If And Maybe

r beginning a trail. A pair of boxers to the left, a sweat shirt to the right, a jacket that didn't quite stick the landing to the bed; the sleeves made the leap miraculously. The trail should have ended there, except there was another shirt and another jacket both hanging ove

of them. "... and when I add that to the list, mom might freak cau

ers on the cellphone his pinkie g

It's one big list so we

s shopping fi

ld hear it. It made his smile wide. "An

add ten more things to the list." He glanced at his laptop screen. See

't, I p

have to make th

? You have to at least?" H

would make her need validati

it. He smiled even wider. Anticipating her reluctant words. "He said I'm

rty laugh. His bro

me. He's so selfish. He's always with that his stupid girlfrien

well for that. I gotta

ool w

en his ear and shoulder and reached fo

an talk tomorrow and then we can wait three days

lipped through his open boo

Pause.

ince he got to school it h

ove y

sses him. "Tomorrow." She wouldn't like that.

hed. "Ok

his waiting hand. He looked at his laptop screen one more time t

om

bandoned his phone for the night to focus on his school work. After which, he

hy they would argue. Even now he could see it. Maybe he was the ridiculous one. Nineteen years old, his second semester at college as a freshman and he still misses his siblings. Of course there was his mom wh

mother's blue eyes with Tom, and Sawyer, his father's green ones. Tom looked most like his father and Sa

ot adding anymore things to the list. She complained about her brother as expected and talked about her friends in school an

ach with their laptops on their laps playing a game. Otto's room, very much the same as Sawyer's except slightly smaller, was much neater than Sawyer's. A bowl of chips in the middle of their three person circle, phones disca

u started yet?

ha

r pro

back at his laptop. "No. But it's

s talking to. "Sawyer's got a date." She said in an

g. "When?" He wanted to look

morr

"Can I speak f

n him. You know how he gets all coo

take her to ask him?" Otto was now mor

was impressed from where I wa

is glasses. "I'm not" he was too focused on the game

couldn't help looking

"One more word a

" They

ain. Sawyer ignored them. Five minutes later, "Let's do somet

re on him, amused looks on their faces. "What?" He looked from one to the