Chartreuse Read Free

times, Kasen.  I
was worried sick,” He rolled his eyes.  She wasn’t worried, she was just upset
that she couldn’t keep tabs on him all the time.  It must’ve been so difficult
to do since he’d moved out.
         “I
have a cellphone,” He replied.
        
“Well I didn’t want to call your cellphone.  It plays annoying music.”
        
“It’s called a ring back tone.”
        
“Are you getting smart with me?”
        
Again, he rolled his eyes.  He’d been able to tell straight away that this
wasn’t one of her better moods, and that bothered him.  He honestly couldn’t
remember the last time she’d been in a happy mood.   She was always so mean
lately.
        
“No, Ma’am.  But I have to go, Mom. I’ve got things to do,” Which wasn’t a
lie.  He needed to shower before he started browsing videos on YouTube.
        
“Oh, sure. I see how it is.  Always have better things to do than talk to your
mother,” And here it went.  The guilt trip.  She’d tried this countless times
since he moved out.  But he’d be damned if he’d let it work.  “I’m so lonely
over here. You never come to visit me.”
         “I
promise I’ll come see you soon, okay? Maybe for Halloween.  Would you like
that?”
         She
released a heavy sigh, the type that said she was irritated, and it honestly
annoyed him.
        “Whatever.
I’ll talk to you later,” And then she hung up.
         He
pressed the off button on his phone, sitting it back down on the base before he
shrugged out of his jacket, reaching down to release Houston from his leash. 
“She’s crazy,” He muttered.  Of course, he immediately felt bad for saying it. 
Who, in today’s society, was actually sane?
         His
shower was nice.  He always enjoyed hot water beating down against his skin,
warming him up and relaxing him at the same time.  He always felt so tense and
he wasn’t entirely sure why.  His life wasn’t really that stressful.  He had it
better than most people, being independent and having a job he enjoyed.  It was
just his hackling mother.  It never seemed to end.  Ever.
         Once
he was back in the living room, laptop on and warming up, Kasen was finally
satisfied.  There was nothing like taking a few minutes to just relax and do
something fun.  He scrolled through various videos on YouTube, trying to find
something funny, because nothing lifted his spirits quicker than that.  He was
a fan of fan-made videos about his favorite movies; such as Star Trek, or Star
Wars.
         It
didn’t take long for him to get lost in his own little word, amusement written
all over his face while Houston lounged lazily on the couch.  The hours would
eventually pass by until it was time to start getting ready for work.  It was a
plus that he didn’t have a specific uniform to wear.  He dressed in his usual
attire of dark denim jeans, a t-shirt, and his favorite denim jacket.  He said
goodbye to Houston, willing him to hold the fort down as he left.
        
Just like all nights at work, tonight would be a good night.  Kasen was
positive of this.  When he was at work, he felt like an entirely different
person.  No matter how anonymous he may have seemed, people liked him and they
depended on him for something.  Sure, radio wasn’t as popular as it used to be
thanks to XM radio and iPods, but at least there were still those few faithful
followers who would always dial in their favorite requests.  So once inside his
little studio, Kasen flipped on the switch and let contentment set in.
    --------------------------
         To
say it had been an eventful day was an understatement.  Rowan wasn’t sure how a
Pomeranian succeeded in getting a fish hook stuck in its jaw, but it had
happened, and he’d had a frantic old woman about to pass out in his office for
nearly an hour before he finally removed the damned thing.  According to her,
there wasn’t any fishing