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It had nothing to do with Alistair being depressed or not but he could definitely sense a storm coming. A storm that is going to sweep him off his feet and mess everything he has built up this past month, not that he has built much, and quite possibly throws him off the rail and sends him down hill again until he hit rock bottom. Again.
And he had a feeling that it would have something to do with Brooke. After all, she was the one who is wreaking havoc in his brain, not in a bad way, just in a very distracting way.
Alistair was in the middle of his Calculus class trying to make sense of the odd shapes and numbers that were on the board. This subject wasn't his strong suit, school in general these days felt like a heavy chore.
Maybe he needs to up his medication dosage or a really good nap, perhaps a chill day where he does nothing and worries about nothing. His therapist would definitely recommend that.
He was going to meet his bestfriend after this class in the local diner, hopefully that would help him.
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Alistair sat on a bar stool next to the diner's counters. Zion was late as always. His friend has a habit of being late since the very first day he met him. They are both sure that he would be late to his own funeral somehow.
A hand clapped on his left shoulder that nearly sent Alistair's off the stool. He looked up at his friend with a deadpan expression.
"Long time no see, man." They hugged quickly before Zion dropped on the stool next Alistair.
"How's it going, Ali?" Zion grinned.
"As good as it can goes." Alistair shrugged. "How's college?" Zion was a year older than Alistair, he has recently majored in North Carolina college which is why they haven't seen much of each other.
"Stressful, I don't understand anything but I'll get there." Alistair chuckled at that. Zion was smart but he was bit lazy when it comes to studying, instead he would cramp a semester worth of studying into one night right before his final exam. It had worked for him in high school but Alistair isn't sure it will work for him in college.
They ordered their food as a waitress finally came around. She hurriedly took their orders before running off to prepare it.
"I don't want to ask but," Zion glanced pointedly at the cut on Alistair's eyebrow. "Is this a new look or did you get in a fight?" It has been a week since that fight, he was completely healed up except for that cut. It kept reopening and bleeding but now it's all dried up.
"A stupid fight." Alistair grunted. Zion raised both of his eyebrows in a shocked matter before dropping them.
"Why? And with whom?" Zion asked.
"Orion dickhead Grey. And as for the why, it's because he couldn't handle the truth." Alistair didn't want to go into details again especially if it leads to a possible discussion about bullying.
Zion sometimes treated Alistair like his little brother despite the one year difference. He has gotten extremely overprotective recently after Alistair's father death and Alistair's diagnosis. He also believes that Orion is borderline bullying Alistair but Alistair keeps denying it. It is just stupid rivalry and tension that wouldn't be important after high school.
It doesn't matter to him now, it won't matter to him later. He just hopes that Orion feels the same way and that they won't have to see each other again after high school.
Zion picked on on the finality of Alistair's tone and decided to forget about it for the time being instead he decided to ask about his sessions.
"She wants to try more serious stuff when it comes to my Dad," Alistair rubbed his face with his hands and then sighed.
"To help you move on?" Zion asked gently and Alistair nodded.
"Just tell her when it gets too much, she will stop," Zion squeezed his friend's shoulder. "And I'm always here for you." Alistair smiled, grateful to have such a friend.
The two then drifted between different topics as they ate. It was so refreshing for Alistair to talk openly about anything and everything to somebody who wouldn't judged him and understood that he just wanted to vent.
While he could definitely vent to his mother, she would take everything too seriously and worry about him. He didn't want that for her, he already caused enough hassle as it is.
Maybe he could vent to Brooke but at the same time there was this invisible border between the two and it was keeping them apart. He wanted to open up to her more and talk about his dad and all the trouble that came after his death, he just couldn't. Perhaps if he opened up, she would too.
They spent the rest of their afternoon talking until Zion had to go to his house to catch a football game with his dad. They bid their goodbyes to each other and went on their merry way.
So sorry for the short chapter, I wanted to add some stuff but Ithought it would be better if it had its own chapter, alsoI wanted to introduce Zion somehow.
