If I knew what I know now last summer, I never would have stepped out the door into that hot June day. I don't remember the day and it didn't seem important to remember then, it was a week or two after school ended on my sophomore year. My brother Lucas waltzed his way into my room and disturbed my peace. Until then I had spent my free days playing video games and talking to my best friend Leon. In my room most of the time until I had to piss or eat.
Anyway about a week into break Lucas decided to start bitching to me about how it 'wasn't healthy' to sit in my room all the time. He started suggesting that I go on trips with him and his obnoxiously cheerful boyfriend Mathias. After a few days of it he demanded that I go to the grocery store with him. I don't know why he's gotten the idea into his head that just because mom and dad aren't here he's got to take care of me.
After a hot and sweaty bike ride across town to the store I was walking through the freezer section trying to cool myself off when I heard a whispered voice, being the nosy little son of a bitch that I am I walked closer to where I thought I heard it. After checking to make sure I was alone in the aisle I pressed my ear against the door of one of the freezers.
"farðu yfir túnið," I recognized the language of my mother "örlög þín bíður…" the voice finished carrying the last syllable out slowly. I could speak Icelandic but not fluently it meant something about going trough a field because I belong there. I straightened up and decided that this was something best to ignore.
"Yo, Emil, what's up buddy? Long time no see!" I turned to face Alfred who was jogging to me from across the aisle, Alfred was a super friendly and super cheerful star football player, he was the richest kid in our low income town. He was nice but I wouldn't consider him to be much more than an acquaintance. Behind Alfred, his usual group of his half brother Mathiew, his girlfriend Natalia, and his best friend Kiku followed him over to me.
"How've you been Emil?" Mathiew asked in his usual quite polite tone. He was the total opposite of his boisterous brother.
"Good, how bout you?" I returned I'm not in the mood for chit chat but I'm not rude. Mattie began some reply that I didn't hear focusing suddenly on Natalia's intense gaze aimed at me causing chills to run along my back. She was a quiet girl with a dreadful aura around her, she's notorious for intense staring and being incredibly vulgar very casually. From what I heard she also has an odd habit of fixating on either her brother Ivan or Alfred to an exhaustive point for the focus of her fixation. Natalia blinked and slid her intense blue eyes off of me and onto Alfred,
"Alfred we're fucking leaving this shit hole" she announced grabbing his arm and pulling him away aggressively.
"Chill Nat," he said yanking his arm out of her grasp, then he turned to me with a wave and said, "catch ya later Emil!" before walking off with his girlfriend. Kiku dipped his head towards me then followed after them silently, Lucas arrived in time to say hello to Mathiew, Mathiew gave a wave and said that we should hang out sometime with a shy smile. After they left I realized that I was in no mood for human interaction today I followed Lucas to hurry him up with the shopping. During the bike ride home with shopping bags balanced across both of our handlebars Lucas said,
"Why don't you go out with friends like those other kids you were talking to? It's not good to be such a hermit." he gave that concerned look he always has when I'm 'not being healthy'.
"Because everyone is annoying and I've had enough social interaction during school." I responded with an edge of annoyance harshening my voice, I hated when he did this.
"I saved some of the grocery money maybe you can take some of your friends to do something with it," his tone was gentle, I felt like a prick for snapping at him now, money was always tight but even more since its just been us.
"Oh," I didn't know what to say. He quit his old job as an archaeologist to come home and take care of me and he hasn't been able to find a new one yet, and he is still trying to pay off the hospital bills that insurance didn't cover completely, and his student loans. "Leon has been talking about some movie lately, I bet he would like to go see it."
"That sounds like it would be nice," he said seeming pleased at my agreement to get out of the house.
When we got home I called Leon and we set a time that would we would see the movie tomorrow. We also decided to stop by a restaurant after to get dinner. Then I went out into the living room to eat dinner with Lucas, I knew he wanted us to spend more time together so that was my way of saying thanks for the money.
The next afternoon I took a shower and ran a brush through my messy hair then put on my best casual clothes then hopped on my bike and headed to the lower class side of town.