schlatt (+lunch club) : babysitter

+ one

"where are you going to first?" nurse jo asks in her kind, rough voice as she places all my prescriptions in the little bag i've had since i was tiny. we're almost done packing up all my stuff now.

"a friend from high school suggested i meet him at someplace in LA... it's pretty big for me but I would like to see him so it's worth it i guess." i shove my phone charger and some books into the side pocket of my suitcase.

"which friend? maybe i'll remember him" she smiles, reminding me of how long she's worked here.
"connor? the sweet one. i think he came in a few times to play mario with me."
she thinks for a moment, holding a pill box to her chin as the cogs in her brain turn, "oh was he quite short and quiet?"
"yeah" i chuckle fondly, "i wonder what he's like now. we haven't spoken in person for a couple years."
"let's hope he's still sweet"

after i say my goodbyes i leave the hospital before lunch and get an uber through town to my little apartment.

it's unnaturally clean since i'm rarely there and houses many low-maintenance succulents that can survive without much care. the floors are squeaky clean and wooden and it's all pretty minimalistic because of how little i stay here.

there's a pile of mail in the hallway and i rustle through it tiredly.

rent, get well soon card, get well soon card, credit card payments, get well soon card, letter from Becca. oh? i wonder how she's doing.

y/n,

i hope you're feeling better than usual... i know it gets really hard for you, it always has. most social media doesn't really get the job done as well as i'd like so i'm writing this in letter form.

i spoke with connor recently and he told me about your plans to meet up soon. he invited me to join at some point and i said yes. i hope that's alright with you. it would be really lovely to see you after all this time.

i miss you.

B

i linger on the last bit before folding it back up and setting it on the kitchen island. hopefully things will be fine when she comes, it's not like there's any anger between us.

i order sushi for lunch and put my pills in the rice so i can take them easily. it's always weird being here alone. no doctors, no nurses, no surgeons.

it's hard to be alone sometimes. the silence is deafening. when you're used to the bustling hospital, home doesn't feel like home anymore.

conar

wanna play some mario kart?

oh sure!

i got some cool stuff to tell you too

the familiar music plays from my tv as i grab the controller and slide my headset on. "connor?"
"hey how are you?"
"good, good. got a little more energy than usual i get some pretty good supplements now."
"sweet that's awesome man. you think you'll be okay on the trip?"
"oh yeah, of course." i play as luigi today, he's bowser.
"are you wondering where we're going?"
"yeah!" i chuckle.
"i got a few friends with this big house out in LA and they wanted me to come stay so i'm gonna drag you along!"

"jesus!" i turn a hard corner, "a BIG house in LA?? are these guys rich? or are there like 20 of them"
"well have you heard of Twitch?"
"uhh i think so"
"well it's like this streaming platform. i stream on there, they stream on there. they upload stuff to youtube too."

"wait so you guys are like.. famous?"

he chuckles in my headphones, "not really, we only get a couple thousand views. but yeah we get money and people know us a little."
"damn." i sip my water as the 1st appears on my screen.

"oh and your friend Becca? she's started streaming too."
i smile a little, "oh yeah?"
"goes my justaminx or something. not as big as us but i think she's got potential."
"she games?"
"i think so. what happened between you two anyways?"
"i just.. didn't think we would work out together... but she took it really well."
"mm." he pauses.

"what's your- stage name? or like- you know what i mean."
he laughs again, "i'm uhh- connoreatspants."

"wh- pants?"

back at the wheeeeel