Another Lunatic?

Clay's POV

I invited them at the Sala, as usual. We played Scrabble. A board game created to stretch out anyone's mind about word familiarity and vocabulary. You'll just basically lay down words and other players connect their word from one of your word's letter. I prized myself for it. I trained myself when i was a kid because it was fun. I think it's fun to create words from other words and see their alphabetical coordination. I've been playing Scrabble for five years now. My Scrabble board is ragged, gosh i need a replacement. It's crappy and doesn't looked recognizable when mom bought it like 4 to 5 years ago. She gave it to me as a birthday gift, if i remembered it right. We played for hours and of course, I always win. This babies just can't beat me. They can't even formulate a six letter word, or at least a 20 points worth of word. After several rounds that don't even take an hour, normally it should, they gave up. They accepted their defeat. I'm still the defending champion in Scrabble over this pieces of cake. They started stretching their brainless soul vessel. I had quite the fun playing, though Jean is obviously sleepy. She's the worst at this game. Scrabble is not Jeans favorite sport. Lynn and Mark are those who always fight for misspelled words. Honestly, sometimes they're both wrong with the spelling, it's just entertaining to see them fighting with their untethered vocabulary. Poor kids. I looked at the clock and it was already 6:30 PM so that means, it's time to go home. "We should start to get going now then" The now tired and bored Jean said. We both agreed. I walked them outside the house, they waved a goodbye then got inside Lynn's car. I watched them as they drove away from me, farther and farther in every second until all i could see is a spot of light coming from Lynn's car. It's a chill night and starry night.

I've gone inside Mom's room when i came back inside the house. She's still the same, untethered yet looked so harmed. Bruises are now gone but still in a comma. I talked to her about how my day with my friend went. Yes, i talk with her, Always. Said to her that i had fun today, discussed to her about our little dinner battle at Christmas eve. "You could be our judge if you wake up before that time you know" i added. Of course, no response. "I could do with a Christmas with an awake and conscious mom you know" my sadness quickly wrapped around my heart in every word that i spoke, tears building up in my eyes. I shut my eyes, tears now pouring down my face. Sadness wrapping the entirety of my soul. Please wake up mom. We can't continue being like this forever. But if that's how it goes then, so be it. I would wait a lifetime for your sleeping body to recover if that's what it takes, but if you wake up before Christmas, I'll consider it as my Christmas gift until i die. Just please wake up. I want you back. I held her hand and felt...nothing. Not a movement. No sign. I waited and waited, until i fell asleep beside her...again.

This is how my life works now. I wake up in the morning, sometimes go out to withdraw my mom's salary which her company generously chose to continue so we'll have a sustenance. I wait for my friends. We talk and sometimes play, then fall asleep, beside her, most of the time. All the same everyday. All the same. All of it.

By the morning i woke up, my back hurts already plus it's also cold last night so it kinda adds in the pain. The sun is up already and the morning breeze is already lifted. Silence everywhere. No twitting of birds outside, quite a boring neighborhood today tho. I added patches in my back, which i found in the medicine cabinet in the room that from what i remember was there when we first moved in. I kissed my Mom a Good Morning Kiss then climb upstairs. I got inside my room and took a shower, a very very long shower. Somehow the water's coolness didn't wake me up completely, i feel so tired today. I can feel that I'm still like a foot away from reality. I sat at the bathtub for quite some time, eyes shut and thinking of Nothing. I just shut my eyes and...i saw nothing. Just the darkness. All you can hear is the trickle of water from the shower, to my body and to the tub. After showering, i dressed up with my casuals and got back downstairs. I looked at the time from my phone, 12:03 PM. Lunch already? I chose to go for a walk and grab a lunch to a fast food chain. I cleaned Mom then walked out of the house. I'm not planning on leaving my mom alone there for too long and i hate slow walks so i can manage to go back home before 1 o clock. Three blocks away from the house, i saw a food truck. Gross. From just the looks of it, it looks too crappy to eat. I decided to walk further then i saw a food park, i didn't knew that the town has a food park. I ordered a burrito and a spaghetti , I know not a healthy lunch option but i don't give a damn. Besides, a not so processed lunch takes too long to cook and i have to go back home. I'll go back home after i eat, but i can't really remember the turns i did. I can't afford to get lost right now, my mom needs attending. And for Athena's sake i didn't bring my phone.

I had no choice, i have to ask someone to point me my way back, at least at the crappy food truck. If only i'm not in a rush i wouldn't resort on doing this in any given time. I decided to ask a girl from a milk tea shop. She has a black hair with just below her shoulder in length. She's like the cashier or something, and her name's Kate, that's what the tag says. "Umm hey Kate" i initiated. Gosh this is so embarrassing. She stared at me, no it looks more like she's staring at my soul. Her gaze is too deep. Her emerald green eyes reminds me of someone, Mark. "It's my friend's name, i'm just a substitute for the day, but hey! What's your order?" She said arrogantly. Quite an attitude for a customer tho, glad i'm not one. "No, actually i was just going to ask if you know a food truck near here? I kinda don't remember where it is though" I said casually. "You mean that crappy food truck that every one says the food look inedible?" She inquired. "Yes yes that one! I thought at first that it was a dump truck but then i saw a menu so yeah" i replied. And into my surprise her look became much more darker. "You know what? That's my father's truck" she answered. Oops, wrong move, very wrong. "Oh i-i'm sorry i didn't know, i never should've said that i didn't think that it's-" i defended when she snapped back. "It's fine, and that's not my father's really-" she joked "-my father died when i was 3. But that truck serves good food tho, i've tried it like three times already. Also, you look so tensed for a man asking for directions. Chill. That's not how you hit on a girl" her smile became so light. So light that i forgot how she looked like with a dark gaze. I breathed out and smiled back. "Oh, i'm sorry to hear about your father tho" i replied shyly. "Yeah it's fine, And for the record, my name's Pansy not Kate" she added. "Clay" i replied. "So you don't work here, you said?" I asked curiously. "Just today, my friend Kate-" she pointed at the name plate at her uniform, "-has some slutty things to do and asked me to substitute for her" she joked. I smiled back then awkwardness fell. I don't know what to say, I'm not born to talk with strangers casually. "Turn right then when you see an oak tree turn another right and there you are" she said. Turned her back at me which i took as my dismissal. I muttered a "Thanks" then left the food park.

I soon then saw the stinky and aged gray truck and from that I could walk back home. I decided to at least try their food when i have another time to prove if Pansy said the truth about this crappy truck. The sun has finally got it's throne, it's so bright and warm outside. I walked slower to feel the warmth more and kind of not worry about home much, besides i'm walking back home already, it wouldn't take me too long. From the food truck, I turned right then left and there it was, the long road that's sort of the main road of the town and two houses from the end is our house. I walked the long road back home. I saw the familiar houses. Wind sweeping in my face causing the back of my neck to shiver. The sun's out but the temperature here don't compromise to it. I was finally at the front of our house. I walked to the front door. I stopped for a moment to get my house key in my pocket. I then noticed shadows, two of them, from our closed window. Thoughts run through my head. I slowly grabbed the door knob, careful not to make any noise, and into my another surprise, it's unlocked. My heart's beating fast. Someone's inside.