Before the Morning [BEING EDITED]

06 | Sizzling Bacon

Nolan's pizza was warm today, but it didn't really matter. He couldn't enjoy it.

Since discovering that he could eat outside, he'd glanced at the other tables maybe once or twice per lunch period, interest piqued when there was some sort of commotion—be it loud laughter or an irritated shout. Today, though, his gaze kept straying to Nora's table; to her, Andy, Max, and Erin as they laughed and ate. He hated that he wondered what they were talking about.

No unnecessary attachments. That was the decision he made after moving to Greeley. For the most part, this promise had proven easy to keep. Of course, Caleb had brought Sam into their lives, and despite her irritating nature, he decided she was okay, especially since she protected him from Johnny Parson, a little shit in their grade who had been bullying Caleb since they moved. But other than that? His circle of people had become Greg and Caleb. That was it. And he was fine with that.

Another glance at their table.

His decision to be alone had been made. So, was there really any danger in accepting Nora's job offer? Wouldn't it be worse to sit idly by while Greg dug himself deeper and deeper?

He could find another job—one that would keep him away from people. Something boring.

Laughter erupted from Nora's table. Max's hands waved in the air as he spoke, and the others curled in on themselves, flushed as they laughed. What were they talking about?

Nora turned, and her eyes caught his. She smiled and waved. He forced himself to do the same, and turned back to his pizza.

He couldn't take the job.

✝

"Bacon!"

"Caleb, we had breakfast for dinner yesterday."

"Bacon!"

Nolan sighed and grabbed the half-eaten pack of bacon from the refrigerator. The eight-year-old had been obsessed with the stuff for the past two weeks, since he went over to Sam's house and they had breakfast for dinner. It was as though he'd never had bacon, eggs, and waffles before.

"I'll make the waffles!" Caleb said, tearing open the freezer and snatching a box of chocolate chip Eggos, also half-eaten.

"Try not to burn them this time," Nolan said.

"That was the toaster's fault."

"Mm-hmm."

They grinned. As Nolan placed bacon strips on a pan, Caleb tossed two waffles into the toaster. When the waffles had disappeared, Caleb sidled himself to Nolan's side. He was practically jumping with excitement as Nolan set the bacon in the oven.

"Did you adjust the temp?" Nolan asked.

Caleb froze. "Shoot!"

He scurried back to the toaster; eyes narrowed as he studied the temperature knob. "Uh..."

"Level three," Nolan said.

"I knew that."

"Sure you did."

Caleb moved the dial from level five to level three. Why Greg liked his toast pitch black, Nolan would never know.

"When is Greg coming home?" Caleb asked.

Nolan glanced at the clock over the oven. "Twenty minutes."

"Just in time to eat bacon!"

He would actually still have another ten minutes to wait before the bacon would be ready, but Nolan didn't bother telling them that. Instead, after shutting the oven, he dropped himself on the couch, opened his laptop, and headed to Google.