Since He Left ✓

01/2: Frisco

Part 2 of Chapter 1.

****

The room I chose ended up being the one next to Nick's, and I'm pretty sure he took the bigger space. It didn't bother me at all, my room was beyond fantastic. Personal bathroom, with all kinds of products, curtains and bed comforter of pink silk, and view of Baker Beach. I was going to see the view from the small balcony when someone knocked on the door, I opened the door to see Nick. He looked tired, but viable.

"Can I talk to you?" his expression made me think that he thought I was going to reject him, I ignored it.

"Sure, come in." He closed the door quietly and walked over to the balcony, his gaze traveling to the distant but vibrant 'international orange' bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge. That overpass meant so much to me, not what it looked like, but what it symbolized. San Francisco, or "The Paris of the West" as some liked to call it. That very bridge symbolizes more than just a city, but people, determination and America.

"Do you miss your dad?" Nick said simply, and randomly.

"Not really, no. Why?" I knew for a fact that Nick's mother, Thea, had died four years ago when he was thirteen. It must have been hard for him, he probably loved his mother. I hated my father, which made it that much easier to let him go. I know how it feels to loose someone you love too, whether I believe their death or not.

"Well, I was thinking about our parents being together. You know, replacing my mother and your father," he breathed out. I looked at him, didn't he approve?

"Don't you like the family? Is that what you mean, I know it's hard and all but..."

"No, no. You and Camille are great. It's just, it's weird. I mean seeing my dad with someone else," it must have took courage to get those words out, I appreciated the effort.

"I know, it's weird for me too. It all escalated so quickly. We barely ever talked to each other in school, and all of a sudden you're my brother," he looked at me. "I- I mean stepbrother." I looked down at my red converse shoes, embarrassment swallowed me whole. Shouldn't I be able to call him my brother by now? It's too strange for me to call someone my half-brother.

"It's fine you call me your brother, you know. You're my sister, that's how things are now," he said trying to catch my face expression. I looked up, my face blank and exhausted.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so."

After that, Nick and I exchanged "good nights" and he closed the door after leaving. I changed my clothes in a hurry, washed my face and claimed the bed mine. The bed was too comfortable not to fall asleep right then, and I was quickly washed by unconsciousness.

*****

I had woken up earlier than I thought I would, so I took a bath, changed, and took the elevator down to the hotel lobby. The lobby wasn't empty, it was almost full. Families, children, tourists and elderly all jammed up the space of the hotel. All different nationalities and cultures in one crowded lobby. I squished myself between people trying to spot the vending machine, the one Joseph had used yesterday.When I finally managed to spot the machine, I saw a little boy. He pressed at so many buttons at once I was sure he would destroy the machine, I decided to give him help. For both our sake.

"Let me help. What do you want?" He whirled around to look at me, brown hair, green eyes and round Potter lookalike glasses.

"That juice bar at the corner," he pointed a finger at the orange juice, "I want that one!"

"Okay, Okay," I pressed on one button and told him to put his coin in. His little fingers reached up and put the coin in. "Now pick it up from down there," I instructed, he grabbed the juice bar and smiled up at me.

"Thank you," he pressed his sliding glasses up his nose, sniffed and bounced away.

I ordered a pack of sour skittles and took the stairs up, the master suite was on the sixty-seventh floor. That would most likely be enough for a morning workout, plus it would burn the pack of skittles I was munching on. I hoped.