Noah Silas Anderson

Chapter Eighty: "Conrad"

I walked out of the room in the morning from Brooklyn trying to hit me with a pillow. She was mad I farted in bed.

My laughed died down as I saw the name light up my phone screen that was kept out of the counter all night. It was Kenya.

"Hey, Ken-" I spoke energetically into the phone but stopped when I heard a sniffle. "You good, what's up?"

Her voice trembled as she talked. "Oh, Noah. I'm sorry to call so early."

My eyebrows furrowed as I eased down onto the couch.

Brooklyn came out and pelted me in the back with pillows. She laughed but I quickly snapped my fingers and she went mute.
Brooklyn came around the couch and sat at my feet, bringing her knees to her chest as she wondered why I was serious now.

Kenya cried some more and then found the strength to speak again. "It's AJ," she wept. "someone killed 'em last night in the hospital - suffocated him. The hospital checked the cameras and claimed to see nothing. All the cops said was security wasn't on duty, must've been a scheduling mistake, and whoever did it is good. Pfft."

I was in disbelief. My lips stayed cemented shut as I was speechless.

Brooklyn couldn't even hear the call but she grew worried and squeezed my hand in my lap.

"Oh, God. Who would do this?! He was just getting better, too. Terrance is pretty upset as you can imagine, but I know he'll want to see you and Gael at the funeral. I told Gael already, but it's next Tuesday at ten. Noah, please be safe! I got to go." She hyperventilated, pulling away from the phone to end the call.

"Who was that?" asked Brooklyn, rising up to sit beside me on the couch.

I leaned forward, swiping my hands down my stuck face.

"Noah? Are you okay?" Brooklyn questioned.

I slowly rotated my neck and shook my head no.

The service was as nice as one could be. Just like every other funeral I've been to, people cried, people laughed, they sang, and AJ's body was put in the ground.

Terrance wore glasses to cover his crying eyes, while Kenya stayed strong for him.

We left the grave site last as everyone fled to their cars to go eat at the church. Gael and I declined, I just didn't feel right going.

As I watched people leave, I removed my necktie at my Hummer.

"Man." I spit, leaning against the trunk.

Gael let out a long breath. "Fucking funerals. This obviously was a hit. What do you think?"

"Terrance goes off on Zane for putting AJ in the hospital and Zane fired Terrance; a day later AJ is dead? I don't doubt it."

Gael rotated his jaw. "I was just making sure I wasn't fucking crazy. That's crossing a line, Noah," he said to me and I nodded in agreement.

"I hear you," I sniffed. "I don't know how much longer I can work for Zane, bro."

Gael, with his hands in the pockets of his pants, said, "I can't, man. I don't care about it anymore and I'm not doing it. It's not worth it. I mean, we're at a damn funeral of someone we watched grow up." That's the killer part.

I shook my head. "Right. First Venus, now AJ. If he did that to Terrance, what do you think he'll do to us?"

"I don't know." Gael cupped his jaw and began to pace. "We aren't doing shit but leaving, right? It's not like he needs us anymore. And I need to get Cassie out of there." Exactly.

"Heard. 'Cause I'm not staying around for the next funeral. I guess we have to tell the girls then." I let out a quick sigh, not even wanting to think about that shit yet.

"You're not wrong. And I have no clue how that's going to be. She's going to hate me." Gael gulped.

I pushed my weight off the back of the truck, walking around to the driver's side door.
"We can't tell them yet. I'm not ready for Brooklyn to hate me either," I admitted, wetting my lips.

"I feel like an asshole for saying this, but what's a little longer?" Gael said exactly what I hoped he would.

I nodded. "You read my mind. But we have to leave first."

"Leave the job?"

"Yeah, man," I answered.

Gael nodded his head, too. "Let's do it," he said. "I hope I'm not regretting saying that."

***

"Baby, you're back!" Brooklyn shrilled when she saw me walking into her apartment that afternoon.

I went home around two PM after the service and took a long nap. When I woke up, I saw Brooklyn was blowing me up. Her texts were a combination of asking where I was and if I was alright, and asking me a hundred questions about the extra space in my apartment as if the room she took up in my drawers wasn't enough already. Instead of replying and continuing to sulk alone, I decided to spend some time with her. As sad as funerals can be, they bring people together.

I kissed the top of her head.

"You getting ready for work?" I asked, seeing her outfit - mesh bodysuit.

