[9] : Icebergs (1)
Chapter 9: Icebergs (1)
Marco’s day began like a déjà vu, a repeat of how it was yesterday, with him lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. Time felt so slow. Marco didn’t feel like getting up just yet, so he did just that.
The lost soul heaved a sigh and bonked his forehead lightly with his fist. He stayed like that for a few minutes before finally sitting up.
“Well, it’s another day out here,” Marco muttered as he ruffled his already unkempt hair while glancing out the window. The orange hue of the rising sun filled the horizon and lit up the room.
Marco started fixing the bed and doing his morning routine.
Dacron and Cooper showed him around a few streets down from the workshop and headed to the convenience store for lunch. It wasn’t as overwhelming as Marco thought it would be. He met with a few townspeople along the way. They welcomed him with smiles and good wishes.
They strolled a few blocks more. Dacron and Cooper had their usual banter as they leisurely walked back to the shop. Old man Charles greeted them when they got back, head buried under the hood of the car right in the middle of the shop, tinkering.
The lost soul recounted his conversation with the Old Man yesterday after the others headed to sleep. Charles clamped the young lad's shoulder after the lost soul asked for permission to stay for a few days and did not hesitate to agree.
“Use it whenever you want, kid. It’s not like I’d be there to use it. I’m home most of the time,” old man Charles had said. “Just don’t mess it up, or this dumpster’s waiting for you.”
‘Auldjin Charles is a pure Brammer,’ Marco thought, fondly even with the empty threats thrown at him. [1]
Dressed and ready for the day, Marco went downstairs. It was rowdy enough even for the early hours of the morning. He felt at ease with it, though. It’s definitely a better way to wake up hearing childish arguments than something else.
Halfway down the stairs, he can already make out the figures of Dacron and a sleepy Cooper quarreling. The two slept last night in the other room they had upstairs.
“Guid mornin’,” Marco greeted.
The two teens turned in his direction. Cooper sluggishly nodded at him while Dacron beamed, as enthusiastic as he had known, which was barely a day.
“Ey, Marco, good morning! ‘ Almost forgot you were here,” Dacron said sheepishly.
‘Honestly, same mate. Couldn’t blame yah,’ Marco thought.
“You came at the right time!” Dacron turned to the nodding-off Cooper. “Would you mind telling this cat that people normally sleep on a bed, not on a countertop?”
Cooper raised his heavy eyelids and stared blankly at Dacron.
“See?!” the tan lad motioned his hands to the sleepy teen as his wide eyes looked at Marco as if proving a point.
Marco blinked. He glanced at the drowsy auburn-haired teen, then back at the tan lad and sighed.
‘Nah, it’s too early for this.’
The lost soul turned his back on them and headed to the kitchen. Dacron’s frustrated growl reverberated behind him.
“Really helpful, man,” Dacron said, sounding petty.
He hummed to himself as he roamed his eyes around the kitchen, having no clue where things were supposed to be. Marco considered rummaging through the cupboards, but that would be rude.
‘I should buy supplies too if I’m gonna stay here for a while. I can’t just live off of them,’ the lost soul thought.
He heard the sound of light footsteps coming his way, so Marco asked without glancing back, “Can I cook?”
“Can you?” a not-so-familiar voice quipped. It wasn’t Cooper as the lost soul assumed the person was a moment ago.
Marco turned around and saw a familiar lad at the kitchen entrance, quite similar in height and body frame to the lost soul. His eyes weren't visible with his ink hair covering the upper half of his face, but Marco was quite sure he was staring at him with contemplating eyes.
‘He must be Sync,’ the lost soul thought, tilting his head as he contemplated. ‘His aura’s the same as when I saw a glimpse of him yesterday, quite somber and cold. He seems just like that guy from—'
“Oh. You’re the lad in the convenience store,” Marco said aloud, albeit unknowingly.
“Hmn…” Sync just hummed and nodded in acknowledgment. “And you’re that depressed customer.”
‘It fits you more than I do.’ Marco fought the urge to quip back.
The emo-looking teen placed his bag on a stool and sat on another. He glanced at Marco and asked, “So, can you?”
Marcus raised an eyebrow, silently asking what he meant. The lost soul’s sure the lad rolled his eyes at him even without seeing it.
“Cook, I mean,” Sync clarified, looking bored and sleepy with his head resting on his hand.
Marco sighed, glancing at the stove. “Yeah… I’m not quite sure where to start, though.”
Sync gave him an unamused stare. “Cupboards’ there for a reason, aren’t they?”
