The walk back home felt way longer than normal for Alan, as if he had gone on the wrong way one too many times. An evening sky guided him down the sidewalk as he thought of earlier events that swarmed his mind at every moment. After scoring that one shot, he felt like a God walking among mortals. But the high was over, and now he dwelled as the high diminished away. Fear; that's all Alan felt. Every moment as he walked, he ate at his stomach and chest like a bear eating away a fish it had just caught. No matter what Alan did, eat drank, or rested. It did not part from him as he rubbed his stomach. He only hoped that once he laid down and slept, he would wake up better today with new clarity to his thoughts.
Once he had gotten back to the house, Charlie and Eric were already back as their cars sat in the driveway. Alan slowly walked up the steps, dreading the human contact he would need to make to get to his room. Once he was at the door, he rolled his shoulders and sighed before turning the doorknob and walking in. The front room was silent and dark as Alan slid off his shoes, but as he walked further, light from the kitchen only grew as his voice became clear.
"Why?" Eric's once cloudy voice rang through the kitchen as it grew clearer. "I put garlic on it, your just picky."
"Because of Eric." Charlie seemed angry as Eric refused to add more garlic to whatever they were cooking. "Garlic is very important and if it's not there, the food will be utter trash." Snapped Charlie before a loud clanking sound of metal hitting wood was heard.
Alan walked out from the shadowed hall into the closer hall to the kitchen where there was a table that connected to a closed wall that separated them. As he stepped on the hard tile floor, his presents were known. Both of the men spun around at where they were standing as they both seemed shocked and scared of the noise Alan had made while walking in. As Alan watched the scene unfold, he too was bewildered at what he saw. Charlie and Eric were covered in red sauce as they both stood over a boiling bowl of something over the stove. The kitchen was no longer clean, the table was filled with cut vegetables and different ingredients used while the floor was covered in random splotches of colored sauces.
"Alan!" Eric turned as he lifted his arms with joy. "How does pizza sound for dinner?" Alan smiled as Eric smacked the spoon he was holding into Charlie's chest before marching out of the kitchen towards the home phone and clicking the numbers with speed.
"Hold on, Eric!" Charlie lunged for the phone before stuffing it into his back pocket and handing the large spoon back. "Dinner is not lost yet."
"Have you looked at it? there is a yellow thing in it and I didn't even add yellow to the soap, Okay?" Eric whined as he rest his head on the table. "Please let me and Alan eat pizza," He grumbled towards the table. "Or else I will call child services and tell them you tried to poison him!" Eric cried out as he flung his head back dramatically.
"Fine, but get pepperoni since it's for Alan's health and not yours," Charlie smirked as he looked down at the boiling bowl of unknown soap.
"Bastard." Eric scoffed.
"Takes one to understand one." Charlie shipped as Eric stomped away.
Alan said nothing as he watched the scene unfold, unsure if he should say something or creep away like he had seen nothing. In the end, he witnessed everything and was glad so, a moment like this is what Alan lived for in new foster homes. "I will be upstairs then," Alan said as he slightly smiled before turning away from the kitchen and towards the stairs.
"Alan, wait." Charlie said as he cleared his throat "Sit down would ya?" Alan stared at Charlie, noticing that Charlie was acting the same way he had when he was apologizing to Alan days before. Alan let his backpack drop as he climbed up the barstool that faced the kitchen.
"Am I in trouble?" Alan muttered as he questioned Charlie while he cleaned.
"Not really," Charlie said as he grabbed glass containers from a cabinet and began to place extra food from the table into them. "I got two very interesting calls from school today." Scoffed Charlie as he stared down at the food with determination. "One was from Principle Hayman," Charlie stopped placing food into the jars and looked up at Alan. "He said that he had given you your report card but assumed I didn't get it. So he emailed me a copy." Alan coughed as a chunk of spite got stuck in his throat midway down.
"Oh." Alan coughed as he cleared his throat. "That is," Alan nodded his head like he was waiting for an answer to appear. "That's very interesting."
"That's what I thought." Charlie smiled as he went along with Alan. "Furthermore, your school records," Charlie paused as he looked for an answer. "No way to put it but, they kind of suck." He blabbered out as a smile crossed his face.
"Well," Alan sighed as if he was defeated. "The only thing I can say is," Alan paused as he made eye contact with Charlie. "You should delete that email." Charlie let out a thick laugh before wiping away fake tears as he shook his head in disappointment. "You wish," Charlie added before placing a cut-up tomato into another jar. "But as the responsible adult, I must act like one. So I would like to know why your grades were so bad at your old school but are way better now. I saw your English exam for this week and it was in the high 90s but in your old school, it was in its low 40s. That is a large jump." Charlie hummed as he glanced at Alan, watching him as he stared down at his shoes. "At first I thought that maybe you just didn't know it, but that jump says way different, Alan. So, what happened?" Charlie had finished cleaning the table with everything sealed and stacked perfectly.
"I guess I had more time to study," Alan replied lamely.
Alan thought back to a couple of weeks ago before he was reunited with Pipe in the same temporary foster home. He had been staying with a redneck couple filled with late nights and drugs. All Alan could remember was the intense hunger, and the midnight sneaking out. The rest was a blur, all he knew was that it was spent with him on a mattress and the whole house rocking because of their loud music. "I'll get my grades up, no worry. What is the second thing you want to talk about?" Alan quickly changed the subject before he threw his backpack at Charlie's head.
"I got a call from a Coach Duke about recruiting you for basketball." Alan's mouth was agape as he stared at Charlie with a shake.
"You're kidding, right?" Alan knew the answer, but it was already too late to not say it.
"He also said you were great at it but then you quickly shut it down about you playing, want to explain?" Charlie asked with an amused tone.
"No, I don't" Muttered Alan as he climbed off the chair.
"Why don't you want to play?" Charlie asks as if he was shot, a frown etched on his face like a permanent tattoo
"I hate basketball," Alan grumbled as he tossed his backpack back onto his back. "I don't like to play it."
"If you hate it so much, why are you making friends with the whole team?" Charlie hummed.
"Who said that?!" Alan snapped back at Charlie. "Whoever said that, was lying."
"A girl named MayMay told me, she also told me." Alan looked back at the smugged Charlie, ready to fit him at will. "That you were better than half of the team put together."
"Whatever," Alan said as he walked up the stairs. "I can't even play, I have bad grades."
"Well if you work hard, you will be able to join in no time." Charlie sang as Alan marched up the stairs.
"Call me when pizza is here." Grumbled Alan. If Alan had learned anything from staying with Charlie and Eric, it was that they didn't treat him like a son, but rather like a little brother. Which meant, he was about to be harassed about school and girls for the next two days. Alan didn't mind, he liked talking to them. But the more they asked, the more they would want to know. That made Alan uncomfortable, if they asked too many questions, they might just find something they won't like.