Together We Fall

Sometimes I wondered if Joe would ever be the same again. The Joe that stomped around the house and barked orders now wasn’t the same Joe we knew from before. But then, I would remember that nothing was the way it was before. None of us were the same but Joe was dark now. He was so dark that there was nothing left from before, not even the glint in his eyes. It was all different. “Panda, did you hear me?” Norah yelled from the kitchen effectively bringing me out of my daze. “Norah, can you please stop calling me that?” I crawled from my window cubby. I lifted the cushion and the loose plank of wood, then I slid my journal inside, like always. It probably wasn’t the most secure hiding spot but I knew that if Joe wanted to find it for some reason, that not even God could keep it safe. I made my way into kitchen just as Norah was pulling dinner from the oven. Oh Yummy, Norah’s signature baked slop again. It never felled that she prepare her meal at least once a week. It was a combination of chopped asparagus, cabbage, carrots, and onion mush. On these nights, I usually go to bed with a stomach full of bread and water. “Don’t make that face Panda. You never know if you like something if you don’t try it. Now clear the table.” She repeated her slogan for the hundredth time and ignored my previous request completely. “I don’t have to taste it to know it’s gross.” I murmured as I took a set of plates from the rack and walked over to the old wooden table. “Norah, why can’t you just call me Cal like everyone else?” “Panda is cute and it’s unique. You’ll always be my Panda no matter how big you get. I remember when you were a baby, your cheeks were so chubby. You would stick everything in your mouth. ” She turned to face me as unwrapped the bread for the table. In her eyes, I could almost see a glint of happiness as she thought of the memory. “Oh.” I replied as I walked backed to the counter for the cups. “Well, go bring the Joshua in before they get here.” She dismissed me as she carried the food to the table. I heard the sound of the exhaust pipe as I passed through living room and made my way out the back door. I ran to the back gate door and waited till I heard both truck doors slam and then the front door too. I took off down the street looking for Josh in all the normal places and found him in the lot yet playing some kind of sport that involved way too much aggression. “Josh!” I yelled as I closed the distance. I was close enough to him that I could make out the faces of the rest of the guys on the grass. “Josh, come on we have to go!” “Alright, guys. I’m out. I’ll catch yall later.” he resigned as he gave each player a handshake or pat on the back. He jogged up to the player who was closest to me on the sideline but had his back to me. His dark auburn hair stopped a little after his jaw line and his olive skin glistened with sweat from the game. “Hey, we’ll, uh talk later Hunter.” He gave him this combination of a pat and a handshake similar to what he gave the other players before jogging towards me. “Josh, do you always have to cut it so close?” I asked as we practically jogged back to the house. “What?” he smirked. “You know what I’m talking about.” I glared at him. “I can’t stay cooped up in that house all day.” He dismissed and then quickly added, “You should get out some too. Trust me. It would do you some good.” “You know I couldn’t even if I wanted to.” “I’m serious. This is your senior year of high school, do something to remember it by. Make some good memories. I got your back. Trust me.” He said as we made it to the front of the house. Once again I silence the part of mind that wanted to respond with the obvious truth. How could he have my back when he was moving almost 4 hours away for college in less than a week? Once again there was another promise that would never be kept.