Humphrey's POV

H. Wish me luck guys, I just arrived at the fishing spot.

S. I'm sure everything will be fine, just relax, try to get to know the guy.

K. what he said.

H. alright, before I go though. Is everything okay with you and Rick Kate? Any encounters?

K. There was one that Rick had in the hallway, but it was really just some minor shit talking from a pussy that didnt even stick around so nothing yet.

A. Yeah, let's hope it stays that way.

K. me and Rick just arrived at the restaurant, have a little date before going home, I'll message Lilly and see if she's okay with the car.

H. alright, I'm going. We won't have to watch our backs forever guys, let's just get through this.

K. you bet

S. sounds good.

H. later guys.

I put my phone down and looked across the small parking lot to the smaller opening where I was supposed to meet up with Lyle. From where I was sitting I could only make out a dock through the trees of the park. I got out of my car and locked up and then made my way across the parking lot. Afterwards I passed the trees where I could see Lyle already set up with two chairs and a cooler. He was wearing a dark gray jacket with jeans and an even darker gray button up. He sat in the chair on the left with his fishing pole in his hand, waiting for something to give it a tug. I approached him, causing him to hear my footsteps and turn to me.

"Hey, I was wondering when you were gonna show up, '' he said. I did the polite thing and smiled with a fake laugh. He didn't say it rudely but I felt that we weren't on the level of friendship yet.

"Sorry, I came as soon as I could" I replied as I took a seat. Lyle took a sip of his beer and then put his fishing rod in between his chair to stand it up. He then reached to his left and grabbed another fishing rod that was laying next to his chair. He handed it to me.

"Your mother told me that you've never gone fishing before, figured you might need this" Lyle said.

"Thanks" I said as I accepted it.

"Yep, now we just gotta bait it" he said as he took out a small can and popped it open. I already knew what was in there. Or at least I thought that I did. I was expecting to see worms but it ended up being just some kind of meat. Lyle took some of it and gestured for me to put my hook closer to him. I did and he grabbed it to put the meat on the hook.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Fish, you can just catch one and then use their meat to bait others, they eat their own kind all the time" he answered. I nodded and put the rod back to how it was, me holding it to the side.

"Good to know," I said.

"do you know how to cast the line?" Lyle asked. I simply shook my head. Lyle picked up his rod again and rolled his line in, all the way until it was back to the start. Afterward he pulled it a bit behind him to where the front end was almost resting on his shoulder. I mirrored him and waited for the next instruction. "Now you just flick it," he said. He then showed me how to do it and made it look so easy. With one swift motion I did what I saw him do and to my surprise it actually worked out quite smoothly. It was satisfying. I saw the line go far out until finally hitting the water, causing ripples in the distance. "Good job Kid," he said.

"Thanks" I replied. Awkwardness then started to fill the air as we both stayed silent. Neither one of us seeming to know what to talk about. The temperature outside was cool. If it wasn't for my sweatshirt and jacket though I might have felt more chiley. Even with the two on though neither of them were zipped. The silence remained as I struggled to come up with a topic to discuss. Even remembering Shaky's advice made it hard. Just get to know the guy. But what was there to ask? He worked at a prison and that's pretty much all I knew about him, so what more was there to discuss? Alot, but what? Am I struggling to come up with something because I'm on the spot? Think of something… something…

"So… have you been fishing long?" I asked. Lyle turned to me with a look that said that it was about time I said something.

"Me and my dad would go, it was about the only thing me and him did that we enjoyed, even then it was miserable. I couldn't mess up, if I did I was a disappointment" He explained.

"I'm sorry" I said awkwardly. Why was he telling me this now? Isn't it too early? I feel like I just sat down.

"No don't be, my mother was great. Whenever my dad would be in a drunken rage which was often, I would be the main target. My mom tried to protect me but always ended up getting beat herself. So I guess in a way she did protect me" Lyle said.