Marco huffed at that and gave Sync an exasperated look. “Well, I can’t just rummage them without permission now, can’t I?”
“Dummkopf,” Sync muttered under his breath. [2]
It didn’t go unnoticed by the lost soul. He’s certain that the emo lad’s definitely cussing him.
“Duine leisg,” Marco retorted just cause. [3]
Sync sighed, “Just get on with it so I can eat.”
“What made you think that I’ll give you some?” Marcus asked dubiously. He started rummaging through the cupboards to find what he could work with.
“What an ungrateful guest,” Sync huffed behind the lost soul.
“’ This alright?” Marcus quietly asked, referring to the canned sausages, canned beans, and eggs he found.
“Hmm, yeah…” Sync approved in an equally quiet voice. “There’s ham on the fridge.”
Marco’s eyes lit up when he saw the cherry tomatoes on the fridge and set a few with his gathered food. He pulled the ham from the freezer and rinsed it to melt the ice.
“Well, aren’t you a bad host,” the lost soul chuckled, “’ making your guest cook for you.”
The emo lad echoed the light laugh, “Bad, but still generous enough not to throw you out.”
“You guys sure are getting along pretty well,” Cooper commented, announcing his presence and dismissing Marcus and Sync’s back and forth as they glanced at him.
Marco contemplated for a moment, tilting his head, and found himself humming in agreement.
The auburn-haired teen visibly shivered as two pairs of blue-shaded eyes looked at him.
“Icebergs,” Cooper muttered. The two heard him just fine but ignored it and returned to what they were doing.
“Hey!” Dacron marched into the kitchen, beaming. “Oh! Wassup, Sync? You’re early today.”
“Hmmn… ‘was called early last night,” Sync drawled after yawning.
Dacron sat beside Sync on the kitchen island while Cooper slumped on the dining table. Dacron and Sync fell into easy conversation with Cooper and Marcus giving their inputs here and there.
‘This is nice,’ Marco thought, pleased.
Marcus silently worked with the food as the others conversed. The faint sizzling sound and the appetizing smell filled the kitchen.
Cooper made coffee and toast for the four of them. The auburn-haired set the table and placed the mugs in their places.
Marco was almost done and turned to look at the three. The lost soul eyed the only coffee with milk on the dining table and assumed it was for Dacron.
Dacron and Sync joined Cooper at the dining table. The tan lad muttered a quiet thanks to Cooper before taking a sip from his mug.
Marcus set the food on the table with the help of Dacron and Cooper. Sync was proving himself unhelpful by watching them and enjoying his coffee for the most part.
“Well, if this ain’t European,” Sync uttered with a smirk, observing the food on the table.
“Scottish,” Marcus specified as he sat next to the emo lad, across from Cooper.
The four shared easy conversations for a while but fell into a comfortable silence as they consumed their breakfast.
“Are you two long-lost twins or what? You two look so much alike,” Cooper commented out of nowhere. He squinted at Marcus and Sync, his amber eyes glinting with mirth while playing with his fork.
“Now that you mention it…” Dacron looked back and forth at Marcus and Sync while munching on his food. Both of them have jet black hair, blue-tinged and shaded, dull yet fierce eyes: Marcus’ bluish gray and Sync’s ocean blue. They also elude dim, mysterious, and perilous auras.
“Damn, you two really look like twins!” Dacron exclaimed. He choked on the last bit. Cooper wordlessly handed him a glass of water that he hastily took.
Sync huffed, amused at the situation. Marco just shook his head with a barely visible quirk on his lips.
“Are you guys in any way related? Maybe you’re long lost brothers, cousins, or something,” The tan lad inquired after gulping the water in one go.
“Stop spouting nonsense and eat,” Cooper chided the tan lad.
“Hey, you’re the one who brought it up first!”
Cooper was having none of it, “Shut up and eat.”
Dacron grumbled but did as he was told with a pout.
“Nah, my father’s too much of a bastard to want another child when he clearly despises one,” Sync casually said.
Marco coughed on his fist. ‘I’m not so sure about my father.’
Dacron awkwardly laughed, side-eying Marco to gauge his reaction. The lost soul just quirked the corner of his lip and continued eating.
It was a pleasant way to start the day, something Marco could get used to.
***
[1] “Auldjin Charles is a pure Brammer” Scottish for “Old man Charles is a really nice guy.”
[2] “Dummkopf” is a German word that means dumb/idiot.
[3] “Duine leisg” is a Scottish term that means lazy person.