Unsaid II
*He couldn’t deny that he found this stranger attractive, but why so?*
~~~
Credit: Hmm.. well I still owe you two guys at the tram one for this. :b
He cleared his throat, not to get attention nor to prepare a speech, but to try and remove that unpleasant lump that so eagerly tried to choke him. After what seemed to be an eternity Dom took a hold of his pack and fished up a book. Matt didn’t know if he was supposed to be relieved or disappointed, but took his pad and pen himself. Even if there were no allusion of social, there was tension building up between them. The one lost in the fiction, the other in his pen; both lost in the world of words, neither of them willing to speak.
One and a half hour later the train slowed down and the engineer announced that they were arriving to Teignmouth in five minutes. Dominic was the first one to react on this and shut the book and packed it down. He leered at Matt who still sat with his knees against the seat in front of him, resting the pad on his thighs. Dom cleared his throat discreetly.
“So...”
Matt looked up with a question mark written on his forehead. “You said something”?
“What, no. I just... nothing. We’re arriving any minute.”
“Really?” Matt packed his things down as well and stretched his arms up in the air with a low moan. “So... Any plans for today then?”
“No. Not what I know. You then?”
“Well, I don’t know. Hang around with my grandparents I suppose.” Matt grinned teasingly.
Dom laughed for the first time during the journey, even if it was only lightly. “Yeah, have so fun. Hang around with my grannies often ends up with playing bridge or something.” He rolled his eyes and Matt started to laugh uncontrollable, much to Dom’s surprise but couldn’t resist to smile too; even if it more was at Matt’s reaction rather his own joke.
“Typical.” Matt wiped a tear from his eye, still laughing a little.
“Isn’t it...? Well, what do you and your grannies do then? Set fire to cars, throwing kittens on the railway-...”
“Hey that was rude!” the younger boy interrupted, not able to hold the laugh back.
“Well, I don’t know. I hope you don’t, but you never know. Old people, let alone with young people, are not to trust.”
“Maybe not... But to answer your question properly: I guess I will just spend time with my grandparents, and then I maybe go home to a friend.”
“You have friends in Teignmouth?” Dom heard how mean it sounded, but it was not what he intended to, even though he was surprised that Matt had spent enough time in Teignmouth to get friends.
“Yes actually. Or... one friend, at least. We-...”
Matt was interrupted by the engineer’s voice in the speaker, announcing that they had arrived to Teignmouth. The boys stood up and stepped on the platform. An elder woman waited a bit further and Dom realised that this must been Matt’s grandmother as she waved to him. Matt waved back and then turned to Dom.
“So... I guess we’ll... see each other’s around some day.”
“Yeah, it’s not like we’re in a big city really.” He smiled.
Matt laughed and looked down on his shoes. “See you, Dominic.”
Dom felt like an ice cube ingratiated itself into his brain and slowly melted, making his blood rush. “Yes. Take care.”
Matt turned and quickly headed to his grandmother, warmly embraced. On his way home, Dom started to think about the whole train journey, wondering what actually happened. Why had Matt placed himself beside, let alone with talking to, Dom in the first place? When things came across, when had finally sat down beside him, Matt had seem extremely shy. He steered up on the approach that led to his house, parking the bicycle in the garage and took the main door. Once he stepped inside the door he smelled meat stew, only to realize how hungry he was. He heeled his shoes of, kicking them aside, took his backpack and went to the kitchen.
“Hey ma.”
Mrs Howard looked up from the saucepan. “Hey sweetie!” she smiled. “How was the journey? Everything’s fine?”
“Yes. The train was a little bit late, but when isn’t it?”
“Food is ready any minute. You can go upstairs and leave your pack meanwhile. And would you bring your sister along with you?”
Dom went upstairs, throwing his bag on the big bed and was just about to exit the room when he heard a sob from inside his wardrobe. He opened it and found his five years old sister sitting inside of it, cheeks striped with tears.
“Nellie?!”
Before he had the chance to lift her up, there came a flash of black springing out from the closet which Dom could refer their cat. The little girl started to cry inconsolable when she saw her big brother and held her arms up so he could carry her.
“Dom!” She sulked.
Dom lifted her up, gently stroking her hair and kissed it. “Schh... So, so. Don’t cry. What did you do in my closet and for how long have you been in there?”
“I was going to surprise you when you came home” she hiccoughed, catching some air between the rambling and sulking. “And when I didn’t want to wait anymore, I could open the door!” she was by now crying out loud, burying her face in her brother’s shoulder, wetting it with tears.
Dom smiled in her hair. “Well, you know why? That’s because I have a barrier on my closet so little kids like you won’t be able to hide in my closet.”
“But it was open!”
“Yes, but now you know that you shouldn’t hide in my closet anymore ok?” He smiled at her, giving her forehead a peck and put her down on her feet. “Let’s go downstairs and eat, right?”
She took his hand, the incident already forgotten and simply dragged him down to the kitchen. ‘Kids...’
As the two of them sat by the table, along with their parents, Dom took the chance to ask:
“Anyone of you knows about a Bellamy family here in Teignmouth?”
“Yes.” His parents said in unison.
“Really?” He couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Yes” Mrs Howard said. “Mrs Bellamy is chairwoman weave association, what I know. I actually think my mother is a good friend of her.”
‘Perfect’, Dom thought. ‘Just bloody perfect’. “May I leave the table? I’m going out.”
“Yes sure” his mother agreed. “Where are you going? To Chris?”
To see his best friend wasn’t actually what he had intended to, but just as he thought he might as well could, he came to think of something. “No, he had a friend coming over this weekend. I’ll just... take a walk.”
“I wanna come too!” came his little sister’s stubborn voice. Dom did love his sister highly and she was the sweetest thing on earth, but right now he didn’t feel like having her dragging him around in town. That was why he was just opening his mouth to disagree her order, when his dad said:
“Of course. You and Dom take a walk with Hay.”
“But I...” He was interrupted by a warning glance from his mum. Oh great. Not only a walk with a little sister, but also a walk with a big little puppy Golden Retriever. He rolled his eyes. Well let’s go then.” He whistled and called on Hay, who came running with once. Dom helped his sister with her clothing, even if he knew she was big enough to do it herself, put the lead on Hay and they all went out. The cold October wind swept by, filling the static air with rawness yet the mild sun spreading out a covering of and gentleness and stillness.
“So Nell, where do you wanna go?”
“I wanna go to the playground.”
Dom sighed within himself. Why did he even bother asking? And the two of them, and the slightly smaller, furry one, headed to the playground. Dom more than aware of that this was going to be a long afternoon.