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"Dead, my dad though… I don't know, I do know that my mother was great though, and she might be the only reason I'm alive. But my dad… he toughened me up, gave me the toughness I needed to become what I am. How long had your dad not been in the picture?" Lyle asked.

"Since I was little" I answered.

"Oh, that explains a lot. Don't take this the wrong way, but you seem like a real… pretty boy, I'm guessing mom pampered you all your life?" Lyle said. What? Where is this coming from? Hold on, cool it Humphrey, maybe he's just suggesting that him and I should do some manly things together like hunting or something. Let me just play along for a bit. See where it goes.

"She took care of me, still does. I couldn't be more grateful for her" I said.

"I bet, tell me though where do you work?" he asked. I was taken back by this.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Where do you work?" Lyle repeated.

"I… dont" I said.

"Ah ya see? Your mom pays for everything doesn't she? Your car, your cards, your gas, your roof. She already has a lot to worry about and here you are freeloading, how much time do you spend with her?" he asked. Now I was starting to get a little upset. Freeloading? Are you fucking kidding me?

"Not a lot, but she works," I said.

"And you don't, listen kid, like I said dont take it the wrong way but maybe one of these days just try looking for one. Start earning your own money, you'll have to do it at some point" Lyle explained.

"Yeah I know, and I want to earn my own money, but mom tells me that she wants me to focus on school, and focus on starting my career" I defended.

"Career huh? So you know what you want to do?" Lyle asked.

"Yeah" I answered. Lyle took another sip of beer, whether or not it was on purpose it looked like he was taking it to get ready for my answer, like it was going to be hard to hear.

"Well I'm really into cinematography, and film making. That's what I want to do, write scripts and maybe direct some things" I explained.

"See? Pretty boy. We'll have to get some man into you, you can still do that, but you must know that only so many people make it in that industry. It will be almost impossible for you to make it, so you gotta work hard" Lyle said.

"I do work hard, and I plan on working hard when I get to college. Right now though I just need to get through high school, and with everything going on right now it's hard" I said.

"Everything going on? What could possibly be going on with you right now? You go to school, you sit at a desk, and you leave in your free car. What could possibly be going on?" he questioned.

"Well, my friend was just stabbed, and the people who did it are still out there, trying to make another move on him" I said, giving an example.

"That sounds like someone else's problem, give me another, one that relates to you" Lyle requested.

"It's not just that it's… I'm just worried about my family" I said.

"Family?" Lyle asked. I nodded. "You mean your mother?"

"No, my friends. The ones you saw on christmas. They're my family" I said. Lyle chuckled lightly. It was at this moment that the conversation was no longer at a calm pace. "What's so funny?" I asked.

"Come on kid, those guys aren't gonna be in your life forever, you're gonna go to school, never see them again, and live a mundane life with your wife and kids. That's all we can really ask for now" Lyle said. I could handle everything else this guy had said. The school, the pampering, the job, but my family… that's the line.

"Lilly will be my wife one day" I said.

"You really believe that? High school relationships don't last kid, once you graduate and go your separate way, that will be it. Just be happy you have a mother that cares for you so much. She busts her ass for you and do you ever tell her thanks?" Lyle asked. I knew this would come up one way or another.

"You'll never know how much I love my mother, how much I care for her, and my girlfriend, my friends, my family" I said.

"You think I'm wrong now but just wait, come a couple of months you'll look back on this conversation, and realize that everything i'm saying it's true. I know it's scary, when I was a kid I didn't want to lose my friends either, but I didn't consider them family, because they weren't family. Family is blood, and you'll learn that as soon as you have a family of your own. Believe me, if what I picked up on at that table was true, the other four kids there were also couples, you not the only one who's gonna be splitting up, you all might love each other now, but everyone has to grow up eventually" Lyle explained. I stared at him momentarily before speaking again.

"Are you saying that everyone in that group is going to break up?" I asked.

"Yeah, they'll go their separate ways, they always do, no matter how much they hang on each other" Lyle said. That gave me an idea.

