue sheets on the bed, accompanied by white and crisp pillows. His bed is even made up and somehow that surprises me because he doesn’t seem like the type to make his bed every morning. Poorly made mind you…maybe he just slept atop of the sheets rather than in them. He turns once in his room and looks up at me.
“So. Thanks for showing me around. And helping me find my room again.”
I shake my head and wave a hand, dismissing the thank you. “Anytime.”
There’s something about this kid I can’t shake. He’s jumpy, but that’s nothing new when it comes to Slims around here. When I took in that he had Bambi eyes, I didn’t expect them to be a precedent to him being a deer in the headlights. Makes you wonder what his story was. I wonder everyone’s story because you don’t come to place like this without a story and after introducing enough Slims around, you start to pick up little ticks.
“Are you going to do anything to your room?” I ask, trying to make conversation again. I don’t want to leave him alone just yet.
He looks at me with perplexity colouring every feature on his face. I chuckle softly and nod a bit. “You can change things up a bit around here, you know.” I tell him and he cocks his head. “Like new sheets and pictures of your family—“ I pause. Maybe his family wasn’t who he wanted pictures of. “Or friends. And the dresser, use it. You don’t have to live out of your backpack.” I notice a small, crooked smile press onto his lips. “It’s your room. Do what you want with it. People have painted the doors and walls too.”
Spencer nods and stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, okay. Maybe I will. Where do I get the stuff? Like blankets and paint?”
“At the store. I can bring you sometime…if you want.” I offer but make sure to keep it subtle. I can see the wheels turning in his head as he thought about.
“Okay.” He nods and smiles a bit, broader this time, in my direction. “Tomorrow? I want my room messy and colourful.” His eyes light up and he chuckles softly.
“Like you?” I tease, to which he only shrugs with a boyish grin. “Tomorrow it is then.” I nod. “I’m guessing you’re not a morning person…”
Spencer shakes his head with a guilty and lopsided grin. “I like to sleep. A lot, for long periods of time.”
I laugh a little and cross my arms over my chest. “Well then we’ll go in the afternoon.”
“Sounds good. Is it far?” He asks as he tilts his head.
“Nah, not really.” I tell him with a small shrug. “About a 15 minute drive.”
He nods and looks down at his hands. “Okay. Well. Thanks.”
I nod too, and smile softly at him. “It’s no problem. This place looks like a hospital room without decoration, so.” I shrug my shoulders and stuff my hands in my pockets.
“Yeah. Kinda.” He says as he twists in his spot to look around the room for evidence. He nods once he comes full circle to face me again.
I begin to respond back when there’s a buzzing. I almost ignore it when I realize it’s my own phone. I dig it out of my pocket and check the number. I start to say something then pause and sigh. I look up at Spencer. “I, uh ----- I gotta take this. It’s … yeah.” I tell him and bite my lower lip.
Spencer shakes his head and waves his hand, dismissing me with a half-hearted smile.
The kid is the same size as my youngest brother – 12 year old brother to be exact. Maybe a bit taller given he looks older but he’s short. Then again, everyone is short to me. Either way, I give him maybe 15 years old. We’re walking down the right wing and he’s keeping his head down, staring at the ground. I almost comment about how if he’s not watching where he’s going, he’s going to walk into someone or something else. But I let it slide because he clearly is a little clumsy, and flushes red each time he bumps into someone – me – or something. Despite the right wing not being too big, the journey to his room is definitely an adventure. There’s not too much you can learn about a person after only having known them for five minutes, but apparently in ten minutes you can find out that they have a bad memory, horrible sense of direction and they still have a hard time differentiating between their left and right. He even held up his hand at one point to make a proper L letter to make sure he was turning the right way. He’s tried a few different doorknobs a few times, even getting a scream from some girl to knock first. He stutters and closes the door then almost takes off at top speed down the hall. It takes a bit to catch up to him.
“Sorry.” He mutters when we’re finally side by side again.
