Hi! This is my first time submitting a story on this site. I've enjoyed reading some amazing stories here and I figured it's my turn to submit a story. :)
I appreciate any suggestions/comments! Do email me at thedailygette@gmail.com __________________________________________________________________________
"Mom please, I don't wanna share my room. It'll get messed up." I pleaded to my mom.
"Come on, James. It's just a week. Plus, he was your best friend, you had so many sleepovers before." Mom said.
"It's gonna be such a pain to clean up, mom, and it's...it'll be awkward between us two." I tried to reason out.
"James please, 4 years wasnt such a long time ago. You'll be close again before you know it." Mom said in a reassuring tone.
I just sighed to end the argument, mom wins.
The reason why I disapprove of letting someone sleep in my room is because I'm a neat freak. I make sure my clothes are properly folded, my bathroom is spotless, my bed is made to fit hotel standards and my room is in order. I focus more on my personal space. We live in a two bedroom apartment in Quezon City, Philippines. It's a pretty neat place, it has a pool, a nearby 7-11 and friendly residents. My mom and I moved here after dad passed away. We couldn't afford to pay our previous house which was too big for the three of us. Anyways, my mom's best friend, Sophie, whom I call Tita or Auntie, is moving back to the Philippines from the US since she landed a job here. Her son, Curtis, is a year younger than me and, as said earlier, was my best friend since I was young. We drifted apart when he moved to the US four years ago. This week, they'll be visiting to settle some papers and buy furniture for the apartment they rented out which just so happens to be the vacant unit above our floor. They're expected to move in by next month.
The next day, I busied myself in cleaning my room. Although I'm pretty sure it's clean enough, I want to make sure my guest doesnt have anything negative to say. Mom was busy grocery shopping and cooking a nice evening meal since they were expected to arrive early in the evening. True enough, an uber stipped by our apartment and out cam Aunt Sophia and her son, Curtis. My mom ran down the stairs to greet her with a warm hug. I approached her and gave her a warm hug as well, I mean, she is my favorite aunt. As we parted from our hug, Auntie called for Curtis.
"You remember Curtis, right?" Auntie asked me. I nodded and smiled at him, he smiled back. "James, dear, why don't you and Curtis bring up the bags? Sophia and I will set the table." Mom said. "Uhh, sure, mom." I sad nerviously knowing that I'll be forced to converse with Curtis. I don't even know what to talk about. I would've easily sparked up a conversation four ears ago but now, it's all different. my mom said four years wasn't such a long time ago but within those four years, Curtis and I met new friends, found new interests and, basically, grew up. Anyways, I awkwardly smiled and told him to follow me as I grabbed Auntie's luggage while Curtis grabbed his own. Once we got back inside, mom and auntie were still setting up the table.
"James, show Curtis your room so he can settle in." Mom said. So, just like earlier, I awkwardly smiled and told him to follow me. "Well here's my room." I said and pointed to where he was gonna sleep and where he can put his stuff. I had a feeling Curtis wasn't in the mood to talk, he hasn't said a word.
"I'll let you get settled. Dinner will be ready in five minutes." I said. "Alright, James thanks." He replied and I closed the door. Dinner was alright, I guess. Mom and Auntie filled up the room with endless stories about old friends and celebritiy couples. Curtis and I were just listening, occassionally joining in the laughter.
Two hours have passed and Auntie was already feeling tired, which is expected after such a long flight. So I told my mom that I'll just do the dishes and they could go to bed already. "Ask Curtis to help you." Mom said as she smiled at Curtis who smiled back at her. Curtis approached me as I was scrubbing on the dishes. I assumed he was tired as well but didn't want to reason out with my mom. "You can go rest if you want, you must be tired." I said to him. "Eh, I slept throughout the flight anyways." Curtis said as he grabbed one of the soaped dishes to rinse. It was pretty quiet after he said that and each passing minute felt like an hour. I was dying to get done with the dishes. Why did mom have to use so many plates?
After twenty minutes of awkward silence, all the dishes were done and Curtis and I went back to my room. "I'll just use the bathroom." I told Curtis. He didn't reply and instead brought out his phone and started scrolling away. I brushed my teeth and washed my face ready to have a good night's sleep after a tiring day of cleaning. As I got out of my bathroom, Curtis stood up and asked if he could take a shower to which I replied, yes and told him how to get the heater to work. I lied down and did a quick check of my instagram and twitter as I noticed Curtis approach his luggage which was at the corner of my room. He took off his shirt and grabbed for a new pair of clothes and his towel. That's when I noticed how much he bulked up. Four years ago, Curtis was a pretty skinny kid but four years later, he was ripped. It was obvious that he was going to the gym or doing sports.
He went inside the bathroom and closed the door. Once I heard the shower run, I went to sleep.