Categories > Original > Drama > You're My Only Retreat
Vic's POV
Kellin's in the shower right now. I'm waiting for him so we can go buy him clothes. He needs more than a worn out shirt that barely fits and skinny jeans. After ten minutes of waiting he finally stepped into the living room. He looked amazing in my thrasher hoodie and black skinny jeans.
"You ready to go?" I asked him to keep myself from staring.
"Yeah, sure." He seemed awkward and almost uncomfortable. It was probably since we still didn't really know each other.
"Alright, let's go."
I locked the door behind us, and then we made our way to the closest mall. I didn't want this walk to be as quiet and tense as the first one, so I decided to speak up. "So, how old are you anyway?"
"Uh, I'm nineteen." Damn, he's so young. I wonder how long he was on the streets.
"How long were you on the streets?" I hope he hasn't been that way for long.
"Only two years."
"Two years?!" That's a long time.
"Uh, yeah. Come on don't sound so surprised. My shirt barely fit when you found me last night, but who cares it could have been worse."
"Yeah, but that means that you've been on the streets since you were seventeen."
"Yeah, but like I said it could have been worse."
"How'd you end up on the streets?" I'm pretty sure his parents kicked him out. I mean what seventeen year old just leaves home? Sure parents can be annoying sometimes, but I doubt that would have caused him to leave. However, if they did kick him out I'm not sure why.
"Uh… oh look we're here." I looked up and sure enough we were here. I turned to look at Kellin one last time before entering, and he seemed relieved yet somehow nervous.
"Right, come on then." I said as I started for the entrance. The mall was pretty small; it only had about sixty shops, but this should be fine. "Where do you want to go first?"
"I'm not really sure. Anywhere you'd recommend?"
"Depends on what you're looking for."
"A place that sells shirts and skinny jeans I guess."
"Wow, you're really narrowing down your options here Kellin." I teased him, but really could he be any more specific? "How about we just walk around until you see something you like?"
Kellin nodded, "sure."
We walked around for about five minutes, until we finally got to Hot Topic. Kellin stopped and looked at the store; he almost looked nostalgic.
"You want to go in?"
He shook his head, "um… no I'm good."
"It's obvious you want to go in. Come on." I said as I grabbed his forearm and dragged him into the store.
The store was pretty much empty and “Feeling This” by blink-182 was playing in the background. The store was pretty small, but it was full of band merch and other interesting things. My little brother, Mike, works here, or at least the last time I checked he did. Mike is a bit of a troublemaker, and that has cost him many jobs. For example, his first job ended with him getting iced coffee in his face and bruises all over him due to him flirting with his manager's boyfriend. Long story short he's not allowed in the Starbucks on West Avenue anymore. Honestly, I hope he is still working here. If he is then that's a new record, two months. Thankfully walking deeper into the store I saw Mike folding shirts.
"Hey Mike," I greeted, but apparently I also scared him in the process.
"What the fu… oh it's just you. What do you want?" Yeah, he doesn't like getting scared. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kellin a bit confused.
"What? I can't make sure that my dearest brother still has a job?" A look of realization crossed Kellin's face at the word "brother".
"Nope," Mike said popping the "p". "Now really, what do you want?"
"Nothing, we're just here so Kellin can get clothes."
"Kellin?"
"Yeah, Kellin." This time I said it a bit slower just to tease him, but I also nodded my head towards Kellin, just in case Mike needed more help.
"Oooohhhh…," Mike was a little slow today.
Kellin gave him a forced smile, "hey."
"Hi," Mike said with a smile. "Well if you need anything you might not want to ask me. I don't really know what I'm doing."
"Okay then," Kellin nodded.
"Damn Mike such great customer service." I rolled my eyes.
"You know it."
"Yeah, well we'll just start looking around."
"Alright." With that we walked away in search for clothes.
"So, that's your brother then?" Kellin said with a bit of a chuckle.
"Yup"
"How much older is he?"
I laughed, "He's actually younger believe it or not."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he's 21."
"How old are you then?" He asked curiously.
"I'm 23."
"Oh, so are you like in college or something?"
"I was, but it didn't work out."
"Oh"
"Yeah, see anything you like?"
"I don't know."
"Well what do you like?"
"Bands, I guess."
"What bands do you like?" I was basically prying answers out of him.
