House of Boys

Chapter 17

Moses

I can't understand the text from Jordan so I reply waiting for an explanation.

™ inyrdoi

™ 🤔

No response.
I look down at their house and nothing seems to be happening.
My Dad's phone rings and he answers it, "Hey Joseph, what's up! What? Uhm is everything fine? Okay, sure."

"What's going on?" I ask, kinda freaking out.

"Try and stay calm," my Dad says, "Jordan is having an anxiety attack and he's asking for you."

I run out of the house without thought and meet Mr. Joseph at the backdoor.

"Where is he," I frantically ask.

"Upstairs, come on."

Mr. Joseph leads me to a room with a partition down the middle. Jared is standing against the wall crying while Jason is leaning over Jordan.

"Don't touch me!" Jordan shouts which startles Jared and makes Jason jump back.

"I'm not touching you," Jason assures him.

I come closer and don't know what to do so I go to the other side and sit like Jason, close enough to be present and far enough to avoid physical contact.

"Jordan?" I say timidly then wait for a response.

Jordan looks up at me then jumps up swinging his arms around my shoulders. I pull him into the hug and nuzzle him with my nose.

"Please don't let go," he cries and I hold him tighter.

"I won't, I promise."

Mr. Joseph lets me lay in the bed with Jordan to help him fall asleep. Jason moved the partition and he and Jared fell asleep on the other bed.
I rub Jordan's tear stained cheek and watch him sleep but I'm too scared to close my eyes.
Mr. Joseph and my Dad peek in on us and both smile at me then turn the door.

"I see why you don't want him living with strangers," I overhear my Dad say.

"He has been through so much and he is so young, I feel like sending him is basically abandoning him." Mr. Joseph replies.

There is some silence for a while then I hear a long sigh.

"This is Julie's department, she always knew how to handle everything with the kids and their mental health." Mr. Joseph starts walking away from the door and my Dad follows.

--------------------

I finally take a quick nap and wake up to Jordan staring at me. I lean in and kiss his forehead and pull him closer.
"I need to pee," he's muffled but I make out what he says.

"Then why didn't you go to the bathroom?"

He pushes against me then smiles as he cups my cheeks, "You're just so cute, I didn't want to wake you."
I kiss his forehead again and tickle him.

"Stop, I'm gonna piss myself," he laughs and snorts then jumps out of bed and runs to the door.
I chuckle to myself and look over to see Jared staring at me from Jason's bed.

"I'm hungry."

Jared's little voice makes me smile and I can't fight the feeling of wanting to treat him like a baby.

"I make an amazing peanut butter jelly sandwich."
Jared looks at me dryly then points to his ear, he isn't wearing his hearing device. I get up from the bed and reach out my hand and he takes it so we head downstairs.

Mr. Joseph is asleep on the couch and my Dad is in the kitchen drinking another cup of coffee, probably his fifth today. Jared runs over to his chargers and puts on his hearing aids and turns to me.

"What kind of sandwich?"

"You read my lips?" I ask.

"I tried to," he responds.

I open the pantry and see some German hazelnut spread brand, "Do you have this with your sandwich?"

He claps and nods his head, "Yes, that's my favorite with crackers."

I look in the pantry and quickly find where the crackers sit near the spread and grab it too. He grabs his plate and knife and asks me to make him oat chocolate milk.

Once I give him the milk my Dad talks to me in Spanish, we barely ever talk in Spanish because I don't know much, but I know he's upset.

"Necesitas llamar a tu mamá."

He's really mad, which means he talked to her, and I get the aftermath.

I'll do it before bed. Maybe.