Page 23 of Side Out

Emerson

I understand you have to sleep on the couch until you're able to use the stairs, but if you leave your shoes in the middle of the living room one more time I will cut your dick off.

Despite my sour attitude I snort a laugh. He came down in the middle of the night to get a glass of water, and I fully heard him eat shit when he tripped over my shoe. Even though I pretended not to.

Me

How bout you suck my dick.

Emerson

… I’m your brother. Don’t be rude.

Me

Says the one who said he’d chop off my dick.

Emerson

Don’t make me tell mom on you.

Me

Ooooo. I’m soooo scared.

Emerson

You should be.

Me

Whatever, Momma’s boy.

Emerson

I’M NOT A MOMMA’S BOY!

Laughing, I pocket my phone as I hear the door to Chris’ office open. A girl I know from the swim team walks out, and Chris pops his head out behind her. He pinches his brow in confusion before pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “You could have waited in one of the chairs in here.”

It’s a large room filled with a plethora of physical therapy equipment, including a few treadmills and stair machines. It’s easily big enough to treat several patients at once. But if I’m in there I can’t be out here.

And out here is where I can see Theo.

“I know. I was just talking to my brother on the phone.”

He shrugs nonchalantly and picks my backpack up off the floor for me. “Come on in.”

As Chris walks back into the physical therapy room, I look across the hall one more time, hoping he’ll look at me. Just once. Little to my surprise… he doesn’t.

* * *

If I hear him laugh into that phone one more goddamn time I'm going to send my own phone through his door.

It’s been weeks… WEEKS of this bullshit, and I’ve just about had enough.

Enough physical therapy.

Enough watching Clay and Rocky play while I watch from the stands.

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