Why am I not surprised?What I was surprised by was the fact that the same pizza place we went to as kids was still around. The restaurant had done some remodeling and such, but it was still there, and it was Chase’s favorite. Since I finished up at Oxygen a little earlier than planned, I thought maybe I could go by and pick him up.
Sounds good. I just finished up and can either meet you there or swing by your place and pick you up. Which do you prefer?
While I waited for him to reply, I started my car and put my seat belt on. Ali’s car was already gone, and Andrew was back inside the club.
Okay, I’m just jumping in the shower. I’ll be ready by the time you get here.
I’m on my way.
I made my way through the L.A. traffic, which was only a fraction better than what I was used to in San Francisco. The biggest difference being there was just more physical space in Southern California.
I parked in the parking garage of Chase’s building and fished my resident key card out of my wallet. I used it to gain entrance and walked into the posh, bustling lobby. I didn’t bother with the guest check-in desk, since I had a resident key card, and went straight to the elevators. When I held the key card over the reader, the doors to an elevator car glided open. I pushed the button to Chase’s floor and then leaned against the wall.
As I walked down the hallway to his place—which used to be Hollis’ place—my pulse sped up, and I had a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. It wasn’t as though I didn’t talk to Chase, but I hadn’t seen him in a while. The only thing that made me feel a bit more relaxed was the fact that our parents saw him often and were always looking for the slightest indication that he wasn’t doing well. Ever since his suicide attempt in high school, all of us were always on the lookout for something being off with him. So far nothing had stuck out at us, but then again, all that terrible shit was going on right under our noses that he had been able to hide.
When I pressed his doorbell, I took a deep breath. It only took a few moments before he opened the door.
“Morg!” Chase lunged forward and wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him in the hallway as I laughed.
“Hey, bub,” I managed to get out.
“I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too.”
“Come in, come in!” he said and let go of me. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. “I’m almost ready. I just need my shoes,” he called over his shoulder as he ran off in the direction of Hollis’ old room.
“Take your time. The pizza place isn’t going anywhere.”
While he was off and rambling down the hallway, I glanced around. On the counter was a box of Lucky Charms, which I shook my head at. On the kitchen island were some sketch books, a pile of laminated pictures, and a bunch of pencils. Mixed in with all of that was an empty plastic Lunchable container and several cans of energy drinks.Really?
“How’s the weather out?” he asked when he came jogging back into the great room.
He had a bright yellow pair of socks in his hands and a pair of black Converse sneakers. Chase leaned on the back of his couch, dropped the shoes, and started putting on his socks. As he pulled on the socks, I noticed they had Hulk Hogan on them.Him and his socks.
“I like your socks.”
“Thanks! I got these at a comic book convention down in Anaheim last month. So what’s the weather like?”
“It’s cool but not cold.”
“I mean, is it windy? Is my long sleeve shirt okay, or should I get a jacket? Do I need something with a hood? If I wear a baseball cap, will it blow off? Or if I don’t wear one, will I regret not wearing it?”
So fucking hyper.
“Have you not been outside today?”
“I haven’t. I’ve been working on sketching out some designs for a real estate company.”
As soon as he put on his shoes, I wrapped my hand around his bicep and led him to the balcony. I flipped the lock and slid the door open, then pulled him outside with me.
“This is what the weather is like,” I said to him.
Chase licked his finger and held it up in the air to test the wind. His face was very animated as he considered the weather.
“Well, were you able to decide?”
“Mmm, I think I’ll grab a hat,” he said as he ran back inside.
