Hello, Who's This?
1961 Words
Lying in a box
Dark with emotions
A claustrophobic disease sets in
Abominable Putridity
Arriving at the restaurant, we all pile out of the car and for the first time Jake doesn't have his phone on him, due to being back at the cabin on charge. Right now is the chance to get a proper answer out of him as to why he is spending so much time on his phone.
Walking up to the entrance of the restaurant, I take in the woods towering up from behind the stone building, the stones a mixtures of browns and matching the tiling on the roof, the atmosphere snug and welcoming due to the fire burning bright in the back of the building as we enter.
The place is carpeted in a nice auburn colour, the walls a nice cream and the lighting fixtures giving off a dull yet nice glow upon the round tables set out all over the place.
To the far right is a bar with the kitchen being at the front of the restaurant, the waitresses going in and out of the large ivory doors with metal strips at the bottom, so the doors aren't soiled by dirty boot marks.
Located at the very back is a pokies area, the seats in the darkened room occupied mainly by older patrons of the place.
The seats in the eating area of the place also heavily occupied, making the atmosphere seem that little more lively considering Jake seems to be sucking the life out of me with his dull mood.
Making our way up to the serving desk, we are given our table as well as menus before walking to table twenty-three and taking our seats. With Jake next to me, Lucy at the end of the table to the left and Mum and Cam on the opposite sides of Jake and I, we are quiet for a few moments as we cast our eyes down the food they have to offer on the menus.
Finally deciding on a risotto with Jake wanting a hamburger of some description, I hear Lucy mention something about a Parma before Mum and Cam decide on steaks for each other.
The lady finally takes our menus then our orders, Mum and Cam finally being able to make a run for it to the bar and ordering drinks for all of us.
"So, you finally want to talk or do you want to use my phone to go back onto your world of f*******:?" I offer sarcastically, Jake rolling his eyes and mumbling something about the toilet then walking off.
Letting out a sigh, I rest my chin in my hands and not long after I feel Lucy's gaze on me, my eyes flickering over into her direction as a small forced smile appears across my face.
"What's his issue?"
"I don't know but he has been like that all day."
"Maybe he secretly didn't want to go."
"Maybe, I dunno."
The conversation stops when Mum and Cam come back with the drinks and ask the whereabouts of where Jake went. Telling them he's in the toilet, they question his mood and that if he really didn't want to come he could have said no.
"I don't know, I mean he said he got f**k all sleep last night but I don't think that's it." yet the conversation halts due to Jake coming back, his head down and dragging his feet back to our table.
"So Jake, how's everything been since we last saw you?" Mum comments with a beaming smile and running a lily white hand through her damp amber hair, Jake shrugging his shoulders before stating something along the lines of "good yet tired".
"Well maybe you should have gone to bed earlier." Cam grins at the guy he has a lot of time for, meaning he likes to joke around with him when Jake isn't being a f**k face.
"Maybe." is all Jake says, not even bothering to look up at Cam while he takes a lengthy sip of his alcoholic beverage.
To be honest I feel embarrassed that he's acting the way he is considering if I knew he was going to be like this, I would have told him to stay home considering I don't want my parents wasting money on the morbid f**k.
Looking back at Cam with an apologetic look, he only gives me a half-smile with a quick eyebrow raise, his sea blue eyes lingering on Jake for a moment before he turns his slightly tanned yet bald head to Mum, and continue talking to her about something they were on before we arrived.
Clasping my hands in my lap, I look at my parents for a little longer, my eyes catching a stray hair from Mum's head stuck in his beard that goes around his mouth and chin, a scar apparent on the bridge of his crooked nose.
Cameron or Cam as he prefer to be called considering he hates being called Cameron, is a hard worker considering it shows by the way his skin is coloured, and the tan line from his wife beater shows paler skin, almost similar to my Mum's lily white, underneath.
Only the tan line is covered up with a nice button up gunmetal grey shirt, navy blue jeans and a pair of Adidas dress sneakers, the scar from where his eyebrow piercing used to be, facing my side.
His thick woollen hoodie hangs over his chair, the colours being chocolate brown and beige with pictures of deer appearing on the beige lines of the hoodie, a gift from his father John before he passed away from stage four lung cancer.
John would wear that when it got too cold and reminded Cam of when he was little, and brought him back to the times he would go fishing or hunting with his father.