"Lyle, two of the wolves at that table who you say are gonna break up, you have no idea what they've been through. Kate, she was in the hospital for days and Rick didn't leave her side until she woke up, he got her there, saved her life. She wouldn't be here without him, and Kate… after Rick was stabbed she saved him too, gave up her own blood to save him, and just like when she was there, she didn't leave him, and he was in a coma for days. Do you really think they can just… forget each other?" I asked. If he says yes then he's a lost cause. He seemed to ponder the idea though.

"I'm just saying the probability of you being with that girl by the end of the year is unlikely" he said, not answering the question.

"Lyle, do you think they can just forget each other?" I asked again. I'm not at all surprised that he won't admit that he's wrong.

"No, they won't, but they most likely won't be together" Lyle answered. I sighed.

"Agree to disagree, '' I said. Lyle didnt respond. Instead we sat in silence again, perhaps this was in fact the better option. I heard my text tone go off. I set the fishing pole in between the chair arm like I saw Lyle do and slipped my phone out of my pocket. It was Shaky.

S. hey bro, how's it going?

H. fucking kill me.

S. not good?

H. Dude, this guy is telling me that I'm pampered, that I basically take my mother for granted, and that you, me and the others aren't a family.

S. so he's calling you spoiled? We kind of are Humphrey, not a lot of people have it like we do. In terms of him saying that the six of us aren't a family, you can't exactly force everyone to see things the way we do, he might have a different perspective on things. It doesn't really matter what he thinks.

H. I guess, thanks for being the voice of reason Shaky.

S. of course, Angel asked meto check up on you.

H. really? Why didn't she do it?

S. she says we're closer.

H. what? We're all really close.

S. I don't know man, she's feeling kinda lazy I think.

H. That's Angel.

S. yeah, I love her though. Anyway, I'm gonna get back to the show, talk to ya later.

H. Alright, what season are you on?

S. five, shits really good.

H. I bet, maybe I should take a crack at it.

S. you should. You wouldn't regret it, it would probably be a really good binge for you and Lilly.

H. I'll keep it in mind.

S. alright, later dude.

H. later.

I turned my phone off and slid it back in my pocket. Once again it was just me staring out into the lake, listening to the water as it calmly brushed against the land.

"Lyle, are you doing this for me or you?" I asked as I continued to look forward. Even as I continued to stare forward however, I could see Lyle turn to me with confusion and anger in his expression.

"What do ya mean kid?" he asked before taking another chug of his beer. Honestly, this is the guy my mom was dating? If anything this was proving my theory of her being desperate right.

"Well… you never really seemed thrilled to talk to me, get to know me, even acknowledge my friends who you're saying are not my family. I mean you've been dating my mom for a couple of weeks now, it's taken you this long, I'm just curious, when you planned this day out, who brought it up, you or my mom?" I asked, I tried not to sound confrontational when asking, but the questions itself proved that there was absolutely no point. No matter how I said it, it was going to come off as rude.

"Me" Lyle said. He hesitated before saying it however. He was lying, wasn't he? I guess my face and lack of response said it all because he spoke again. "Come on kid, you don't believe me?"

"I just feel as though you see me as in the way" I said. Lyle chuckled.

"Kid… that's ridiculous" he replied. This dude keeps calling me kid. I wonder…

"Hey Lyle… you know you keep calling me kid which normally I wouldn't mind but… normally most people would have said the others name at least once" I said. Lyle seemed to freeze. But instead of trying to show it he took another sip of his beer, or tried to anyway. By this point the can was empty and after tapping the bottom of it and realizing this he slowly opened the cooler and grabbed another. When he did, I saw that there was nothing but beer in the cooler. No soda, water, nothing. So if this trip really was for the two of us you would at least expect him to throw a water in there. But no, just beer. I watched as he grabbed another can and cracked it open, he then began drinking from it. I just waited patiently for him to finish and stop stalling, I wanted to see what he had to say. Once he was done though he just looked back out into the lake, acting as if I wasn't even there. "Lyle?" I called.

