Remembering Taylor Mason (Rewritten, 2020)

Chapter Seven: Liam

##Warning, Mature Themes

About a week and a half after Taylor died, I start to feel better--- physically, I mean.  I had gotten out of the darkness, and my vision was back to normal.   I didn't have that massive headache anymore either.

I got in contact with my baseball coach and he gave  me a daily workout to do, in order to prep for September.

We're gonna be seniors and there's no time to waste. Besides, the busier I keep, the better.

I start my workout with thirty wind-sprints, sixty jumping jacks, and seventy bench-presses. I time myself using the stopwatch on my phone.  It takes all of five minutes for me to get through my routine. Not my goal time, but at least I have something to work toward.

I really need to practice my pitching if I want to make starter this year. I mean, if any year is the year to make starter, my senior year is it. If I can impress college teams getting in'll be a breeze.

After I'm done my workout, I stop my stopwatch and prepare my cellphone for a call. I'm just about to call him-- Taylor, to see if he wants to go to the diamond,  to toss the ball around a little.  What's a best friend for if he's not up to supporting your future career, right?

Anyway, I'm just about to dial, and then I remember... my best friend isn't good for anything anymore. And  I can't go back to that diamond. Ever.

I go ahead and call anyway. The phone doesn't even ring once before it goes to voicemail. For about ten minutes, I just keep redialing. He's not here anymore, but at least his voice is. 

I'm about to listen for a tenth time, when my phone dies. I could've sworn it was fully charged an hour ago. God, why do phone batteries never last? Why is there such thing as battery life at all? And why in the hell does it run out? Especially when you least expect it. When there's so much more you wanted to do..

A hot red burst of anger shoots through me and before I know what's happening, I flip the card table I'm standing beside, upside down.

Startled by the noise, Dustin,  my older sister, Ainsley's recently ex- boyfriend comes out of the furnace room, carrying a cardboard box.

---

Despite being about ten years older than me,  Ainsley and Dustin live in our family's basement. Ainsley's been trying to make it as a singer for years now, but nothing's really come of it, yet.---But  Taylor, he really looked up to her. Sometimes, he'd even come over here just to listen to Ainsley's songs and vice versa. I'd sit around with them, tossing a baseball into my glove as the two of them talked vocal techniques and disappeared into a world I would never be a part of. 

--

"Hey buddy,"  Dustin calls out to me, breaking up my thoughts. "You ok?"

"What're you doin' here, Dustin?" I ask, whirling around to face him. "I thought my sister broke it off with you a week ago." I clench my fist as I try to hide my annoyance. Can't a guy get a little bit of peace?

"She did. Just came for the last of my stuff." he replies. He motions for me to sit. I sink to the ground and he follows my lead.

"You know, you can't get anything past me, Liam," he says, drawing a long and if you ask me, dramatic, breath. "Have you forgotten that I was your number one babysitter back in the day?" I roll my eyes. All this nostalgia is nauseating.

"Sure," I respond, because maybe if I tell him what he wants to hear, he'll leave me the hell alone.

"Do you remember what'd you'd do every time you'd loose a round of cards?"

"I'd flip the table over," I mumble, looking down at my feet. "And we'd start over... until I won. "

"This time, you've lost a lot more than a game of cards,  haven't you buddy?"

I nod, but before I know it, I'm slumped over sobbing in a way that's physically painful. Dustin has his arm around me, and is holding me relatively close, like I'm seven years old again, and just had a nightmare.

God, I wish this was a nightmare.

"Ye know, you've always been like a little brother to me, Liam. Even though Ainsley and I are through, I'll always be here for ya."

"Thanks Dustin," I manage. "See you around."

"Yep." He gets up and heads toward the stairs and then, I'm alone again.