Gabe clutched Captain Spoon Bear Man and tried to slow his breathing. At
least Rowan wasn't a Troll.
i No Troll here. No Troll here. But there wasn't always a Troll. Rowan could be a Troll. /i
Gabe gulped. He stood next to Rowan's bed and gently prodded his shoulder. "Wake up," whispered Gabe. Rowan stirred but slept on. Gabe poked him again, a little harder. "Please wake up," he said a little louder. He poked him a few more times, Captain Spoon Bear Man even taking a few jabs, until Rowan started to sit up. "Gabe?" he asked sleepily, "what's wrong? You wanna me to get Dwayne?"
"Um, no."
i Please don't let him yell. Please don't let him get mad. Please don't let him do like Momma would /i
"Um, Captain Spoon Bear Man, he, he," Rowan just sat there, waiting and Gabe gulped again. His throat was dry. "He wet the bed." Gabe squeezed his face together, waiting for the slap and yelling. "He didn't mean to. He just didn't know where the bathroom was and he'll never do it again and and and."
Rowan cursed very softly and Gabe slowly backed up a little bit. "Gabe, it's ok. Accidents happen. Do you have clothes to change into? Like underwear and stuff?" Gabe shook his head a little and realized Rowan probably couldn't see him. "I have underwear."
"Can you wear just that?"
Gabe shook his head. "No, not just underwear."
i No no no no no no no no./i
"Um ok. How about this- do you still have to go to the bathroom?" Gabe said softly no. "You want me to show you where it is, just in case? You can grab your other underwear and change in the bathroom." Rowan grasped his shirt and pulled it off, handing it to Gabe. "Here, wear this ok? I'll go pull the sheets off your bed. You can sleep in mine and I'll grab the floor." Gabe whispered ok.
He was still waiting to be yelled out. Maybe he would be yelled at in the bathroom. The no one would hear Rowan scream at him. Sometimes Momma would do that. Then the Troll would come out. Gabe took the shirt and went into his bag. He wished Dwayne was in here too. Why couldn't he have his own room? He always had his own room. Always. He wanted his own room. Shaking, almost ripping Captain Spoon Bear Man's arm off his body in fear, he followed Rowan to the bathroom. But Rowan didn't follow him in. Gabe closed the door and changed. When he got out Rowan had stripped the streets off his wet bed and must have got rid of them magically because Gabe didn't see them. "Here you go," said Rowan, motioning to the other bed, sheets dry. Gabe yawned. The sheets looked warm and comfy. But first.. "Can you make sure there aren't any monsters?" Rowan nodded and knelt down.
"Couple but nothing that Captain Spoon Bear Man can't handle." Gabe fingered Captain Spoon Bear Man's new eyebrow ring. Captain Spoon Bear Man thought the stud made him look cooler, like Rowan. Gabe wasn't sure if he wanted a stud too. Maybe Captain Spoon Bear Man would be willing to share. Gabe climbed into the bed and Rowan lay down on the floor. Gabe lay there for a few moments and said, softly, "Um, Rowan?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you sleep with me? I'm still scared of the monsters. Sometimes Momma will just lie down until I fall asleep. Please?" Rowan sighed and stood up. He lifted up the covers and lay down. Something made a loud noise in the dark and Gabe launched himself onto Rowan's bare chest and held tight. "Don't let the trolls get me!" he said and Rowan hugged Gabe. "I won't, Gabe. I swear to God, I won't." Gabe relaxed against Rowan's warm chest. He felt safe. If only Momma was here too.
i No Troll here. No Troll here. But there wasn't always a Troll. Rowan could be a Troll. /i
Gabe gulped. He stood next to Rowan's bed and gently prodded his shoulder. "Wake up," whispered Gabe. Rowan stirred but slept on. Gabe poked him again, a little harder. "Please wake up," he said a little louder. He poked him a few more times, Captain Spoon Bear Man even taking a few jabs, until Rowan started to sit up. "Gabe?" he asked sleepily, "what's wrong? You wanna me to get Dwayne?"
"Um, no."
i Please don't let him yell. Please don't let him get mad. Please don't let him do like Momma would /i
"Um, Captain Spoon Bear Man, he, he," Rowan just sat there, waiting and Gabe gulped again. His throat was dry. "He wet the bed." Gabe squeezed his face together, waiting for the slap and yelling. "He didn't mean to. He just didn't know where the bathroom was and he'll never do it again and and and."
Rowan cursed very softly and Gabe slowly backed up a little bit. "Gabe, it's ok. Accidents happen. Do you have clothes to change into? Like underwear and stuff?" Gabe shook his head a little and realized Rowan probably couldn't see him. "I have underwear."
"Can you wear just that?"
Gabe shook his head. "No, not just underwear."
i No no no no no no no no./i
"Um ok. How about this- do you still have to go to the bathroom?" Gabe said softly no. "You want me to show you where it is, just in case? You can grab your other underwear and change in the bathroom." Rowan grasped his shirt and pulled it off, handing it to Gabe. "Here, wear this ok? I'll go pull the sheets off your bed. You can sleep in mine and I'll grab the floor." Gabe whispered ok.
He was still waiting to be yelled out. Maybe he would be yelled at in the bathroom. The no one would hear Rowan scream at him. Sometimes Momma would do that. Then the Troll would come out. Gabe took the shirt and went into his bag. He wished Dwayne was in here too. Why couldn't he have his own room? He always had his own room. Always. He wanted his own room. Shaking, almost ripping Captain Spoon Bear Man's arm off his body in fear, he followed Rowan to the bathroom. But Rowan didn't follow him in. Gabe closed the door and changed. When he got out Rowan had stripped the streets off his wet bed and must have got rid of them magically because Gabe didn't see them. "Here you go," said Rowan, motioning to the other bed, sheets dry. Gabe yawned. The sheets looked warm and comfy. But first.. "Can you make sure there aren't any monsters?" Rowan nodded and knelt down.
"Couple but nothing that Captain Spoon Bear Man can't handle." Gabe fingered Captain Spoon Bear Man's new eyebrow ring. Captain Spoon Bear Man thought the stud made him look cooler, like Rowan. Gabe wasn't sure if he wanted a stud too. Maybe Captain Spoon Bear Man would be willing to share. Gabe climbed into the bed and Rowan lay down on the floor. Gabe lay there for a few moments and said, softly, "Um, Rowan?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you sleep with me? I'm still scared of the monsters. Sometimes Momma will just lie down until I fall asleep. Please?" Rowan sighed and stood up. He lifted up the covers and lay down. Something made a loud noise in the dark and Gabe launched himself onto Rowan's bare chest and held tight. "Don't let the trolls get me!" he said and Rowan hugged Gabe. "I won't, Gabe. I swear to God, I won't." Gabe relaxed against Rowan's warm chest. He felt safe. If only Momma was here too.