Left Alone Ch. 01

"No yeah, do what you gotta do man." Caleb said, doing his best to not seem disappointed.

"But I'll definitely take a raincheck. Plus I can swing by and pick you up for school if you want. It'll be easier when we pick up your car in the afternoon."

Caleb smiled so big it was infectious. He nodded with a smirk, "Yeah, I'd like that." He looked over at the Range Rover that sat at the far edge of the driveway, able to used should one of the other cars break down. But he decided against it, feeling better of going with his old friend. "See you tomorrow. And Liam, thanks for everything."

He simply nodded, "Have a good night, man."

***

A couple hours later, Liam turned off the stove in the cramped galley kitchen. He reached into the cabinets, pulling out a ceramic plate and a medium sized Tupperware container. He divided the spaghetti in two, pouring a serving for himself before grabbing a piece of bread from the warm sheet pan. He emptied the rest into the container and set it into the microwave along with a note for his mom. It was Sunday, which meant she worked a double and would likely come home and stay awake long enough to shower, eat and then sleep until her morning shift tomorrow.

Liam took the plate into his room and set it down at his desk. He flicked on the lamp and started to eat, staring out into the neon signs that dotted their busy street. He knew that he and his mom had been through rougher times- and that a lack of communication and a string of overworked days were nothing in comparison to the wreckage they withstood a couple years ago. Caleb's return served as a sign that maybe things were looking up. And as he spent the night alone, filling out his undersized twin bed, he hoped the hard times were behind him.

On the other side of town, Caleb pulled out a cup of mac and cheese from the microwave. He then reached into the fridge to grab a Coke and set the two down at the large dining room table, big enough to seat a family of six. The double door refrigerator was full of food, but he didn't know how to cook a meal for just himself and not end up with leftovers for the next few days. And so mac and cheese it was.

Caleb opened the laptop that was still in the same place where he left it this morning at breakfast. He pulled up Netflix and resumed the movie he was watching earlier- one he'd seen a dozen or so times before. It had been like this since his mom went out of town three days ago and she still wasn't due back for another week. She hadn't even waited for the movers to finish unloading their stuff before she called for a car and headed off to the airport, not without kissing her son goodbye and begging him to eat something other than junk food while she was gone.

Once the movie was over, he made his way upstairs into his room. Caleb shucked his shirt and jeans and slid under the covers, hoping he wouldn't have another sleepless night in the dark. Tomorrow was the start of his Senior Year at a new school full of kids he didn't think he'd know. But that wasn't the reason he was anxious. Liam Holt was going to give him a ride tomorrow. And if it would be anything like this afternoon, he knew he at least had something to look forward to.