Chapter Nine

Hours passed as the day wilted away. The once bright morning was now dusk moving in as Alan lay in bed. Unmoving, Alan stared out the window as he wasted the school day. He couldn't stop thinking about what to say to Charlie, how he would apologize and get back to a normal level of living with his foster parents.

"Alan!" Eric's voice rang through the house like an echo in a cave. "Someone named Mrs. Hope wants to talk to you!" Alan wasn't very excited about talking to her, mostly knowing she was either called for a check up or a rehoming. Alan walked from his room before walking down the stairs with speed. There was no rush, but the faster Alan knew what was going on, the faster he would feel like he had control once more.

Alan stepped into the kitchen to see Eric standing by the stove with a frying pan and his earbuds in as he nodded to a song, once Eric saw Alan, he pointed to a land phone that was on the counter.

"Hello?" Alan climbed onto a bar stool and he pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Alan!" Mrs. Hope's voice rang like Christmas music in December; way too excited for one day. "How is it going there, Honey?" Her voice was high-pitched with questions of wonder or paperwork, which made Alan be careful of what he said.

"Good. Yesterday was my first day of school." Alan didn't want to bring up the morning issues unless she did it herself. "Made some friends."

"That's great!" Mrs. Hope exclaimed. "How are the teachers? They not giving you any trouble are they?"

"No, I'm all good at school." Alan sighed, feeling Eric's eyes burn holes into his side. Just as Alan looked down,

Charlie walked in with groceries and keys. Charlie looked at Alan on the landline phone before turning to Eric with frowned eyebrows.

"Someone named Mrs. Hope." Eric didn't even take his earbuds out to hear himself speak to Charlie, quickly resuming his food.

"Did she call him or-" Worry was laced in his voice as Charlie moved closer to Eric to speak in more of a quiet tone.

"She called him. Why?" Eric was now muttering with Charlie as they conversed about Mrs. Hope.

"That's great Alan.!" Mrs. Hope sighed in relief, seeming worried to Alan.. "Now don't get into fights this time, okay?"

"I always try my best." Alan was calmer, just talking to Mrs. Hope when she didn't need anything from him relieved Alan as if he was talking to Pipe once more. "Did you get to meet Pipe's foster family when you dropped him off?" The conversation that Eric and Charlie were having stopped, and the only voice that could be heard was Alan as he asked. Eric was looking at him with a raised eyebrow as Charlie glanced at him from Eric's side.

"Yes, a lovely Asian couple."

"Pipe isn't Asian, he's British. You cant stick someone who likes tea and crumpets with someone who likes sushi and rice." Alan remark had Mrs. Hope was silent as Alan waited for a response from the not so wise social worker. Eric and Charlie on the other hand were dying, almost convulsing in fits of laughter as they tried to be silent by holding in their breaths.

"Asians with British people?" Eric wheezed. "Are they gonna dip the rice in tea?"

"That's stupid," Charlie was getting ahold of himself as he looked at his brother with a salmon face. "You're stupid."

"Well, you raised me," Eric spat back. "Guess you failed me, huh."

Alan watched in amusement as the brothers began to argue on why Eric was stupid and if it was Charlie's fault. Alan was pulled back to the phone when he heard Mrs. Hope sigh at Alan's rude response. "Dear, I do not take kindly to being spoken to like that."

"I'm just saying, Pipe is going to hate it."

"Alan, focus on yourself before Pipe, he's not the one who can't stay in a home long, is he?" Alan felt anger rise in his stomach like a hellish pit, ready to explode at any time.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

"Give the phone to Charlie, Dear." Mrs. Hope's voice had dropped since Alans comment making Alan think he might have messed up once more.

"He's not here." Alan's words caught Charlie and Eric once more as Charlie stepped up to Alan.

"Who's not here?" Charlie asked, exposing Alan's lie as Mrs. Hope sighed in defeat.

"Give the phone to Charlie, now." Alan rolled his eyes as he handed the phone to Charlie who was trying not to smile as he cleared his throat.

"Hey!" Charlie was back to his normal self once more like nothing happened, but the hint of guilt that twinkled in his eyes gave him away as he glanced at Alan. "No, no, everything is good. He's doing great. Yes, yes." Now Eric and and Alan were sharing a look, realizing how smooth Charlie was at lying. "Yes I remember. Okay, yep. Talk to you soon." Charlie was fast to hang up and sigh dramatically as he flung his head back in fake dismay.

"So much stress that phone call caused you I see." Eric was back at the frying pan as his brother sighed louder to get more attention.

"Lying is a sin," Alan commented on what Charlie had said, moments ago.

"Well," Charlie paused as he regained his dramatic composer. "You lied first."

"I'm a child, I was bred to lie," Alan replied back with a smirk as he swung his legs.

"That's not how that works."

"You lied too, you have no say on 'how things work'."

"Do I?" Eric jumped in as he raised his hand, hoping to be the holy one out of the three.

"Okay, but lets talk about the Asian and British thing, shall we?" Charlie smiled as his pearly white teeth glistened in the kitchen light. "Like- what was that about?"

Alan's smile faltered a bit as he thought of his best friend once more. "My foster brother; Pipe." Alan began to pick at his fingers. "We are usually fostered together but I am on my last straw before, I don't know, make Mrs. Hope kill herself or something." Alan laughed as a sad smile grew on Charlie's face. "But he's British and is being fostered by an Asian couple right now."

"Asian people are scary, I feel for him." Eric was the one to break the silence as he turned off the stove and opened the fridge. "Poor man has to eat rice."

"Just because you hate rice, doesn't mean he does." Charlie butted in as he glanced at his brother.

"You hate rice?" Alan asked, shocked out of his mind. "Why?"

"It's like squishy playdoh, I don't know how anyone likes it."

"Maybe, Pipe will be fine eating rice." Charlie said positively.

The room fell into a peaceful silence as Charlie un-bagged some groceries and Eric made what Alan could only assume were eggs.

"Alan," Charlie didn't stop rearranging the groceries as he got a little more serious. "I just wanted to say that I am sorry for how I reacted, and it was uncalled for." Charlie had stopped moving, his fist clenched tightly on the table. Alan looked at Charlie, but Charlie never met his eyes. "When you were gone I thought you had ran away. Imagine your first foster kid disappearing not even 2 days into your home. I panicked, then you returned back 20 minutes later and I just freaked. I never meant to be violent."

"I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to get caught." Eric busted out laughing as Charlie only shook his head in defeat as he smiled brightly.

"I'd prefer if you stayed in the house at night." Charlie chuckled. "But I know I can't stop you if you really wanted to do it again. So if you do do it again, leave a note or even a text." Alan smiled as a realization accrued. Charlie was different form the rest, like he understood Alan in a different way' the right way. "But if you just go out in the day, no one has to worry."

"I'll stick with days." Alan laughed. "Sorry."

The rest of the night was calm, the day led to be somewhat insightful for Alan. Letting Alan relax for the first time in a long time. After an hour or so of watching Eric cook random things and talk about his favorite music, Alan decided to text Pipe and ask how he was doing. Instantly, Pipe response was more rapid than the question. He was sent to a private school and is now learning Chinese. The couple was dirt old and so their belief was ancient, they had tried to make Pipe wear some kind of dress on their 'blessing day'. There was no doubt from Alan that Pipe wouldn't last long, which Alan was counting on.