Egg the Halls

Chapter 2-3

Dom glared at him, pupils huge with desire, eyebrows pulled down over them with irritation. Kiko turned away. Dom thought it was ridiculous how protective Kiko was about his employees, but Kiko couldn’t seem to help himself. And since Chad had injured himself three times in less than a year, mostly while at work or while Kiko was around, Kiko felt more responsible for him than he should. If Chad was in trouble, he wanted to be there for him. He certainly seemed to need it.

“Chad? Something wrong?”

“Hi, boss. Uh…kinda, boss?”

“What do you mean, ‘kind of’?” asked Kiko, standing and trying to ignore how tight and uncomfortable his pants were. Wherever Chad was, there was silence behind him on the phone, so Kiko assumed he was safe. He hoped the teen wasn’t calling to say he couldn’t make his shift later in the week when he could call sometime other than late on a Sunday.

Chad hesitated on the other end of the line.

“You didn’t crash somewhere, did you?” asked Kiko. Chad commuted to the tech school a few towns away, but he was still young. Kiko knew he sometimes drank. “Do you need me to pick you up somewhere?”

“Kiko, come on,” said Dom in a groan. When Kiko glanced over he was touching himself, keeping himself ready. “If the kid went into a ditch let him handle it. He’s got a phone if he can call you.”

Kiko wanted to argue with Dom about how it was December and cold, but Chad spoke first.

“No, I, like…need advice.”

“What?” asked Kiko, shocked. “Advice with what?”

“Why now?” asked Dom from the couch. Kiko turned to face his orderly bookshelves.

“I just got this email, right?” said Chad, sounding more awkward than usual. “I applied to transfer to the tech school in Madison. They, like, just told me I’m in. Next semester, the spring one, you know.”

“Congratulations,” said Kiko. “Isn’t that a longer drive?”

“It’s worth it,” said Chad. “No big deal, literally. I like it there more. They got classes I’m into.”

“Okay,” said Kiko, resisting the impulse to rub his forehead. If Dom saw the motion he might decide to come over and try something. “If you’re in, what do you need advice about?”

“For f**k’s sake,” said Dom from the couch. “Just tell him you’ll give him advice at work.”

“It’s my mom,” said Chad, and Kiko held back a groan. Evelyn was no longer on good terms with him, having lost her patience with him right around when Chad had gone to the hospital for the second time. “I figure you’ll, like, know what I should do about telling her.”

“Is there some reason why she wouldn’t be happy you transferred schools?” asked Kiko.

“I just, well, didn’t want to mention it unless I got in, right? Now I got in. She’s gonna wanna know, like, why?”

“Well, tell her why,” said Kiko, thinking he could figure it out. Chad had gotten close to the nurse who kept treating him at the hospital. It wouldn’t surprise Kiko if Chad wanted to go to the tech school in Madison simply to be there more often. They’d already met up a few times from what he understood, and Chad certainly wouldn’t be the first person to make a move to be nearer a specific person.

“Oh, no, boss, there’s not a good reason or anything.”

“Okay,” said Kiko. “Then tell her they offer more courses. It’s not a lie.”

“Thanks,” said Chad, tone brightening considerably. Kiko thought he should feel a bit guiltier, but then, he figured the variety in courses would be good for Chad anyway. “And I got another question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Like, what do I tell her about Christmas? She keeps asking if I’m bringing anyone home, and what her favorite foods are and s**t and I don’t even know, boss. How do I, you know, let her down and all?”

Kiko really did not want to touch this one.

“If you’re not in a relationship, Chad, tell her it’s just you this year. She’ll have to accept the truth.”

Chad made a noise that was nearly a nervous laugh, but before he could say anything more Kiko heard a thump from the kitchen. Kiko nearly jumped and his heart raced. He wouldn’t be able to not check on it.

“I’ll talk with you at work, Chad. All right?”

“Yeah, whatever,” said Chad, sounding immensely disappointed, but he hung up.

“What was that?” asked Dom, angrily following Kiko into the kitchen. Kiko was about to respond when he caught sight of the source of the noise.

Mother was on the kitchen counter, somehow having leapt-flapped up to it, and had his beak full of Mount Angus Bakery bread. Someone—likely Dom—had not shut the bread box and now it was a mess, plastic shredded, crumbs strewn about, and a very plump goose in the middle of it all, happily gobbling down chunks of bread.

“No,” said Kiko firmly, scooping up the goose and depositing him on the floor. He glared at the mess, a headache forming.

“Well, s**t,” said Dom from behind him. “Didn’t realize he could do that.”

Kiko sighed.