Silence

Thirty-Two

We landed in New York and as soon as I had my stuff, I ran to my room and tossed myself on my bed. I pulled out my laptop and began to pull up the suggestions Karen sent me. "Peter?" Sam stepped into the room and he climbed up to my bunk. "You've been acting weird since the plane. I'm sorry if anything was said that bothered you." I bit the inside of my cheek, knowing that he either was trying to not get on my bad side or he was lying. "No I'm okay. I had a work call, they're running a story I helped write." That wasn't wrong, but still that wasn't it. "That's cool. Do you have work tomorrow?" I looked at my laptop and found an opening spot for a house that had a bunch of land and was fifteen miles from Queens. Manageable on bike and I could park it in the VA parking lot or at an meter. "Yeah, more of needing to patrol and having to collect pictures." I flexed my fingers and was glad that they pain wasn't as sharp as it had been this morning.

"Your appointment with me will be at six tomorrow. We'll go out to dinner afterwards." Sam patted my leg and got up. "Sam." He stopped in my doorway and looked at me. "Thank you for the help and I'm sorry for being a pain in your rear." He smiled and left. I looked at my laptop and quickly grabbed my phone, dialing the number. "Hello, I saw the house you have listed on Jersey road. Yes I'm interested."

"Peter?" I looked up from where I was going through science projects. "Yeah?" Bucky stepped into the room and looked around. "Dinner time." I hummed and got up, looking at the mess of tangled wires. I followed Bucky out and looked through the wall. I stopped at a picture that had all of us at my seventeenth birthday, the late one. I smiled softly and looked away. I wish I could go back and be there forever. Despite the pain, that was the happiest I had felt these last few months. That's all about to change. I have no idea if they'll care about me once I leave. Maybe my eighteenth will be spent alone. I sat at the table and Tony passed me a small box of pizza. I opened it and began to eat, my eyes spacing out.

"What was that call about Pete?" Tony asked and I looked up, blinking. "Oh, work call. They are running a story I helped write." I took a bite. "Are you going out tonight?" Dad asked and I shook my head, swallowing my last piece of pizza. "I...I have one more class to finish before I am cleared to graduate. I uh, I'm gonna do that tonight." I bit my lip, gauging his reaction. "That's great." The normal proud look he usually has didn't show up and I tried to not let it show how much it hurt. I really pushed my own dad away by being a reckless dumbass. "I'm actually just gonna go do that." I left the box of pizza on the table and left the room, wiping away the tears once I had reached my room.

It was three am when I finally finished my last class, English. I sighed and closed my laptop. I had to be up at six to be at the house showing at nine. I set an alarm and got into my hammock, falling asleep quickly.

The buzzing of the alarm woke me up. I flopped out of the hammock and slid off the top bunk. Pietro has been staying in Dad's room recently and it left me to be able to pile a bunch of shit on his bed. I grabbed a towel and walked into my bathroom. I quickly turned on the shower and climbed in, hoping to wash away the lack of sleep.

I left my room at seven. I had half an hour to eat before I needed to go. "You're up early." Steve commented when I entered the kitchen for food. "Work." I answered and pulled two cans of RedBull from the fridge. I cracked one open and began drinking it before making myself four pieces of toast. "Did you stay up all night?" Sam questioned, looking at my bags. "Yeah." I shrugged and bit into a piece of toast. "What's been going on with you, you all the sudden seemed excited about something. Work can't have you that happy." He scrutinized and I sighed. "Just excited to graduate and go to college. Sorry for scaring you by the way, for being a pain in the ass when you're trying to help. And I'm sorry for bleeding on you." I cracked a small smile and he narrowed his eyes at me. "Why are you apologizing? What are you planning?" I chuckled and patted him on the chest. "Just growing up."

I finished eating and doubled back to my room to get my bag and bike gear. I walked out and nearly ran into Pietro, who was wearing one of Dad's shirts and nothing else. He burned red and I chuckled. "I'm happy one of us can please him." I clapped him on the shoulder and went into the kitchen. I pulled on shoes, my jacket and tucked my helmet under my arm. "Hey Tony?" I asked, the man looked up from the TV. "Yeah Pete?" I gave him a lopsided grin. "Could you transfer the college fund into my savings account?" He gave me an amused look. "That's for college Pete." I shrugged. "Which is what I'm using it for. I got accepted to Queens College." I lied and he grinned. "That's great! I'll transfer that in tonight." I thanked him and got up, straightening my clothes.

I pulled up to the house and grinned at the beautiful scenery. There was a huge forest surrounding the area and I knew that I had chosen right. "Peter Barton?" An older man asked getting out her car. "Yes Sir." I held my hand out and he gave me a firm shake. "I'm Rick Childress. I must say, you sounded younger on the phone then you seem in person." I laughed lightly and we walked up to the house. "I just graduated high school sir, I'll be attending Empire State in the spring." The man gave a hearty laugh and we entered the house. "Smart I'm guessing. Well I can't say that this house is cheap. The starting price is four hundred thousand. That includes the three acres of forest land surrounding." I nodded and looked around the interior. "I can tell you that I come from a well off family, I don't like to flaunt that but it comes in handy." I chuckled and he started to lead me through the house. "This floor has the kitchen, living room, garage slash laundry room, dining room and a half bath." He brought me through it all and I grinned at the cabin feeling I got from it. He took me upstairs and with each step, the more in love I was.

"The upstairs has a master bedroom and bath, two guest bedrooms and attached bathroom and a small office. There is a basement and its empty." I nodded and I looked around, surveying how I would set up the rooms with Karen, a surveillance system and surround sound. "And you said that it is only four hundred thousand?" I questioned looking back at the man. "Yeah, there hasn't been anyone living here since the Battle of New York in two thousand and twelve." I hummed and put my hand on the wall to my left. I closed my eyes and felt the vibrations, feeling it structurally sound. "I'll take it." I turned and grinned, getting an equally happy look from Rick. "Okay, how old are you?" "Seventeen." He nodded and I followed him back downstairs. "I'll have to have a legal guardian sign as well, only here." He pointed to a blank line and I formulated a plan to get Dad to sign for it. "Okay. And about payment. Could I pay all upfront and not even worry about a mortgage?" Rick nodded and started to pull out different papers. "I'll need to have a bank statement and proof that you have this money. Once you sign for it, you'll get the key and the utilities will be turned on. Everything else is up to you."