Alec
"Mom." I called, but my words were muffled by someone's arm.
"You're going to kill the man, and he hasn't even made it home yet." I heard my father's voice, obviously holding a laugh.
"I missed you so, so much." Mom said against my chest, rubbing her little face against my shirt. I couldn't help but smile, hugging her back.
"I missed you too, mum." Rolling my eyes, I addressed the other pair of arms around me. "And the hell are you hugging me for?"
He released me almost immediately, a fake hurt expression peeking out in his light brown eyes. "I missed you too, bud." He said, reaching a hand to his chest.
He was an inch taller than me, well-built with black hair; and for what women say, very attractive.
To me, he's a pain in the ass I've grown used to. He's family to me, almost literally, because my family practically adopted him years ago.
I squeezed my mom a little more, kissing the top of her head, before finally letting her go.
"I know you can't live without me, but spare the family the scene?" I joked, patting his shoulder harder than normal, approaching my dad.
He looked at me with a huge, proud grin under his messy mustache, opening his arms wide. My throat locked as I hugged him tight, his hand patting my bad loudly.
"It's good to have you back, son." He released me grabbing my shoulders.
My father was not a man of many words, so I know meeting after ten years, he wouldn't know hot to talk to me without making it awkward. It was just the way he was, so I smiled, lifting the bag I was carrying.
"I bought some beer."
My father laughed loudly. "Let's drink these walking home. We bought half the booze store to celebrate." He claimed, excitedly.
"I told him you could only drink the first couple of days before you rejoined."
"Mom knows everything, man." Deacon approached her, tugging her sweetly. "If we don't pass the toxicology exam in our entrance, we'll be suspended before even making it to the ceremony."
"Let me enjoy my son for a moment, Gert." My father grunted, annoyed, but my mother's glacial stare made him avert his gaze. "Just until tomorrow. I promise."
My mom could be very sweet and caring, but when she's pissed off, she's VERY scary. And when that anger was directed towards my father, it was a sight to see.
After laughing it off, We walked our way to the house. It was an hour walk that turned into a couple because of the booze and chatting. These days, waling completely by yourself in a dark alley meant no danger.
Four drunks was no exception.
We spent hours talking about the things we missed, the things that have changed and which ones haven't, the future that awaits us since Deacon and I are now considered Tsys pilots. A great honor for our family.
Deacon's parent tried to contact him a month ago, when we completed the final trials successfully, telling him how proud they were of him. Hypocrites. They were never there for him. Not once. Not even when he was almost beaten up to death by one of the neighborhood's bullies.
Deacon has always had a big mouth, and he always stood up for the weak. Something that was not welcomed amongst the older guys in the hood. My father and I managed to take them off of him before it was too late; and even after letting his parents know what happened, they didn't even blinked
He probably deserved it with that big mouth of his, This will serve him as lesson for him to shut up once in a while.
Amongst many other things, they told us that day. No wonder he hung up the phone before they could even finish the full sentence.
Deacon never went back to his place. Like I said, my family practically adopted him. We were eight back then; twenty years ago. Since pretty young, we dreamt about becoming soldiers, the dream turning into a desperate battle for honor as we chased our those childhood whims.
Who would've thought? The couple of kids from Northwest city turned out to be nothing less than Tsys pilots?
"We made it, man." Deacon said letting out a sigh, his body tying on the artificial grass of our backyard.
We were catching up on some fresh air after our parents finally fell to sleep.
I nodded. "Yeah. I wish Nana could see it."
"Me too. I bet she'd have made us drink a whole keg. Old hag always drinking."
I laughed out loud, remembering how her cheeks were always red, just as her nose; and how often she had lost her dentures. Once I found them under my fucking bed. She kept looking for them for a whole month.
"Jesus, you just unlocked more than a few memories there."
"I know." He chuckled.
We remained silent for minutes, just watching the starless sky in awe.
"Yo, Al." Deacon sat down, looking at the ground with a scowl in his face.
I looked at him from the corner of my eye. He was awfully serious, something completely out of character for him. He either fucked something up and knows that I'm gonna be pissed, or is about to get emotional.
"I wanted to thank you." Well, it was the second one. "I wanted to thank all the family, y'know? I know it's stupid to say something now, but I've been thinking that—hell, I'd probably wouldn't even made it to Central without you."
"You don't have to—" I started, but he cut me off speaking over me.
"No, man, seriously. I never really told you cuz I thought it was obvious I was grateful. But then I thought: damn, maybe I should SAY something, y'know? So— yeah. Thanks man. I'll be sure to talk to mom and dad tomorrow when they sober up."
I sat down too, patting his back.
"You're family, Dinn. You always were, even before I realized your parents were shit." He finally looked at me, his face almost pouting. I pushed him friendly. "Don't look at me like that. It's disgusting."
He laughed, pushing me back as well.
"Dick head." His smile turned into Have you seen your girlfriend lately?"
My what?