Page 9 of Walk the Line

“You there?” Demetrius asks, and I realise I’ve been silently listening to the sound for a little while.

“Yeah, I’m here. Um, Wild is…pretty dead. No one’s really here right now, obviously.”

“Because it’s the students that make it busy.”

“Yeah, this part at least. Not complaining, though. I prefer it like this.”

“Oh, I know you do.” I feel him bracing to say something and when he finally comes out with, “By the way, Dad said he’s going to call you later. Do you see what I did there?” I’m glad I prepared myself.

“Bro, it doesn’t work when you do something and then say, “Do you see what I did there?” Let the person tell you that they saw what you did, you don’t have to be so heavy handed with it,” I say, hoping he just leaves it there. He hasn’t pushed me on this in a while now, and it better stay that way.

I quietly sigh when he changes the topic with, “It’s so funny when you give me advice.”

“Yeah, let’s just laugh at me,” I say.

“I do it everyday, already. But yeah, I guess I’ll tell Dad you’re busy. All the more lectures for me.”

There’s a pang of disappointment in his words, because I’m sure he hopes for a different response from me each time. And I wish I could give it, open myself up to lectures I haven’t had directed at me in years that were equal parts humorous and annoying but uniquely my dad.

The man loves to hear himself speak. Most of our conversations used to end in an hour long lecture about anything and everything, even when I’m doing everything right and he’s clearly proud of me.

I gave him an allowance because I respect him for being a great father and I knew he meant well, but he would really do well signing himself up to be a motivational speaker or something.

I think he’s earned it, he motivates me everyday and I haven’t even spoken to him in years.

But he has the natural personality for it, which is where he’s similar to both my mother and brother. My family’s cool and everything, but I don’t know how I ended up with these people who wouldn’t stop talking even if they were paid to because they just love to do it so much.

Things changed for me when I was sixteen because I had to stop being so sociable and it was worth it. But even when I was going to parties every weekend, I still didn’t say much or give much away about my feelings, I left that to everyone else around me.

My mum’s no different with the lectures, but hers either end in her trying to embarrass me in some form or another, or they turn into promises somehow on how she’ll wring me by my neck and make an example of me if she finds out I’ve been mistreating a woman in any way.

Well, she doesn’t have to worry about that.

No distractions this year.

“You’re not even listening to me, are you?”

I’m brought back to the present with his words, and I think back to everything I think I just heard him say.

“You said something about um…Savannah,” I guess. It helps when he brings her name up all the time.

“Yeah, I’m taking her out this weekend. Where do you think would be nice?”

“You’re asking me?”

“You’re right,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

I’ve done my fair share of dating, but I would only advise people to come to me for advice if they secretly don’t want things to work out. But knowing this to be a fact, my brother still comes to me.

“How well do you know her?” I ask.

“Who, Savannah? Pretty well, I would say.”

“Then you should know what she likes.” This is just one of the statements about dating I’ve had in my locker for a while. Should do the trick for what’s he’s concerned about. “Don’t just be generic with it when you’re taking her somewhere,” I finish and nod to myself. Sounds good.

“Make it special, huh?” Demetrius asks.

“Yeah.”