Boats and Birds
Damn.
“We should probably go up there and help her pack. Knowing Allison by this time she’s…”
“Muttering in Spanish and throwing things around her room acting like she’s looking for something but she’s really wasting time.”
We both laughed and headed back up the stairs. Danny was sitting on the couch clicking on his laptop.
“Hey guys. You might want to check on Allison. She’s acting like she’s okay but….”
I nodded. “Were headed there now.”
“Cool. See you guys in the morning. I’m gonna head up to my room.”
We nodded at Danny in recognition and made our way up the stairs.
Kris sighed from behind me. “Could you walk a little slower up the million flights of stairs, please?”
I laughed turning my head towards him. “Shut up. Like you have anywhere better to be.”
“Maybe I do.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
Kris brushed by me running up the rest of the stairs and I rolled my eyes.
“Not fair. You’re smaller. More agile.”
He laughed again. “You have longer legs, Adam. You totally should have been able to beat me up here.”
“He’s right you know.” I heard Allison call from her room.
I rolled my eyes at both of them turning into Allison’s room where Kris was already sitting on the bed.
“I’m actually a little relieved to be going home, ya know? It’ll be good to rest my voice. It’s felt so hoarse lately.”
“Allison...”
“Plus I haven’t really slept well here. I think it’s this house. It’s so big and drafty. I’m not used to that. I cannot wait to get a good night sleep..”
I exchanged glances with Kris.
I stepped forward closer to her.
“I miss being at home. Seeing my friends, ya know? Obviously it’s not going to be the same, but….”
“Allison.” I said softly.
She turned in my arms and crumpled like a paper doll. She sobbed against my chest and clung to my arms.
I wrapped myself tightly around her. Kris stood up and rubbed her back comfortingly.
She pulled back and grabbed both of our hands. I swiped away the tears and mascara that had smudged her cheeks.
“I’m sorry you guys. I didn’t mean to….ya know. It’s just..I…I wanted it so bad. It was right there…the end. It was supposed to be the three of us, remember?”
We both nodded and I offered a small smile. “We were just talking about that actually.”
Kris slipped out mouthing that he’d be right back. I nodded and Allison and I sat on her bed.
“Besides, you know this isn’t it. You’re going to be great. Seriously. I’ve never met someone you’re age that can sing you like can. Hell, I haven’t met very many people my age who can sing like you do.”
Allison nodded slowly.
Before either of us could say anything else they both heard “Please Don’t Stop The Music” blaring from the speakers in the living room.
Allison and I both started laughing and she grabbed my hand running down the stairs.
When we got down there Kris was standing in the middle of the living room.
“Okay, I thought about what you do when anyone else had a bad day in the house, Allison. You’re two favorite things were ice cream and ‘dancing it out’. So were going to do both. I know they’ll be here for you soon…but….”
“It’s perfect!” Allison screamed practically skipping towards where Kris had scooped out three bowls of chocolate chip. Allison grabbed hers and turned the music up louder.
I laughed following in suit.
Allison had a mouthful and so it made it even funnier to hear her add her twist to the song.
Kris stood against the counter and we seemed to look at him the same time.
“You are not getting out of this, Kristopher. Get your ass over here now!”
He laughed and walked over. Allison grabbed both of his hands and Kris sadly attempted to move his hips to the music. It was too good not to watch.
When the song was over Allison nearly doubled over she was laughing so hard. She sat on the floor and took another big bite.
“’amn this is good.”
“Mhmmm.” Kris agreed.
The doorbell rang and we all stopped in our tracks. Allison sighed heavily and ran up the stairs to grab her bag.
Kris and I let her mom in who was going to take her to the airport.
She smiled at us and I started to pick up Allison’s dish from the floor. Turned the radio off.
Allison came back down and sighed heavily. “Bye you guys…”
I turned around and hugged her tightly. I felt her breathing get short and staggered.
“I’ll call you. Every day and then you’ll be back here.”
Allison nodded slowly and I offered her the best I could do of a smile.
She hugged Kris too and I turned back to the sink. I heard the front door open and then close.
I felt my breath catch and let a slow steady one. She’d be back.
I turned around when Kris walked back into my eye sight and took a bit of the left over ice cream.
He walked forward and put his hand on my back.
“It’s not as good without her around.”
“I know.”
I sighed heavily putting the dish in the sink.
"So, you and me, final two?"
Kris smiled slowly at me. "I hope so."
"I know so."
He smiled lazily at me again and held out a hand.
"Bed?"
"Are you taking advantage of me after an incredibly long week, Kris?"
A blush flushed his cheeks for half a second before he smiled sheepishly. "Are you objecting?"
I smiled taking the hand he offered.
