:: @shocklash
he counted it like another hole in his life without saying it out loud. because outwardly he was good, he was okay, he had everything settled and put together. outwardly things were great. but he was always counting holes, his mom dying, O leaving, the half stories of a dad he never met, the low pay on two different pay checks, and college because his mom wanted it. and he didn’t even know what he wanted. just small, counted holes. ignored whenever he got the chance. which was more than often.
distractions were easy to come by. and he had more than enough on his long running list. the latest was passing time with O’s friend who had just started college a while back, same as him. and he used to offer her to buy her lunch, common courtesy for a familiar face, he guessed. or maybe because O talked to her probably more than she talked to him and there was comfort in knowing that. he never talked to Harper much. but he remembers when she used to come around the apartment to see Octavia, or after school. she’d be there sometimes when he’d get back from work, Octavia rushing through asking - or more telling him- if Harper could stay the night.
somewhere they decided that they would go out to see Octavia in Florida. a surprise, since she thought she wouldn’t be able to come back home for a while. it was the first day out, the first stop, some roadside diner that charged cheap, mostly because the food was dripping with an ungodly amount of grease. they hadn’t gone in yet. resting back against the car, an old one. he was supposed to try and trade it in but hadn’t gotten around to it. or maybe he was holding onto it. he’s looking for his pack of cigarettes in his pockets but he’s thinking he’s already out. he looks over at Harper, letting out a heavy sigh. “alright, it’s either this place or we don’t eat until 6. and I’m starving.”