If It Wasn't A Dream-Chapter 1 Pt.2
The foster parent, Levi, had looked across the room at Nix, sitting on the couch with both arms wrapped around his book bag and a suitcase at his feet. Nix can imagine exactly what he had seen. A teenage boy with long, stick straight hair hanging into his eyes. Skinny arms, legs, body. Bruises around his cheekbone, slouched over. He had looked back from underneath his hair to see what the man looked like.
Levi had the typical look of any all-American football player. Blonde hair, blue eyes and built like a Roman statue. Nix hadn’t been able to take much else in. The air smelled like mint, maybe, and the floor was carpeted, so Nix hadn’t been able to hear when Levi eventually walked over.
“You look tired,” he had said, picking up the suitcase. “Your room is upstairs. Maybe you can rest before officially meeting the rest of the boys at dinner.”
The rest. Nix replays the words in his mind now, figuring that the rest must be the voices coming from below.
He hasn’t really bothered to look around yet when a knock on the doorframe draws his attention there. Another guy is standing there, waving with his one free hand, the other holding a massive stack of textbooks. He has a buzzcut of what might be blonde hair if he grew it out, and glasses balanced on the tip of his nose. Nix’s most interesting observation though, is that he looks older than 18.
“Hey, I’m Joel, I’m tired and I have a lot to study tonight. Dad wanted to know if you were coming down for dinner.”, his casual smile makes Nix wonder how many times he’s done this before.
“You’re older than 18.” Nix deadpans, his mind still fixated on that one detail.
“Is it that obvious?” Joel rubs at the beginnings of a scruffy beard on his face. “I was sure the youth cream was working.”
“You’re still in a foster home?”
“Nah. Dad adopted me when I turned 12. I never had a reason to leave home. Free food, all day every day? Makes up for the crazy siblings.” He glances at the unpacked bags sympathetically. “Having a hard time moving in?”
Nix shrugs. “I guess.”
“Dinner will help with that.” Joel drops his books on the floor and waves Nix to follow. “I’ll get those later. You need to meet everyone.”
Joel goes down the steps faster than Nix does, taking them two at a time. Before he can reach the bottom of the stairs, Nix hears an unearthly shriek, and a blur of black and brown catapults into him, the ground rushing up to meet him as he falls. Carpeted ground does not make for softer landings, and neither do the small knees and elbows he lands on. One boy stands up from the crash, and another little boy with light brown hair crawls out of the mess to sit on Nix’s stomach, and he grunts from the weight. The kid’s green eyes analyze him, reminding Nix why he feels like little kids can see everything in his head.
“I’m Oliver,” the boy finally says, quietly, as if it’s a secret between just them. “That’s Kai. He can’t talk. Or won’t, we don’t know.”
From behind Oliver, a pre teen Asian boy wearing the largest hoodie Nix has ever seen signs what he assumes must be hello and smiles at him, pointing to the kitchen counter, where another kid is ladling soup into a bowl. This one is older, maybe around Nix’s age, and Hispanic from the looks of his tan skin and curly brown hair.
“Nix, right? I’m Michael and this is soup. Take it. I’m pretty sure Abuelo is in the dining room and he’s been demanding to meet you for an hour.” he speaks with a deep voice and friendly eyes. “I have a date, so I’m leaving as soon as everyone is fed.”
From what Nix can remember of his one year of Spanish class, Abuelo means grandfather. Kai signs something from nearby and Michael rolls his eyes.
“Yes, I’m going out with Kylie and no, we’re not rollerskating. You know I fall on my butt when I do that.” he glances at Nix and hands him a spoon. “Sorry…”
“It’s fine just um...where..the dining room? Where is it?” Nix takes the spoon.
“That way.” Oliver says, pointing in a direction Nix can’t decipher, and drawing attention to the floor where he has three sheets of paper spread out.
Each paper is being drawn on in a multitude of colors. He has crayons tucked into his pockets, some falling out and leaving colorful marks on the kitchen tile. Nix can’t remember having that kind of freedom as a kid. He can’t remember coloring at all. Oliver smiles at the ineligible scribbles, holding up a drawing to show Kai, who signs back quickly. There’s something about how fluid the words and sign language between them that Nix envies, the perfect communication.
Michael laughs and points down a hallway as he slings a leather jacket over his arm. “Dining room is right there. I’d hang out, but Kylie hates when I make her wait. See ya later, Nix.”
“See you.”
The dining room has one long table with a red bowl in the middle filled with what looks to be the contents of a junk drawer, keys, rubber bands, toothpicks, gum and a couple of socks. Seated at the head is Levi, who’s listening to someone with a shock of white hair at his right. The other man turns and looks at him when Levi waves at Nix. He does a quick once over of him before erupting into loud boisterous complaints.
And that's part two! I hope you all liked it! Leave a comment or share, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a chapter!
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