Price didn't really have a room for you. That much was clear. He had a guest room, a bare bones room with the most basic supplies that the boys would crash in every once in a while. A bed, a dresser, a side table with a lamp, and a lack of personality made the room feel suffocating.
Simon wheels your other suitcase into the room, watching as you set your bag down on the bed. Neither of you had spoken since you snapped at him. He was cursing Price out in his head for putting him in this whole situation.
Johnny had several siblings, and so did Kyle! Wouldn't they be better at handling this? Simon clears his throat awkwardly, getting your attention and making you look at him.
"You hungry? There's a pizza shop up the road. Made fresh, all that good stuff." Simon offers as you stare at him. Simon's annoyance with you dissipated the longer he looked at you, truly taking you in for the first time.
You were small. That much was obvious whenever he had walked you out of the airport, but now he was noticing just how young you looked. Cheeks still a little squishy, eyes still a little uncertain, body still lanky having not grown into itself yet. He felt a pang of guilt at how he had been treating you up until now, clearing his throat again.
"Pizza." You repeat quietly, almost like you were a million miles away in your head. You take a deep breath and nod once, digging through your bag and pulling out your wallet.
"You're not paying, kid. Let's go." Simon encourages, watching as you pocket the wallet still, and follow after him out of John's house. "It's close enough to walk. Sound good?" He asks, and you nod again, tucking your hands into your jacket pockets. The silence between the two of you is awkward as you walk the ten minutes to the pizza shop.
You didn't realize how hungry you were until you stepped into the restaurant, your stomach growling loudly as you breathed in. Simon chuckles slightly at that, your eyes lazer focusing on his face. He holds up a hand defensively.
"Do they sell single slices?" You pipe up beside him, joining the line to place your order.
"Yeah, but John plans on meeting us here with our... Other coworkers soon. What kind of pizza do you like?" Simon grabs you a small paper menu off the glass top and hands it to you. The hunger you felt just seconds ago disappears at the mention of John. Not just him, but other people?
You were fed the fuck up with the entire year already, but you scanned the menu anyway. "The deluxe sounds good, but I hate mushrooms." You pick a pizza off the menu, and hand it back to Simon. He holds his tongue in telling you that John hates them too, nodding in agreement.
"Sounds good, kid. Do you want garlic knots?" Watching as a fresh tray of them gets pulled out of the oven. The baker sets the knots down, and another member of staff coming over to slather them in garlic butter. You watch with hungry eyes, nodding eagerly as the smell of fresh baked bread filled the room.
You look around the shop while Simon steps up to order, looking at the homey decor and the small stream of people flowing in and out of the shop. You could apply for a job here and start saving money again. You look hear the bell above the door jingling as some more patrons filter in and your stomach lurches again.
John and the "other coworkers" Simon had mentioned earlier, step inside. You pretend you hadn't seen them out of your peripheral, watching as Simon gets handed some soda cups and his order slip. You wondered if you could bolt it past them out the front door, hearing a gruffy voice calling you.
"Y/N, Simon, there's a free table over here."
He didn't sound like you imagined. His beard was bushier, his skin more wrinkled. He was real and standing right in front of you. Simon's hand touches your shoulder briefly, and you reel from his touch.
"I have to go to the bathroom." You blurt out, shoving your empty cup into his hand and asking him to get you a water. You don't wait for a response before you turn around and make a bee line for the bathroom.
Maybe you could stay in here forever. Maybe this was all just a dream. Maybe John would actually be a good dad and make up for all of his years being gone. Your stomach lurches again, and you throw up into the toilet.
YALL ENJOY THIS SO FAR!? IM SO FUCKING EXCITED!!!! Mostly because I haven't written much angst and it's something I want to write and practice more of! I'm so glad yall enjoy this and wanted another chapter. Part three will be worked on sooooon. If you want to be added to the tag list, it is open, so just comment below <3
I believe in the reality of absent things. If something isn't here, it must be somewhere else.
Fate: how the absent thing remains lost.
Serendipity: how the absent thing returns.
Fiction: how we make it up.
Poetry: how we wait for it.
— Daniel Poppick, from the "Author's Note" in "The Copywriter: A Novel" (Scribner, February 3, 2026)
This is one of my favourites from the final chapter. There was no way I could have a chapter entitled “Nature” 🍃 without speaking about human nature and the state of our world.
It’s a cruel and tragic devastation to learn, as you grow up, that almost everything you see is deliberately coated with ads and high modality messaging to subconsciously persuade you to purchase, to long for material goods that are wants, not needs.
We are currently in the trenches of late-stage capitalism and I’ve had enough of people trying to sell me a product. It’s easy to get lost on what makes us human and happy in the first place 🌱
I am a big supporter of physical media, second-hand shopping, existing and being happy in what we don’t have to purchase — relationships, engaging in hobbies, nature, etc. — because chasing trends is like a dog chasing its own tail 🤍
As a teenager, I was getting real sick of everyone telling me what I should want, what I should like, what should make me happy, when I already knew what did 🕊️
“Nature” 🍃 is the sixth thematic chapter and features poetry on the natural world, human nature, and the realities of this at-times hopeless world.
“ABSENT” 🤍 is the name of my debut, intimate poetry collection which will feature poetry from when I was 15-17 years old, detailing my experience as an adolescent through the six major themes of my life.
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[slides 2-3 are from Pinterest! If anyone knows the original creators, please let me know 🤍)