She got out of the mirror and came to comfort me on the couch.

"Yes, but now I feel bad," she pouted. "I won't go if you need to be with someone right now." And she started removing her boots.

I put my hand on her thigh and blinked.

"Will you be okay?" She asked with a quiet voice. "How's Gael doing?"

I nodded, trying to convince myself. "He's fine. We're fine. You'll skip work for me tonight?"

She cupped my face. "Of course, Noah. I'll call Courtney right now. Don't you move," she said.

I watched Brooklyn leap up and go get her phone off the charger by the dining table. She scrolled and then put the phone to her ear, pacing.

"Hello? Courtney? Hey, it's me, Brooklyn. I can't come in tonight," Brooklyn talked. "-I just can't okay?! Thank you. Tomorrow? Yeah, sure. Bye."
With that, she hung up and tossed her phone back in the face of the glass table and lunged back to me on the couch.

She pulled my head to her chest and kissed my head. "I'm sorry about AJ, I know that doesn't help but I mean it. Hey, are you hungry? Did you eat?"

I sat up, pulling her hand into my lap. "I'm not hungry. I just want to go to bed."

"Okay," she nodded, straightening her face. "Let's go to bed, then."

*

As Brooklyn cuddled me in bed, my head on her chest, she twirled her fingers in my hair.

"You need a haircut," she said, tying to lighten the mood after we'd been sitting in silence and darkness.

I laughed through my nose. "Yeah."

Brooklyn sighed and I had to say what was on my mind after my talk with Gael earlier.

"I can't believe you took off work for me. Thank you."

"Stop, you don't have to thank me. Anything for you. I'll do it again, too. Honestly, I hate that place, you're doing me a favor."

"Brooklyn, why do you even work? You don't need the money," I said.

"No, but it cures my boredom and makes me feel normal. Oh- I forgot to ask. Do you have space in your guest bedroom?"

"What? You need more room, is your extra room not enough?"

She giggled. "I went shopping."

"You need to chill, Brooklyn. What are you gonna do with all these clothes?"

"Wear them, duh," she laughed. "but I probably should get rid of more before shopping again."

"Probably. Like, donate them?"

"Yeah, I don't see why not," Brooklyn laughed.

"Why don't you sell them, make some more money?"

Brooklyn shrugged. "Hm. I've never thought about that. Good idea."

***

Brooklyn's game on Sunday cheered me up. I had been a little down since the news about AJ. For the most part, I felt bad for losing a friend but there was also guilt. Terrance was still keeping to himself but I think he was less mad at Gael and I by now. Still, I didn't want to force him out of his mood and forgive us.

I had sat back down after rising to my feet to cheer Brooklyn on after a block when a second later, Sydney came down awkwardly on her wrist from laying out to dig a ball. Everyone winced and made sure she was alright. Brooklyn and Kacey walked her to me as their coach called a time out.

They huddled as Sydney told me about the pain. I listened and quickly thought of a solution for now and what else to tell her.

The whistle blew and the teams broke from their huddles and the players returned to the court.

After caring for Sydney by wrapping her wrist, she said it was probably no big deal and insisted on going back in the game. Seeing she was okay and a great asset to the team, Coach put her back in.

Everyone cheered and Brooklyn went back beyond the line to serve.

"And an ace from Brooklyn Brankovich!" One commentator announced in the mic.

I clapped, standing on the sidelines proud.

*

As I waited for Brooklyn to finish up in the locker room, I was approached by Coach Cook and his friend, a man in a Polo.

They both shook my hand. "Hey, Noah. How's it going?" Cook asked.

"Can't complain," I replied.

"This is Derek Albright from CCU, he has something he wants to ask you."

The man smiled, taking over. "I've heard great news about you, but you're new. You done school?"

"Freshly."

"But you have your certifications, your classes done? Degrees?"

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Well, how about we schedule you for an interview? One of the players is going to be going to CCU, Skye. She and Brankovich recommended you. We'll be in touch." He patted my arm and walked away after shaking Coach Paul Cook's hand again.

"Keep up the good work," Coach said, clicking his tongue before walking away as well.

Zippering the athletic bag closed, I stood and thought about what just happened.

Suddenly, Brooklyn appeared and hugged me from the back.

I took her hand and grinned against her lips.

"I know, you can tell me how good I played later, but I'm starving! Let's go eat," she blabbed, pulling me towards the exit.