Chapter 6: Not Talking
{Brad's POV}
Randy won't really talk to us. He wouldn't talk when he got home, he didn't talk when Mark and I went into his room before dinner, he didn't talk during dinner, and he's not talking to me now. I'm sitting on his computer chair and he's sprawled out on his bed, he's staring at the ceiling, and he looks to be very deep in thought. I'm not sure what I can say, hoặc why I came down here again. I guess I just wanted to be there just in case he felt like talking, which seemed highly unlikely.
"Why don't bạn just ask me." His voice in the silence startled me.
"What?"
"You want to know how I'm doing." I smile sheepishly and he pushes himself up onto his elbows and looks at me.
"Yeah, I do."
"I'm not sure." He các câu trả lời his eyes fluttering back to the ceiling. "I mean, this isn't good Brad, this is bad, and I'm not sure how I feel yet."
"Well, that's okay." I reply, unsure of what I should say.
"I guess I feel numb."
"I probably would too. I really don't know what to do here Randy." He looks up at me and I chew my lower lip. "I mean I kinda feel like I'm older and I'm suppose to keep bad things from happening to you, I know I haven't done a great job of that, but do bạn understand what I mean?"
"Yeah I understand. But this isn't some school kid trying to shove me into my locker, thanks for pulling me out of there bởi the way. This is serious Brad, and bạn can't keep me an toàn, két an toàn from this one, the only thing bạn can do is just be there."
"So what's going to happen next?" I ask.
"I'll get part of my thyroid removed and then start treatment." I nod.
"Well, we'll all be here for you." And we fall back into silence. He lowers himself back down to his giường and stares at the ceiling. The oxymoron deafening silence suddenly comes to mind, and I think I finally understand what it means. Its silent in this room, but its deafening to the point where I'm getting antsy. I want to say something, anything, but I can't think of anything that doesn't sound dumb even in my head. I watch him, and he stares unblinking upwards.
"What are bạn going to do about school?" I ask finally, I had to say something to break the unbearable silence.
"I'm not sure yet. Mom and dad will have to decide I guess."
"Maybe you'll get to be trang chủ schooled."
"I don't know if I'd like that, who would teach me?"
"Mom hoặc dad I guess." He blinks.
"Dad? Doubtful." I laugh and nod my head in agreement.
"Yeah, not dad, all you'll learn is proverbs that he's messed up, and stuff about tools." We're quite again, and I don't like this tension I can feel. I'm worried and there's not much I can do about it, and he doesn't want to talk about this. And its all I can think of. I sigh and watch the ceiling with him, wondering what's keeping him so occupied. His gaze suddenly snaps over to me and his eye bore into mine.
"Hey Brad?"
"Yeah?"
"Do bạn remember that năm I broke my wrist?" I nod and he continues "And I told bạn it hurt so bạn pinched me really hard to make me forget about the pain in my wrist?"
"Yeah, I remember that." I reply.
"And it worked, remember?"
"Yeah, it took your mind off your wrist."
"Do bạn think bạn could do me a favor?" He asks softly.
"Sure." I reply, wondering where he's going with this train of thought.
"Could bạn pinch me really hard?"
End of Ch6
{Brad's POV}
Randy won't really talk to us. He wouldn't talk when he got home, he didn't talk when Mark and I went into his room before dinner, he didn't talk during dinner, and he's not talking to me now. I'm sitting on his computer chair and he's sprawled out on his bed, he's staring at the ceiling, and he looks to be very deep in thought. I'm not sure what I can say, hoặc why I came down here again. I guess I just wanted to be there just in case he felt like talking, which seemed highly unlikely.
"Why don't bạn just ask me." His voice in the silence startled me.
"What?"
"You want to know how I'm doing." I smile sheepishly and he pushes himself up onto his elbows and looks at me.
"Yeah, I do."
"I'm not sure." He các câu trả lời his eyes fluttering back to the ceiling. "I mean, this isn't good Brad, this is bad, and I'm not sure how I feel yet."
"Well, that's okay." I reply, unsure of what I should say.
"I guess I feel numb."
"I probably would too. I really don't know what to do here Randy." He looks up at me and I chew my lower lip. "I mean I kinda feel like I'm older and I'm suppose to keep bad things from happening to you, I know I haven't done a great job of that, but do bạn understand what I mean?"
"Yeah I understand. But this isn't some school kid trying to shove me into my locker, thanks for pulling me out of there bởi the way. This is serious Brad, and bạn can't keep me an toàn, két an toàn from this one, the only thing bạn can do is just be there."
"So what's going to happen next?" I ask.
"I'll get part of my thyroid removed and then start treatment." I nod.
"Well, we'll all be here for you." And we fall back into silence. He lowers himself back down to his giường and stares at the ceiling. The oxymoron deafening silence suddenly comes to mind, and I think I finally understand what it means. Its silent in this room, but its deafening to the point where I'm getting antsy. I want to say something, anything, but I can't think of anything that doesn't sound dumb even in my head. I watch him, and he stares unblinking upwards.
"What are bạn going to do about school?" I ask finally, I had to say something to break the unbearable silence.
"I'm not sure yet. Mom and dad will have to decide I guess."
"Maybe you'll get to be trang chủ schooled."
"I don't know if I'd like that, who would teach me?"
"Mom hoặc dad I guess." He blinks.
"Dad? Doubtful." I laugh and nod my head in agreement.
"Yeah, not dad, all you'll learn is proverbs that he's messed up, and stuff about tools." We're quite again, and I don't like this tension I can feel. I'm worried and there's not much I can do about it, and he doesn't want to talk about this. And its all I can think of. I sigh and watch the ceiling with him, wondering what's keeping him so occupied. His gaze suddenly snaps over to me and his eye bore into mine.
"Hey Brad?"
"Yeah?"
"Do bạn remember that năm I broke my wrist?" I nod and he continues "And I told bạn it hurt so bạn pinched me really hard to make me forget about the pain in my wrist?"
"Yeah, I remember that." I reply.
"And it worked, remember?"
"Yeah, it took your mind off your wrist."
"Do bạn think bạn could do me a favor?" He asks softly.
"Sure." I reply, wondering where he's going with this train of thought.
"Could bạn pinch me really hard?"
End of Ch6