"Anything really." Honestly, it was getting a little frustrating with how vague he was being, but I decided to remain calm and give him time.
"Okay then, how about you just look around."
"Alright"
"Oh, by the way you're not allowed to check out until you at least have ten shirts and seven pairs of jeans."
"But-"
"Nope, you don't have a say in this."
He sighed, "okay, but what if I can't find ten shirts I like?"
I gave him an unimpressed look, "I seriously doubt you won't be able to find ten shirts you like in a store where the walls are basically covered in shirts."
"Fine," he said with a clearly defeated look on his face.
I smiled as I watched him walk off to the back wall.
About fifteen minutes later he came back with his ten shirts and seven pairs of jeans. "Okay, you ready?"
"I guess, but are you sure? All I really need is one shirt and one pair of jeans."
"Of course I'm sure." He didn't say anything instead he just followed me to the register.
"Alright midget,you ready?"
I rolled my eyes, "yes, Mike we're ready."
"Alright, did you find everything?"
I looked at Kellin; he just nodded.
"Great, so do you have a Hot Topic card?"
"Really Mike?"
"What? I have to ask!"
"Alright, alright," I said as I pulled out my card and handed it to him. "Here you go."
"Okay so that'll be $560."
"Vic, I'm seriously fine with just a shirt."
I turned to look at Kellin, "it's fine; you need more than just a shirt." Kellin still didn't seem convinced, but I just turned to Mike. "Credit card."
Mike nodded and proceeded to put the clothes in a bag. "Okay, here you go."
"Thanks bro."
"No problem, so band practice at my place this weekend?"
"Oh, Jaime's back?"
"Yeah, he just got in two days ago."
"Oh, alright then, band practice this weekend."
"Alright, see you then"
"Okay, bye."
"Bye"
After that Kellin and I left the store, so we could make our way back home.
"Band practice?"
"Uh yeah, Mike and I are in a band with our friends Jaime and Tony."
Kellin nodded, "sounds cool."
"I guess." I wasn't really up for conversation though. Jaime got back two days ago. Why didn't he let me know? Jaime had left about a week after Mike got his job at Hot Topic. He supposedly left due to family issues, but he never told us what was wrong. I hope everything is fine, but I guess I'll find out this weekend at practice.
Kellin's in the shower right now. I'm waiting for him so we can go buy him clothes. He needs more than a worn out shirt that barely fits and skinny jeans. After ten minutes of waiting he finally stepped into the living room. He looked amazing in my thrasher hoodie and black skinny jeans.
"You ready to go?" I asked him to keep myself from staring.
"Yeah, sure." He seemed awkward and almost uncomfortable. It was probably since we still didn't really know each other.
"Alright, let's go."
I locked the door behind us, and then we made our way to the closest mall. I didn't want this walk to be as quiet and tense as the first one, so I decided to speak up. "So, how old are you anyway?"
"Uh, I'm nineteen." Damn, he's so young. I wonder how long he was on the streets.
"How long were you on the streets?" I hope he hasn't been that way for long.
"Only two years."
"Two years?!" That's a long time.
"Uh, yeah. Come on don't sound so surprised. My shirt barely fit when you found me last night, but who cares it could have been worse."
"Yeah, but that means that you've been on the streets since you were seventeen."
"Yeah, but like I said it could have been worse."
"How'd you end up on the streets?" I'm pretty sure his parents kicked him out. I mean what seventeen year old just leaves home? Sure parents can be annoying sometimes, but I doubt that would have caused him to leave. However, if they did kick him out I'm not sure why.
"Uh… oh look we're here." I looked up and sure enough we were here. I turned to look at Kellin one last time before entering, and he seemed relieved yet somehow nervous.
"Right, come on then." I said as I started for the entrance. The mall was pretty small; it only had about sixty shops, but this should be fine. "Where do you want to go first?"
"I'm not really sure. Anywhere you'd recommend?"
"Depends on what you're looking for."
"A place that sells shirts and skinny jeans I guess."
"Wow, you're really narrowing down your options here Kellin." I teased him, but really could he be any more specific? "How about we just walk around until you see something you like?"
Kellin nodded, "sure."
We walked around for about five minutes, until we finally got to Hot Topic. Kellin stopped and looked at the store; he almost looked nostalgic.
"You want to go in?"
He shook his head, "um… no I'm good."
