When dinner rolled by, I didn't bother going downstairs. My appetite gone from all of the recent events.
"Oh man..." I hear someone grunt outside and a loud thump.
I walk over to the window and see Jospeh leaning against the side of his house, and the trash can be accidentally dropped.
I hesitantly walk down stairs and see my uncle sleeping on the recliner chair, moth open and soft snores.
I slowly open the front door and the creeks make me cringe. I freeze, and when I hear the soft snores I continue.
When I make it out side, I walk over to Jospeh. I smell it first before I see it. Smoke coming from where Jospeh is hiding in the shadows. He hasn't seen me so I walk closer.
He jumps startled when he sees me and waves me over to him. He quickly puts his cigarette out, and I slowly walk to him.
"Are you okay?" I question and he breaths out.
"Just frustrated." He says and his gaze sweeps over my face. "Just tired of being here. I want to travel, leave, go far away. Like my brothers." He sighs.
"Heard you dropping something..." I laugh and he kicks the ground and chuckles to himself.
"Didn't mean to. I slipped out before anyone could notice. I give Sawyer ten minutes tops before he comes out here and gives me shit for smoking." He walks over to the side edge of the house and makes sure no one is coming. He walks back to me and pulls me further into the dark.
"It is cancer in a stick..." I shrug, as he pulls me. The light from the street is giving off a little light and I watch as he takes another smoke out. He seems on edge, his hands shaking.
"Why are you out here?" He questions and I look at the fallen garbage can a few feet away.
"Wanted to see if you were okay..."
"I should be asking if you're okay. Are you?" He says and puffs out the smoke, away from me. I still smell the stench and my nose scrunches. "I'm sorry by the way." He adds, not letting me answer.
"Sorry? Why are you apologizing?" I roll my eyes.
"Sawyer..."
"Apologizing for him won't solve anything. Especially if you apologize for him all the time..." I tell him, he's about to argue with me, but I change the subject. "Will he be mad you're talking to me right now?" I question.
"He won't be cheerful about it, maybe slightly pissed." He stops talking as soon as he sees my expression, my eyes widen.
"No, he won't do what you're thinking. He doesn't think everyone is a punching bag." He laughs and I eye him skeptically. "People piss him off, but the worst thing he'd do to me is ignore. Not what you were expecting, huh?" He questions with a smile.
"I was imagining him beating you up...."
"He's already mad that I defended him earlier. He hates that. And if he sees I'm trying to explain the situation again when he clearly doesn't want them explained then.." he inhales his smoke and blows it out. "You have to understand that Sawyer hates everyone. Not really a people person."
"Really? And you pointing out the obvious is helpful because?" I question and my face heats up from how harsh my words sound. Jospeh grins,
"Look, he thought you could help with something. And when he told me, I should have told him I'd handle it. Sawyer thinks everything is simple. And he wants the solution to things right away, and when someone isn't on the same page as him, well then he pesters them until they realize his way is the right way."
