mm_phreak (mm_phreak) wrote in morningstar_mnr, @ 2008-02-09 09:48:00 |
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Entry tags: | memphis, travis |
Memphis and Travis @ T7P
Travis had felt out of place on more than one occasion to the shop. Today though, he felt like he was actually doing something helpful. Course that was probably partly due to the fact that at the present time he was the only reason the front fender was staying on Emma's car.
Memphis was below him, sitting on the floor to line up the holes. "Trav could you scooch that this way..." He gave direction until he could fidget the bolt through the holes and secure one on each end. "Thanks."
Travis, unsure if he was going to be needed further leaned against the door. "This piece was a pain, wasn't it?" He asked to keep conversation going.
The wrench clicked as he tightened bolts and secured the fender. "Finding it was. Putting it back wasn't." He shrugged, but under the car nobody could see. "Ya know, I expected you to be mad at me."
Travis wrinkled his brow. "What for? Teaching me about putting this back together or making me work on it with you knowing full well I couldn't ask how she was doing."
Memphis slid out from under the car to answer. "Making you ride the bus." He switched out the socket on the wrench and ducked back under the fender.
Travis shrugged. He hadn't expected an apology for that. He'd been told to ride the bus and that was precisely what he'd done. In another month he would be eighteen. Not too far off of that he'd be graduating. He'd put in applications for colleges, though Memphis didn't know any of that stuff yet. "Heard anything more from our brother and Beth?" He asked, casually but pointedly.
Memphis could honestly say "Nope. Haven't heard from either of 'em since the last trip home." He had expected to hear something at least by now. Even if it was an exuberant (or exasperated) call from Mom to tell them the news of the inevitable. "You two get caught up on things last trip home?" He asked, just as casually and pointedly.
Travis sat on the floor, so it was easier to talk. "Not really. He seemed like he was twenty million miles away. Given the fact that he's diving in head first into reality though, I sorta expect that." He leaned back, resting on his palms and grinned. "We should throw him a bachelor party. After our birthday, that is. Cuz then you could take us to the strip club and we'd actually be legal."
Memphis chuckled. "Yeah you and your whole new policy about following the rules..." The wrench slipped off a nut and his knuckles bashed the inner fender wall hard. He hissed out through his teeth. Any other day he'd have lit the sky with a strand of blue words, but he was trying to set a good example.
Travis laughed. "I'm almost eighteen Memphis. You can swear around me if you feel like it. Hell I don't care what you wanna say."
Memphis feigned a shocked expression and shoved Travis backward. The boy fell over, rolling into a ball just in case big brother decided to turn him into a pretzel. It happened on occasion. Usually after beating him in a round of Burnout on PS2. He tightened the last bolt in the line and tugged on the fender. Satisfied that it wasn't going anywhere without reasonable cause, he slid out from under it. Travis watched as Memphis gathered up the tools and started the process of putting them away. He pulled himself back up and started to gather tools as well. He wiped them off with a clean towel before putting them into their neat little cut out foam places in the tool box. "Last night was fun, Memphis. Before then, the last time I'd been bowling was with Tyler and Dad." He shook his head and plunked a wrench in place. "I didn't ever consider that I would put a hindrance on your style, Memphis. I didn't figure you would make me follow rules either. You've been the rebel. Always doing what you wanted to do and never letting anybody tell you different."
Memphis leaned against the wall, listening. There could be so many things to tell his brother now, but he remained silent, watching the boy put away tools.
Without resistance or any offering argument pitched in, Travis continued. "I was always being told 'Why can't you be more like your brother'... Nobody ever clarified which one. So I did what I thought you would do. I got in trouble. I established some sort of difference from Tyler."
Memphis grinned. "Now you've got a big difference. You're not engaged."
Travis grinned too. "Nope. Nothing here to tie me down to anything. Just like you. Well besides the business thing."
Memphis's grin faded. It wasn't by his choice, well... Mostly not. None of the girls he'd ever taken home could handle his work ethics. He stuck with something until it was done and that's just the way he was. "It wasn't exactly by choice. Nobody ever understood how I did my work and I guess that meant it wasn't right." He shut the drawer on the tool box after putting the last wrench away.
Travis smirked. "Nah that's not your fault. Chicks are weird that way." Then again, he hadn't met any of them, so he was just guessing. "Or they're friends and nothing farther, which totally does suck." How did he figure Memphis hadn't had any other than friends? Simply because he hadn't known Memphis to bring any home.
Memphis figured Travis was talking about Icene along the friends going no farther aspect. Which he was right if he was. He shrugged. "Can't rightly yell at you for acting on your impulses if I'm doing the same. What kind of role model would I be then?"
Travis smirked. "One that got some." He ducked out of Memphis's reach, figuring there would be a swing after that blow. But Memphis laughed instead. "Yeah, I guess. But who's to say I haven't?" He raised his brow and looked pointedly at his office. Travis followed his gaze. "Ewww... What kinda chick wants to be brought back here?" Memphis grinned. "One that spent a good amount of time here didn't mind it." Travis looked surprised. "Why didn't you bring her home or anything?" Memphis turned his back and stared out the window. "Because she left. I don't know where she went or why she left, but it's not important. Life happens that way. Unexpectedly." Travis realized the gesture accompanied with the tone of voice meant the subject wasn't open for further discussion.
So he changed it. "What'dya get me for my birthday?" He asked sarcastically. He always managed to ask somebody and always got told he had to wait.
Memphis shook his head. "A fat lot of nothin. You're gonna be eighteen. Time to figure out everything on your own." No, he hadn't forgotten the boy's birthday, but he was going to have to work for it regardless. If he wanted his present in the best type of condition, that was.
Travis scowled. "At least Ma will send me something. I know that. And Tyler should call, but I might call him instead."
Memphis knew it was wrong to take some form of pleasure from his brother's pouting, but he couldn't help it. "Sure you could call him first and I know Ma will send something. She always remembers me. And that brother of ours has been out of touch since we were home last. I haven't even heard from him. Hopefully he isn't drowned to death in wedding plans." He rolled his eyes at that one. "To which neither of us will have dates since I'm not listening to women complain the entire drive down and back."
Travis pouted again. "Who says I won't have a girlfriend by then anyway? Just because of what we all said at dinner last night doesn't mean it won't hold up." He had confused himself in trying to explain it, so he just shook his head. "But it would be nice to not hear griping every half hour on the drive."
Memphis chuckled. "Yeah. Remind me to chuck you in the trunk. Come on. Let's go let Emma know her car is ready to be picked up."