Page 8 of Wandering in Darkness
“What’s wrong?” Antonio asks.
“Nothing, sorry,” I respond before I quietly try to crawl out of bed. It’s not the easiest with the pig pinning the covers down, but somehow, I manage. When I stand up, Antonio turns on the bedside table lamp.
“Cal,” he says, voice serious as I grab my glasses and slide them on. I feel too tired to mess with my contacts.
And while my sleepiness dissipates, I realize that all of this was for me… again. Antonio didn’t have to stay here, but they must have noticed I was tanking again and didn’t want me to sleep alone.
Do they not trust that I really am done drinking? Does he think I’m sneaking out for a bottle? I’ve been sober for months now, and I’ve stayed as far away from alcohol as I can.
“Grayson needs me to pick up his dog,” I say.
Antonio’s eyebrow rises and I can’t tell whether he thinks I’m lying so I can sneak off to a bar or thinks Grayson really is a fool texting me now, of all times. “Right now? At four in the morning?”
“I guess?”
“Does that not sound weird to you?”
“Obviously it sounds weird,” I say as I pass the phone to him. “If this is a trick to get me to talk to him, I’m going to punch him.”
Antonio stares at the phone. “I mean… it’s probably a trick… but I’ll go with you.”
I wave him off. “No, I’m fine going alone.”
“I have the next two days off work. I have nothing better to do, and you don’t even have a car. I’m going.”
“If you’re afraid of me going alone, I’ll take Oinksalot.”
“What’s the pig going to do?” he asks.
“Fuck if I know,” I say as I grab some jeans and swap out the sweats for them. Then I head out the door while Antonio chases after me.
“We’ll take Felix and Lane too.”
“I’m not taking all of you on athree-hourdrive just to deal with Grayson’s bullshit and grab a dog,” I say. “I’m more than positive that this is just some foolish stunt to get me to meet up with him. And if it is, I’m going to befurious.”
“Too late. FELIX! LANE! Get ready to go,” Antonio calls as he knocks on their door.
“I wanna sleep,” Felix mumbles.
“We’re going to Grayson’s,” Antonio says.
“I’M COMING,” Felix shouts because he’s a nosy ass. Why are they all so damn nosy all the time?
“I just need to borrow a car,” I say as Felix comes out wearing just his underwear while he tries to pull clothes on. It’s a scene I really don’t need.
“Lane, hurry, we’re going to meet Grayson!”
“I’ve already met Grayson. He’s not that interesting,” Lane grumbles from his bed.
“Lane, I’m leaving without you,” Felix says as he grabs the dog’s leash and harness and the pan of brownies before he hurries for Antonio’s SUV. Why the pig and dog are following him, no one knows.
“Shouldn’t the dog be back with the man who needs him to walk around and the pig can just stay here?” I ask. “Actually, you can all stay here.”
Felix hears and understands none of this while he hurries his barnyard along. He even waves Brigs toward Antonio’s SUV, causing Antonio to look quite perplexed.
“Why are you putting a pig in my SUV?”
“It’s actually Frank’s SUV and Frank said I could. I heard his voice just now, all squeaky and stuff. Why does he need a vehicle this big?” Felix asks because the SUV has three rows.