"It's obvious you want to go in. Come on." I said as I grabbed his forearm and dragged him into the store.
The store was pretty much empty and “Feeling This” by blink-182 was playing in the background. The store was pretty small, but it was full of band merch and other interesting things. My little brother, Mike, works here, or at least the last time I checked he did. Mike is a bit of a troublemaker, and that has cost him many jobs. For example, his first job ended with him getting iced coffee in his face and bruises all over him due to him flirting with his manager's boyfriend. Long story short he's not allowed in the Starbucks on West Avenue anymore. Honestly, I hope he is still working here. If he is then that's a new record, two months. Thankfully walking deeper into the store I saw Mike folding shirts.
"Hey Mike," I greeted, but apparently I also scared him in the process.
"What the fu… oh it's just you. What do you want?" Yeah, he doesn't like getting scared. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kellin a bit confused.
"What? I can't make sure that my dearest brother still has a job?" A look of realization crossed Kellin's face at the word "brother".
"Nope," Mike said popping the "p". "Now really, what do you want?"
"Nothing, we're just here so Kellin can get clothes."
"Kellin?"
"Yeah, Kellin." This time I said it a bit slower just to tease him, but I also nodded my head towards Kellin, just in case Mike needed more help.
"Oooohhhh…," Mike was a little slow today.
Kellin gave him a forced smile, "hey."
"Hi," Mike said with a smile. "Well if you need anything you might not want to ask me. I don't really know what I'm doing."
"Okay then," Kellin nodded.
"Damn Mike such great customer service." I rolled my eyes.
"You know it."
"Yeah, well we'll just start looking around."
"Alright." With that we walked away in search for clothes.
"So, that's your brother then?" Kellin said with a bit of a chuckle.
"Yup"
"How much older is he?"
I laughed, "He's actually younger believe it or not."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he's 21."
"How old are you then?" He asked curiously.
"I'm 23."
"Oh, so are you like in college or something?"
"I was, but it didn't work out."
"Oh"
"Yeah, see anything you like?"
"I don't know."
"Well what do you like?"
"Bands, I guess."
"What bands do you like?" I was basically prying answers out of him.
"Anything really." Honestly, it was getting a little frustrating with how vague he was being, but I decided to remain calm and give him time.
"Okay then, how about you just look around."
"Alright"
"Oh, by the way you're not allowed to check out until you at least have ten shirts and seven pairs of jeans."
"But-"
"Nope, you don't have a say in this."
He sighed, "okay, but what if I can't find ten shirts I like?"
I gave him an unimpressed look, "I seriously doubt you won't be able to find ten shirts you like in a store where the walls are basically covered in shirts."
"Fine," he said with a clearly defeated look on his face.
I smiled as I watched him walk off to the back wall.
About fifteen minutes later he came back with his ten shirts and seven pairs of jeans. "Okay, you ready?"
"I guess, but are you sure? All I really need is one shirt and one pair of jeans."
"Of course I'm sure." He didn't say anything instead he just followed me to the register.
"Alright midget,you ready?"
I rolled my eyes, "yes, Mike we're ready."
"Alright, did you find everything?"
I looked at Kellin; he just nodded.
"Great, so do you have a Hot Topic card?"
"Really Mike?"
"What? I have to ask!"
"Alright, alright," I said as I pulled out my card and handed it to him. "Here you go."
"Okay so that'll be $560."
"Vic, I'm seriously fine with just a shirt."
I turned to look at Kellin, "it's fine; you need more than just a shirt." Kellin still didn't seem convinced, but I just turned to Mike. "Credit card."
Mike nodded and proceeded to put the clothes in a bag. "Okay, here you go."
"Thanks bro."
"No problem, so band practice at my place this weekend?"
"Oh, Jaime's back?"
"Yeah, he just got in two days ago."
"Oh, alright then, band practice this weekend."
"Alright, see you then"
"Okay, bye."
"Bye"
After that Kellin and I left the store, so we could make our way back home.
"Band practice?"
"Uh yeah, Mike and I are in a band with our friends Jaime and Tony."
Kellin nodded, "sounds cool."
"I guess." I wasn't really up for conversation though. Jaime got back two days ago. Why didn't he let me know? Jaime had left about a week after Mike got his job at Hot Topic. He supposedly left due to family issues, but he never told us what was wrong. I hope everything is fine, but I guess I'll find out this weekend at practice.
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