Amos

Silhouette Smile (6)

I got to work, taking out every possible ingredient from the fridge, boiling and baking. Glen was in no condition to neither make food for himself nor buy fast food every time he was hungry. In the end I ended up packing three bags overflowing with fruit, pastries, breads, pies, roasts and marinating chicken and beef.
I took off, pedaling as if a demon possessed me, the new vocation filled every fiber in my body and my heart pounded at the happiness that I could give him. I hooked my arms with the bags and trotted off the bike to the apartments, running breathless up the stairs.
I knocked on the door and pressed my ear to it, trying to catch a sound. With the silence I shuffled the bags to pull out my keychain and unlock it with the gifted spare key.
I looked carefully both ways inside, before stepping in and closing the door after me.
My giddiness was overflowing as I hurried to empty the bags.
The pies were wrapped in foil and taped with heating instructions, placed in the fridge along with the marinating bags in the plastic consumer bag itself; I put the fruit in as well. I pulled out from the last bags a large oval wooden plate and made a pyramid with the paper bagged pastries and bread, placing it atop the little fridge.
Was it too much?
I put the thoughts away before panic seized me and scurried off with the left over empty bags. I looked around before turning of the bared single bulb above and locking the door.
But was it?
I hesitated letting the door knob go before heading downstairs down the stairs.
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I got home just as my brother was walking home from school.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He yelled as I neared his still figure from a block away. I slowed, nearing.
“I fell asleep, I’m sorry.”
“Mom would have killed me if she hadn’t fallen asleep two minutes after you left.”
“I’m sorry.” I repeated going slow at his side as he began to walk again.
“And at Glen’s of all places! The place is an addict’s haven and what if he couldn’t make it home that night? Your ass would have been found in the fucking creek, that’s what! Where you just there again??”
“Cedric…”
“I don’t want to hear it.” He stated coldly before unlocking the door to the house and briskly disappearing inside.
I stared at the porch plants, one of the cats sunbathing in-between ferns.
“He’s just worried.” I told the cat who stared at me since Cedric’s angry yelling.
It didn’t grin at me and I headed inside disappointed.
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Laying on my bed, propped on a pillow I glanced up from my book as Cedric knocked.
“Phone.” He tossed his cell phone at me and turned away. I caught it, practically falling off the bed in the process.
“Hello?” I asked breathless.
“Mind explaining why my fridge won’t close?” Came a tired and husky voice from the other end of the line and I blushed as if he stood in front of me, sitting up and running my hand through my hair.
“Glen!”
“Marge…you brought a lot of food. Did I give you the impression I was starving with the spare key?”
I stammered. “Well no… but I thought variety was nice and…it saves trips for a couple of nights. I thought you didn’t have a phone.”
“I’m using the payphone downstairs. Don’t change the subject! What am I supposed to do with all that food?” Did I hear a stifled chuckle?
“Eat it?”
He sighed heavily into the receiver making a loud whoosh sound. “You shouldn’t have gone through so much trouble.”
“I was glad to do it for…you.” I covered my face. I cannot believe I said that.
The silence on the other line made me worry.
“You didn’t leave me anything to drink.”
“I…can’t make a drink that’ll fit your fridge.”
“I’ve got two hours before I got to go to work, want some of your lunch?”
My heart thumped wildly. “S-sure!”
“Alright, ask your brother if he wants to come too.”
I deflated. “Sure.”
“See you in a few, then.”
“Alright…bye.”
He clicked and I sauntered off the bed and opened my brother’s door. “Here.” I tossed it at him and he caught in surprise.
“What did he say?”
“He’s coming to pick us up and eat at his place.”
“What? Why?”
My eyes suddenly feeling heavy, made everything feel overwhelming. “I don’t know, he’s your friend. I’m not really hungry, so you can go alone with him.”
He frowned after me as I headed back to my room.
I collapsed on the bed and hugged the pillow to my face.
This sucks.
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I was instructed by various yells from my mom to attend the door as the bell rang. It had been two weeks since I last bothered Glen even after my brother came home, still chewing and asking me why I made so much food for a guy who was never home.
Much was my surprise to find him at my doorstep. He seemed surprised as well, taking a full shocked second before falling into his easy smirk.
