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Author's Chapter Notes:

so here's the 2015 part I promised :)

  1. Call Guy

October 2015

Anxiously fumbling with his cell phone, Nick tried to keep his attention on the road. He failed miserably. As he swerved past yet another big truck, he decided to park somewhere safe before pulling out his phone once again. This time he’d made up his mind. This time he was really gonna call. This time there was no way of going back. Or maybe there was? No. Not this time.

He started to punch in the numbers, thought about it for a second and then deleted the digits. I don’t even remember the number. It wasn’t like the number wasn’t in the cell phone, but Nick felt it was the wrong one, as it was never picked up.

In a bright moment, he rummaged through the junk under his dashboard and triumphantly pulled out a small notebook. After blowing off the dust, he skipped through it ‘til he reached the page he was searching for.

There it was.

Brian: home

Nick scolded himself when he realized the number didn’t even look familiar. He held the phone close to his ear, after he dialled the digits. He thought about breaking off again, but before he could do so, he heard the phone being picked up at the other end of the line. His heart started to pound in his chest.

This is Baylee Littrell,” a young voice said, a voice he’d recognize anywhere. The boy didn’t even have to mention his name.

“Hey Bay, it’s Nick. Remember me?” he drawled nervously.

Yes,” came the curt answer. Nick felt disappointed. He’d expected a little more enthusiasm in the child’s voice.

“Hi buddy, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? God, I feel like I haven’t seen you in a thousand years. So how old are you now? Nine… ten?” he babbled.

I’m twelve and a half,” Baylee spoke slowly, as if speaking to a retard. Nick could tell the kid was becoming annoyed rapidly.

“Right, I knew that,”

Right. So, you want me to go get my dad?” he asked hopefully. Good boy, getting to the point.

“He’s home?” Nick responded fearfully.

Of course he’s home. He’s always home, if he doesn’t have to… you know,” Baylee said the last part very softly and Nick had to strain his ears to even hear it.

“… I know,” he replied after a short pause, “you think he’d wanna talk to me?” he felt the uncertainty creeping into his voice again.

Oh, I’m very sure he would,” Baylee answered and Nick could clearly hear the smile in his voice. That certainly does not predict anything good, Nick’s paranoid mind warned. He didn’t listen to it though. What was the worst that could happen? Sure, they hadn’t parted on the most friendly terms. Sure, he hadn’t seen or spoken the guy in nearly seven months. Sure. But could it really get any worse?

Finally finding the courage to answer the kid on the phone, he said, “Uhhh… okay…”

Baylee took that as a sign to start gibbering at a fast speed and Nick couldn’t make out half of what the 12-year-old was talking about.

… okay cool,… doesn’t like me hanging around bored… my Nintendo broke three days ago, so it’s not my fault… can you imagine how cold it is down here… I don’t really know where he is, hang on,”

“I thought you said he was home,” Nick asked innocently.

There was a short pause and Nick heard the boy sigh exasperatingly, “Well, duh. Have you ever been here? This place is huge!” Nick didn’t respond, cause he knew the kid was right.

Dad? Dad? Wooohooo! Shit, where is he?” he wasn’t sure if Baylee was still talking to him, but he did know that it wasn’t gonna work this way.

“So I assume your mom isn’t home, is she?” he also knew that if Leighanne were home, Baylee wouldn’t have used the word ‘shit’.

Nope, it’s just me and my dad,” faintly he could hear the spark of pride in the boy’s voice. He knew Brian wasn’t as strict as Leighanne and Baylee must feel like the king of a castle.

“Haha, cool,” Nick smiled, enjoying the boy’s sudden energy.

I really wonder where he could have gone though,” Baylee said, puzzled.

“Have you tried calling him?” Nick offered. He knew Brian’s house resembled something close to a maze and finding one another was almost impossible. Nick had quite often suggested an intercom, but Brian thought it was ‘too impersonal’.  If that were true, you should have bought a smaller place.

How can I call him when you’re calling me?” Baylee replied sweetly.

Nick blinked a couple of times. He forgave the child immediately. The boy couldn’t help the fact that he was blond. In fact, Nick was sure he would have asked the same if he were twelve.

“Try and open another line, perhaps?” He could almost hear Baylee’s head in overdrive, thinking hard and there was a long pause at the other end of the line, in which Nick had time to wave and smile to a couple of women driving by, eyeing him excitedly.

Umm, Nick?

“Yup?”

How do I do that?

He couldn’t help but laugh, for no matter how old the boy had gotten, he still needed Nick’s help figuring out phones. Nick had helped Baylee with his first cell phone too. Of course, the kid had primarily asked his father, but told Nick that Brian had stared at the phone for  the whole of five minutes before shrugging and handing it back to his son, claiming that Baylee should learn for himself. Nick remembered Baylee asking him whether his dad came from the middle ages or not.

“Just push the button that has two thin lines on it, should be on the top somewhere,” he said, staring at his own phone, just to be sure.

I think I found it! Thanks, Nick!”’

“No problem buddy,” he managed to squeeze out. In about a minute, he would be hearing a voice that he probably wouldn’t be able to recognize, but which belonged undoubtedly to his best friend. A friend of whom he wasn’t sure was even his friend anymore. 

Chapter End Notes:

hope you enjoyed reading as much as i enjoyed writing.

please review, thanks!