If And Maybe

Shoes to the side of the closed room door. The right shoe sticking out enough to cause whoever dares walk in to stumble. One sock on the left shoe and the other very close to the chair by the bathroom. A chair that moved around the room a lot. Two pairs of trousers on the floor beginning a trail. A pair of boxers to the left, a sweat shirt to the right, a jacket that didn't quite stick the landing to the bed; the sleeves made the leap miraculously. The trail should have ended there, except there was another shirt and another jacket both hanging over a desk chair. Laptop screen light beaming on his desk, s subtle sign of an email received. "Mmhmm." He said. "Because?" He asked, reclining in his desk chair, feet propped up on his desk, one hand feeling the fabric of his cool to the touch jacket. "That's the coloryou want?"

The voice on the phone spoke with enough excitement for the both of them. "... and when I add that to the list, mom might freak cause it's last minute, but I'll promise her it'll be the last thing."

He scoffed and smiled, four fingers on the cellphone his pinkie grazing his lip. "Like last time?"

"But it's the last one. It's one big list so we don't have to go again."

"When is this shopping fiesta again?"

"It's not a fiesta." She hissed. He could hear it. It made his smile wide. "And we're going the day after tomorrow."

He chuckled this time. "Peggy, I know you, by tomorrow night, you'll add ten more things to the list." He glanced at his laptop screen. Seeing the email, he adjusted his glasses and took his feet off the desk.

"I won't, I promise."

"It's not me you have to make that promise to."

"But you believe me right? You have to at least?" He could hear the pouting.

"What did Tom say?" Who else would make her need validation? He clicked on the email.

She sighed. He knew she was rolling her eyes. He could practically see it. He smiled even wider. Anticipating her reluctant words. "He said I'm not building a castle and that I shouldn't make mom declare bankruptcy."

He laughed, a hearty laugh. His brother is annoying.

"Tom is so annoying. He's refused to help or go shopping with me. He's so selfish. He's always with that his stupid girlfriend Abby. Ugh! I wish they'd break up." From reluctance to anger.

"Maybe find a wishing well for that. I gotta go Peggy. Work calls."

"School work?"

"Of course." He wedged the phone between his ear and shoulder and reached for a book on the desk. "I'll call you-"

"Can we pretend we didn't talk today? Then we can talk tomorrow and then we can wait three days as usual please? I was going to tell you about-"

"Sure." She squealed. He flipped through his open book. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay." Pause. "Sawyer?"

He knew what was coming. Since he got to school it happened every call. "Yeah?"

"I love you."

He could hear her smiling. He also knew she misses him. "Tomorrow." She wouldn't like that. "Today doesn't count so I'll say it tomorrow."

She sighed. "Ok. Bye."

He loosened the wedge as he said, "bye." The phone slid down into his waiting hand. He looked at his laptop screen one more time then decided to send a text to his brother. -"Building a castle???"

-Tom ";)"

Sawyer scoffed. Not just at the message but at his brother's quick reply. He abandoned his phone for the night to focus on his school work. After which, he had plans to meet up with his friends for a party that had started hours ago.

A solid plan to drown out the fact that he missed home. His thirteen year old sister and sixteen year old brother. Both of whom will no doubt be fighting over something. There was always a ridiculous reason why they would argue. Even now he could see it. Maybe he was the ridiculous one. Nineteen years old, his second semester at college as a freshman and he still misses his siblings. Of course there was his mom who no doubt will be disappointed at his lack of housekeeping skills. He smiled. He could see it now. There was also his very busy father... that was all he was. Unlike his ever present mother. The Wade family.

Sawyer and Tom shared their father's black hair. While Peggy has her mother's blonde hair, sharing her mother's blue eyes with Tom, and Sawyer, his father's green ones. Tom looked most like his father and Sawyer and Peggy, looked most like their mother and yet, somehow, all three siblings looked a little alike.

As he had agreed to do, Sawyer called his sister the next day. She was still excited about her shopping and boasted about not adding anymore things to the list. She complained about her brother as expected and talked about her friends in school and how they couldn't wait to be in high school. Sawyer always listened, he enjoyed it. More than he always thought he would.

Some nights, when Sawyer wasn't at a party or in a bar with is friends Otto and Noelle, he was in either of their rooms, like tonight, a Saturday night. Otto being the host for the night had them sitting in his room floor. Each with their laptops on their laps playing a game. Otto's room, very much the same as Sawyer's except slightly smaller, was much neater than Sawyer's. A bowl of chips in the middle of their three person circle, phones discarded to the corners, they focused on their game. Neither one saying a word. Until. "Go right there's a better view" Noelle's voice broke their concentration. No one knew who she was supposed be talking to but they all obeyed.

"Wade have you started yet?" Otto asked.

"What?"

"Your project."

"Oh." Sawyer glanced at Otto and back at his laptop. "No. But it's due next week. I can handle it."

"Did he tell you?" It was never clear who Noelle was talking to. "Sawyer's got a date." She said in an 'I'm impressed' tone. "Laura Crystal asked him out."

"Really?" Otto missed a swing. "When?" He wanted to look up. "I mean when's the date?"

"Tomorrow."

Sawyer smirked. "Can I speak for myself Elle?"

She chuckled, "you should have seen him. You know how he gets all cool and smiley." She chuckled again.

"Killer move that one. How long did it take her to ask him?" Otto was now more interested in details than the game.

"She was pretty on track. I was impressed from where I was sitting. A happy customer."

"Feel insulted somehow." Sawyer said. He adjusted his glasses. "I'm not" he was too focused on the game. "I'm not here for your amusement. Can this stop?"

"He's so shy." Noelle couldn't help looking at Otto. Otto nodded.

Sawyer sighed. "One more word and I'm leaving."

"Fine." They chorused

"Killjoy." Otto muttered under his breath, Noelle chuckled again. Sawyer ignored them. Five minutes later, "Let's do something else!" Otto announced, no longer interested in the game.

"Please." Sawyer's plea came off sounding desperate. Two pairs of eyes were on him, amused looks on their faces. "What?" He looked from one to the other "It's been two hours, come on." In truth, they could have kept going.