"Hm?" he responded, not making eye contact.

"You… you don't know my name… do you?" I said in a low, saddened voice. I wasn't sad because of what he thought of me, or how little he cared, but because this was someone that my mother was supposed to care for, and if what I was thinking right now was true, then there was no way he really wanted a future with us. I was always for the idea of my mom finding someone, to have a father figure, even if it was too late. I wanted my mom to be happy, to find her love, and to have another addition to the family. Someone to fill the gap that had been there for far too long, but this… this guy wasn't it.

"You insult me, talk about my family, and try to shape me into someone you want to see, and you don't even know my name," I said. Lyle simply turned to me and said nothing, he didn't seem angry or upset. Just… empty. I rolled in the line and stood up, setting the pole against the chair.

"Are you leaving?" Lyle asked.

"I just… I just think I should go" I said. Lyle didn't reply as I began walking back to my car. It was a long walk, even if it wasn't far. I pulled out my phone to dial Lilly, but as I did I saw our picture on my lock screen. It was a picture of us after our third date. We had just gone to see a movie and had gone to chill at her place for the night. So many laughs, and memories. The one in the photo we were cuddling on the bed after deciding to chill for a bit, I had held the phone as Lilly got as close to me as possible, even though she was already close, I could still feel her posing for the cuddle picture as I snapped it. It was nothing sexual, we weren't even in the bed, just on it. Most people who saw the picture said it looked cute and as a result, I had put it as my background on my phone, as well as the full wide photo on my laptop. What a fun and good night. I love that girl so much, and one day I was going to marry her, and here was this piece of shit telling me that I wasn't even going to see her after high school. I snapped out of my happy thoughts and scoffed, hitting my contact list and Lilly's name to call her. I put the phone to my ear and listened to the rings as I made it to my car. I unlocked it and opened the door as I heard Lilly answer.

"Hey Humphrey, how's the fishing going?" Lilly asked.

"I left early, that mother fucker pissed me off" I said as I shut the door and buckled my seatbelt.

"Really? What happened" Lilly asked in that soft, kind voice that I had come to love. It was so therapeutic to me that on most night's when I was with her, it helped me fall asleep.

"He started talking to me about how I take my mother for granted, how I probably don't deserve her, and that I'm pampered. I don't work for what I have, even though the mother fucker has never once tried to get to know me, how the fuck would he know if I had a job or not? The fucking idiot doesn't know shit, he said so much Lily that I don't even know where to fucking start, I had to get out of there. I just couldn't take his fucking shit anymore, the one time the mother fucker talks to me, the one fucking time, and this is what he has to say. How hard is it to say hey, what do you like to do? What are your hobbies? Oh you have close friends? That's fucking great, you know your mother is a wonderful fucking person. He didn't even know my name Lilly, he didn't know my fucking name" I ranted. It was only now that I realized how pissed I was. I wanted to scream, just scream with no words and beat the shit out of the inside of my car. Just slam on the steering wheel until the fucking thing popped off.

"Humphrey I… do you want to come over and talk?" Lilly asked. How could I stay made with her around? She was the sweetest thing there was. I sighed heavily.

"Okay" I said.

"Alright, I'll see you in about fifteen minutes?" Lilly asked.

"Sounds good," I replied. It was about a fifteen minute drive from here to her house. So that was a plan.

"Alright, don't listen to what he says Humphrey, you're perfect the way you are" Lilly said. I closed my eyes and sighed again. "Humphrey?"

"I'm here Lills, I'll be right over… I love you" I said.

"I love you… drive safe" Lilly said back. I then heard the phone hang up, giving me the signal that it was time to go. I put my phone in the cup holder and turned the key. Once the car was on I backed out of the parking space and started my drive to Lilly's. My girlfriend, my future wife, part of my family.