Melancholy
Hunter watched the smoke from his half smoked joint waft into the dark sky.
Dinner at Debbie's was always interesting to say the least but he'd had enough of listening to her giving Michael another lecture about something and Ben trying to be the peacemaker between mother and son. He had slipped unnoticed from the room and out into Debbie's back yard.
He gazed up at the stars that were twinkling behind the slight cloud cover as he took another satisfying drag.
"Shouldn't you be inside with your Ma and Pa?" Hunter jumped at the sound of the voice in the darkness, his eyes scanning the yard until they came to rest on a figure walking in the gate.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was Brian.
"Shouldn't you be out fucking something that moves?" He retorted quickly, taking another drag.
"Michael keeps telling me you're a smart ass kid, now I understand why." Brian replied, stopping in front of Hunter.
"Took you long enough to figure that out." Hunter answered. "But now that you have you can go away."
He could see a smile touch the corner of Brian's mouth at his words.
"So how did you manage to escape all the domestically inside?" Brian asked
"Years of practice." Hunter replied, taking another drag.
Brian chuckled and reached for the half smoked joint.
"Fuck off and get your own!" Hunter stated, slapping Brian's hand away.
"That's no way to talk to an almost relation." Brian responded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a perfectly shaped joint. He lit it slowly, inhaling deeply waiting for that first buzz.
"How the fuck are you and I related?" Hunter said, eying Brian's joint and hoping he may have some more hidden.
"Well Michael and I are almost brothers so I guess that makes me your almost Uncle."
"Had enough Uncles to last me a life time; fucked if I need another one!" Hunter said quietly.
"At least you got to pick your fathers." Brian replied, averting his gaze from Hunter.
"Heard yours was an asshole!" Hunter replied, wondering if he was pushing to far but somehow his tongue always loosened when smoking weed.
"We're did you hear that? Listening at keyholes?"
"Yeah and doors and of course reading other people's mail…"
They both burst out in a fit of giggles before shushing each other in over loud whispers.
"Shut the fuck up dude!" Hunter giggled. "You want Debbie out here?"
"Fuck no!" Brian replied, leaning against the wall before sliding to the ground. "She'd want to join us."
"What?" Hunter said, lowering himself down next to Brian. "You mean she smokes weed?"
"On more than one occasion." Brian laughed, taking another drag.
"She fucking lectures me on the evils of weed and she fucking smokes it!" Hunter's voice carried into the cold night air, seemingly echoing off the walls.
"Shushhhhhhhhhh………..don't wanna share it remember!" Brian whispered, bringing his fingers to his lips.
"Well fuck me." Hunter laughed. "I have a grandma that smokes weed. Wait till I tell the kids at school!"
"The fuck you will!" Brian said but Hunter only continued to laugh.
"I mean it kid, that stays between you and your Uncle Brian got it!"
"Yeah whatever." Hunter answered, grinding out his joint on the ground and flicking it into the garden.
"Got any more?" He turned to Brian, a hopeful note in his voice.
Brian couldn't help but laugh at the nerve of the kid.
"I shouldn't be encouraging you." He replied, pulling another joint from his pocket and handing it to an eager Hunter.
"You shouldn't be sitting here smoking with me either." Hunter countered.
"You're a smart kid." Brian acknowledged.
"So he ever hit you?" Hunter asked.
The quick change of subject took Brian by surprise and he hesitated before answering.
"Yeah when he'd had a few too many."
"That sucks."
"That's life." Brian answered. "What about you?"
"Don't remember him much. My mother just told me he was a loser and we were better off without him."
"Considering the person your mother was that's saying something."
Hunter shrugged taking another drag, watching the smoke curl into the night.
"So why you still here in the 'pitts?" Hunter asked turning to Brian, studying him intently. He was definitely hot and he was pleased that it was dark so that Brian couldn't see the flush that covered his face as he remembered the 'crush' he'd had on him years ago.
"Why not?" Brian eventually answered.
"From what I hear you're the great God Kinney….."
"More listening at keyholes?" Brian interrupted another bout of giggling over coming him.
"Haven't you noticed my big ears" Hunter replied, grabbing his ears and wiggling them in front of Brian.
They leaned against each other, tears of laugher streaming down their faces.
"I'm trying to be serious dude." Hunter said, as he took another hit, glancing at Brian who had his eyes half closed as he dragged deeply on his joint.
"Ok, serious." Brian replied, sitting up straight against the fence. "What was the question again?"
"Jesus fucking Christ." Hunter said in exasperation. "Focus dude. Why you still here?"
"Sitting in Debbie's backyard? Fucked if I know. Perhaps we should go inside."
Brian made to stand but Hunter pulled him back to the ground.
"Somehow I don't think that's such a good idea." He said, imaging the lecture he would receive from his fathers if they could see him now.
"Ohhhhh why am I still in Pittsburgh you mean?"
Hunter sighed thinking that weed and old guys didn't go well together.
"I ask myself that often and you know I still can't come up with an answer." Brian said.
"Maybe cause it's where you belong?" Hunter ventured.
Brian eyed Hunter suspiciously. The kid was too smart for his own good he decided.
"You not planning to stay in Pittsburgh then?" Brian asked.
Hunter gave a non-comitial shrug.
"Dunno." He finally replied. "From what I see the world is a stinking shit hole."
"So perhaps this is where we both belong." Brian said; his words more a statement than a question.
"What sitting in Debbie's backyard smoking a joint!" Hunter smirked.
"Don't be such a smartass!" Brian replied.
"Fuck you sound just like Michael!" Hunter rolled his eyes.
"Could do worse than be like him." Brian said.
"Guess so." Hunter replied.
"Hunter!!!!! Where the fuck is that kid!" Michael's voice came from the darkness and they both jumped.
"Fuck!" Hunter exclaimed. "I'm outta here. Thanks for the weed. You're ok for an old guy."
"Not so much of the old thanks." Brian snapped. "And kid….."
"What?" Hunter stopped, turning back to Brian.
"You're ok for a smartass kid."