His build was much like his fathers, average height with some muscle in the arms yet lean at the same time. Unlike mum who only just reaches five feet with curves like me but not as many as Lucy, hence where I get my skin tone, height and figure from. Alas, I range in the four foot nine category.
"Thank you all for waiting." a young waitress smiles as she places Mum and Cam's meals down in front of them, both of their eyes bulging out a little when they see the size of their meals and wondering if they will even finish half of it before Lucy's dish is brought to her, along with Jake's then mine.
Silence falls over the table as we all dig in, every now and then a few words would be shared only to remain back in silence up until everyone finishes and all agree to go outside for a cigarette. Lucy on the other hand, chooses to stay inside considering one she doesn't smoke and two; it's too cold for her outside.
So grabbing our jackets, hoodies and coats, we throw them on and head out to the smokers area then all taking a seat at the outdoor setting they have under cover from the falling snow, and gather around the burning fire outside.
"Did you guys enjoy dinner?" Mum asks while handing Cam a cigarette and I fish in her bag for my cigarettes and lighter.
"f**k yeah I did."
"Yeah." both Jake and I state at the same time, only my response a little more eager than his, him wishing he was back on his phone talking to someone apparently more worthy of his time.
"Well I'm glad you did, but I'm afraid dessert won't be an option considering we are on limited money and it has to last us if we plan on being here a week. Besides we have a big day tomorrow because we will be taking you guys to that theme park or whatever they have there." Cam declares when the door opens to who I assume is Lucy, coming out to join us for the conversation. Yet I'm mistaken when there are male voices mixed between older and younger.
The males seem to be having a good laugh, all with drinks in their hands as well as cigarettes. Mum and Cam don't seem to mind them considering they too are grinning at the guys who only look to be a few years older than me.
My eyes catch a quick glimpse at group, none of them snagging my attention apart from one who also happens to be the shortest of the group, but also built enough to know that he would be a pretty good fighter the way he carries himself.
From what I can see his eyes are deep pools of russet, his olive skin making me think he might be of the same background as me the way his skin tone stands out against his grey shirt, his jacket a thick leather with a metal grey hoodie pocking out from underneath and his stubble almost being classified as a beard.
His dark locks are cut short, but not too short where it's classed as shaved with it all coming together in a slight quiff with the longer bits at the top, his deep blue jeans hugging his surprisingly cute butt and a pair of black Converses to go with it.
I feel guilty for checking him out when out of all of the guys I have been around today, well apart from my stepdad who only looked at me to talk to me and make sure I'm okay, that stranger is the only one who seems to be showing me interest as well as attention even when he thinks I'm not looking at him.
Not long into the night his mates become more rowdy than before, all laughing and carrying on only I'm more concerned about if Jake catches him checking me out, there may be a bit of a heated argument.
To be quite honest, I don't want this mystery guy getting into s**t or a fistfight even though I'm sure he is quite capable of taking care of himself.
I mean Jake's a fighter, but he's more of a talker. All he does is f**k around with his mate Kai and see who can throw each other onto the ground first. But when it comes to actual fighting he backs out and says he can't afford to risk being charged considering he's on a good behaviour bond, something he's been telling me ever since we got together and that was over a year ago. But where's the letter or court date stating the bond is over?
"Alright, let's get going or otherwise we'll be here all night." Mum announces once we've all finished our cigarettes and remainder of drinks, my attention turning once again to the group of guys when the name Luke is shouted out.
"I'll be back I'm just getting another drink." the guy who I, only moments ago was just checking out, calls over his shoulder to his drunken mates all slurring and continuing to have a good time.
"Sorry about those guys, my mates and I are celebrating my other mate that's here with us, over his second son being born." Luke states when Cam holds the door open for him.
"Don't even worry about it mate, as long as you guys have a good night and stay out of trouble then I say go for it. And congratulations by the way, you guys enjoy your night." Cam states with a large smile, the guy named Luke now walking in front of us and my eyes trying their hardest not to make it obvious that I'm checking him out, the feeling of Jake's eyes finally on me causing me to end my stare.
"You too." is all he says with a slight chuckle in his voice before he makes his way to the bar, though when we make our way towards the exit of the restaurant, I can't help but feel his gaze on me yet again.
- Writer