“It’s all good.” I shrug. “Not like you walked in on me.” I try with a small chuckle. If I had a dime for every sorry I got from him, I will probably be a billionaire by the time he leaves here.
It earns a tiny smile from him and he nods. “No, just into you.”
I laugh lightly and nod. “Good point.” Spencer grins and keeps walking, silently after that. Eventually he recognizes a door and he tries the door handle, awfully hesitantly, then peeks inside. He nods with a small smile and steps inside. Without knowing that Spencer had only arrived last night, his room certainly shows it. Everyone has their rooms decorated in one way or another; different bed sheets or pillows, posters or paintings or pictures on the wall, or some have even paint their walls or doors. Mine has kept its white walls, but I have a couple photos of my brothers which I taped on the wall beside by bed, where my head lays. I also replaced the sheets and got myself a nice duvet to curl up with, not to mention my clothes are folded in the dresser, which has more stuff on top like my books and Spencer’s room is bare, with simple pale blue sheets on the bed, accompanied by white and crisp pillows. His bed is even made up and somehow that surprises me because he doesn’t seem like the type to make his bed every morning. Poorly made mind you…maybe he just slept atop of the sheets rather than in them. He turns once in his room and looks up at me.
“So. Thanks for showing me around. And helping me find my room again.”
I shake my head and wave a hand, dismissing the thank you. “Anytime.”
There’s something about this kid I can’t shake. He’s jumpy, but that’s nothing new when it comes to Slims around here. When I took in that he had Bambi eyes, I didn’t expect them to be a precedent to him being a deer in the headlights. Makes you wonder what his story was. I wonder everyone’s story because you don’t come to place like this without a story and after introducing enough Slims around, you start to pick up little ticks.
“Are you going to do anything to your room?” I ask, trying to make conversation again. I don’t want to leave him alone just yet.
He looks at me with perplexity colouring every feature on his face. I chuckle softly and nod a bit. “You can change things up a bit around here, you know.” I tell him and he cocks his head. “Like new sheets and pictures of your family—“ I pause. Maybe his family wasn’t who he wanted pictures of. “Or friends. And the dresser, use it. You don’t have to live out of your backpack.” I notice a small, crooked smile press onto his lips. “It’s your room. Do what you want with it. People have painted the doors and walls too.”
Spencer nods and stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, okay. Maybe I will. Where do I get the stuff? Like blankets and paint?”
“At the store. I can bring you sometime…if you want.” I offer but make sure to keep it subtle. I can see the wheels turning in his head as he thought about.
“Okay.” He nods and smiles a bit, broader this time, in my direction. “Tomorrow? I want my room messy and colourful.” His eyes light up and he chuckles softly.
“Like you?” I tease, to which he only shrugs with a boyish grin. “Tomorrow it is then.” I nod. “I’m guessing you’re not a morning person…”
Spencer shakes his head with a guilty and lopsided grin. “I like to sleep. A lot, for long periods of time.”
I laugh a little and cross my arms over my chest. “Well then we’ll go in the afternoon.”
“Sounds good. Is it far?” He asks as he tilts his head.
“Nah, not really.” I tell him with a small shrug. “About a 15 minute drive.”
He nods and looks down at his hands. “Okay. Well. Thanks.”
I nod too, and smile softly at him. “It’s no problem. This place looks like a hospital room without decoration, so.” I shrug my shoulders and stuff my hands in my pockets.
“Yeah. Kinda.” He says as he twists in his spot to look around the room for evidence. He nods once he comes full circle to face me again.
I begin to respond back when there’s a buzzing. I almost ignore it when I realize it’s my own phone. I dig it out of my pocket and check the number. I start to say something then pause and sigh. I look up at Spencer. “I, uh ----- I gotta take this. It’s … yeah.” I tell him and bite my lower lip.
Spencer shakes his head and waves his hand, dismissing me with a half-hearted smile.