"I thought you'd never ask."
“We should probably go up there and help her pack. Knowing Allison by this time she’s…”
“Muttering in Spanish and throwing things around her room acting like she’s looking for something but she’s really wasting time.”
We both laughed and headed back up the stairs. Danny was sitting on the couch clicking on his laptop.
“Hey guys. You might want to check on Allison. She’s acting like she’s okay but….”
I nodded. “Were headed there now.”
“Cool. See you guys in the morning. I’m gonna head up to my room.”
We nodded at Danny in recognition and made our way up the stairs.
Kris sighed from behind me. “Could you walk a little slower up the million flights of stairs, please?”
I laughed turning my head towards him. “Shut up. Like you have anywhere better to be.”
“Maybe I do.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
Kris brushed by me running up the rest of the stairs and I rolled my eyes.
“Not fair. You’re smaller. More agile.”
He laughed again. “You have longer legs, Adam. You totally should have been able to beat me up here.”
“He’s right you know.” I heard Allison call from her room.
I rolled my eyes at both of them turning into Allison’s room where Kris was already sitting on the bed.
“I’m actually a little relieved to be going home, ya know? It’ll be good to rest my voice. It’s felt so hoarse lately.”
“Allison...”
“Plus I haven’t really slept well here. I think it’s this house. It’s so big and drafty. I’m not used to that. I cannot wait to get a good night sleep..”
I exchanged glances with Kris.
I stepped forward closer to her.
“I miss being at home. Seeing my friends, ya know? Obviously it’s not going to be the same, but….”
“Allison.” I said softly.
She turned in my arms and crumpled like a paper doll. She sobbed against my chest and clung to my arms.
I wrapped myself tightly around her. Kris stood up and rubbed her back comfortingly.
She pulled back and grabbed both of our hands. I swiped away the tears and mascara that had smudged her cheeks.
“I’m sorry you guys. I didn’t mean to….ya know. It’s just..I…I wanted it so bad. It was right there…the end. It was supposed to be the three of us, remember?”
We both nodded and I offered a small smile. “We were just talking about that actually.”
Kris slipped out mouthing that he’d be right back. I nodded and Allison and I sat on her bed.
“Besides, you know this isn’t it. You’re going to be great. Seriously. I’ve never met someone you’re age that can sing you like can. Hell, I haven’t met very many people my age who can sing like you do.”
Allison nodded slowly.
Before either of us could say anything else they both heard “Please Don’t Stop The Music” blaring from the speakers in the living room.
Allison and I both started laughing and she grabbed my hand running down the stairs.
When we got down there Kris was standing in the middle of the living room.
“Okay, I thought about what you do when anyone else had a bad day in the house, Allison. You’re two favorite things were ice cream and ‘dancing it out’. So were going to do both. I know they’ll be here for you soon…but….”
“It’s perfect!” Allison screamed practically skipping towards where Kris had scooped out three bowls of chocolate chip. Allison grabbed hers and turned the music up louder.
I laughed following in suit.
Allison had a mouthful and so it made it even funnier to hear her add her twist to the song.
Kris stood against the counter and we seemed to look at him the same time.
“You are not getting out of this, Kristopher. Get your ass over here now!”
He laughed and walked over. Allison grabbed both of his hands and Kris sadly attempted to move his hips to the music. It was too good not to watch.
When the song was over Allison nearly doubled over she was laughing so hard. She sat on the floor and took another big bite.
“’amn this is good.”
“Mhmmm.” Kris agreed.
The doorbell rang and we all stopped in our tracks. Allison sighed heavily and ran up the stairs to grab her bag.
Kris and I let her mom in who was going to take her to the airport.
She smiled at us and I started to pick up Allison’s dish from the floor. Turned the radio off.
Allison came back down and sighed heavily. “Bye you guys…”
I turned around and hugged her tightly. I felt her breathing get short and staggered.
“I’ll call you. Every day and then you’ll be back here.”
Allison nodded slowly and I offered her the best I could do of a smile.
She hugged Kris too and I turned back to the sink. I heard the front door open and then close.
I felt my breath catch and let a slow steady one. She’d be back.
I turned around when Kris walked back into my eye sight and took a bit of the left over ice cream.
He walked forward and put his hand on my back.
“It’s not as good without her around.”
“I know.”
I sighed heavily putting the dish in the sink.
"So, you and me, final two?"
Kris smiled slowly at me. "I hope so."
"I know so."
He smiled lazily at me again and held out a hand.
"Bed?"
"Are you taking advantage of me after an incredibly long week, Kris?"
A blush flushed his cheeks for half a second before he smiled sheepishly. "Are you objecting?"
I smiled taking the hand he offered.
"I thought you'd never ask."