I didn’t even try to return it. “Hi Glen.”
His smirk lowered with unease. “Is Cedric home?”
“Nope.”
“Oh. Alright then, well thanks, tell him a came by.”
“Uhuh, bye.” I began to close the door until he called out.
“Hey! Wait, are you ok?”
I stared at him hoping to see some sign of actual interest and only saw how diligently he was taught his etiquette.
“Yeah.”
I couldn’t understand what part of yeah actually caused him to worry, but his eyes flexed to mine, stance changing. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“You look green, Marge.” His voice softened.
“I’m fine.”
He watched me as something settled in his mind, he gave me his easy smirk again. “Alright. Hey, I’m running out of food. I don’t have much cash with me and I’m a mess when it comes to planning meals. I usually stick to a burger place, but would you mind taking a grocery trip with me?”
I was stunned and trying really hard to hide it. “Yeah.”
He began walking backwards. “Mind me picking you up tomorrow morning? I gotta head to work earlier than usual.”
“No problem.”
“Alright, see you later.”
I watched his retreating form and shut my eyes tightly hoping he wouldn’t come back to invite my brother as well. I counted ten Mississippi’s before closing the door whilst biting my lip.
I was blowing my eardrums out from the happy internal screaming.
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With a swift movement I squirmed away from the screeching woman. Her banshee yelling at the deli’s butcher making all the waiting customers cringe and review the ticket stub numbers with frightened eyes.
“Are these fine, mom?” I turned to Glen who held up a box of cereal.
“I’m not telling you not to buy it, but I severely suggest you might die of diabetes in a matter of days if you eat it.”
His face fell into blank annoyance.
“It’s a personal opinion.” I glanced at the blinking number on the sign change to 38. I held 42.
“Whatever.” He huffed and stalked back to the cereal aisle.
I ordered on my turn a ham on special that I tasted before hand and the turkey on special. Half a pound each and a pound of Muenster cheese. It didn’t matter what cheese was on special. He’d thank me for it afterwards.
“And this one?” I heard from behind me.
“How many carbs?”
“24.” He growled.
I turned and smiled, amused at his anger. “Liar.”
“Marge I just want to eat cereal, goddammit!” For the first time, his voice pitched above the norm.
“Ok, get the one you want.”
He eyed me before dumping it into the cart. “What else do I need?”
“What vegetable is your favorite?”
“Corn?”
“Go to the frozen food aisle and get the smallest cheapest bag of frozen corn you can find.”
Reluctantly he shuffled away as I put the stuff in the cart and headed to the produce section.
I picked a small bag of golden apples that were on sale and dropped it in the cart while looking around for bananas.
I found Glen kneeling and his arm halfway through a freezer.
“Having trouble?”
“The stupid bags are frozen to the metal shelf.”
“Try the second cheapest.” H e pulled the first bag available.
“Are we done here?”
I nodded. With him inspecting the things I put in the cart while he wasn’t looking, I pushed the cart till we got to the register.
He paid and turned a surprised and smiling face at me as he handed the cashier the cash. “I can’t believe all of this came out in less than fifty.”
I shrug bashfully. “It’s what I do. Bargain hunting.”
“A professional?” He chuckled, picking up bags.
“More like 99 cent stuff aficionado.” I followed by piling them in the cart again.
“I can’t imagine your brother doing that.”
“He doesn’t either.”
He grinned.
His teeth bearing with uncontrollable urge to keep his lips straight. It was at that moment that I realized Glen wasn’t interesting because he was Amos, but because He was a man who very much deserved my attention. I stared as he kept that grin for several seconds, looking off to find his car.
“Thanks for everything.” he said to me as we loaded the food into the trunk. It was the end of the trip and he’d take me to my house.
“No problem.”
“I really do appreciate it though. I’d never have been able to do all this so cheap in an hour. You’re a miracle.”
I blushed at the empty compliments.
We got in the car and he drove me home, giving me that askew smirk. “Bye.”
“Bye.” I whispered and got out of the car.
My ribs felt tightened, my throat constricting as I fumbled with my house keys and the roaring engine of his car evaporated in my ear.