Power Games

I watch Adam head for work giving him the space that he wanted but still, I feel upset about making him feel the way that I did because I care about him and I know that I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did with him when all he was doing was caring about me.

Sitting on the couch, I read the manuals for the mine so that I can keep trying to impress and get my head around all the protocols and procedures before there’s a knock on my door and Danny is standing there with his arms folded. “Oh hey man, I’ll get my gym bag” I leave him at the door before he calls out to me to not bother and that he wants to chat.

I let him inside and he sits on the couch with his arm folded looking pretty annoyed right now “What the fuck did Adam do to you for you to treat him like that last night, he was only out there to see if you were alright because he was worried about what was going to happen”.

Standing there nodding “I know that and that’s why I’ve tried to apologise, things haven’t been as easy as I’ve been making out really,” I say sighing loudly “Look, I didn’t expect welcome arms here or anything but at the mine, I found myself with my stuff going missing, not being included in anything and then my temper was just up at the fact that so quickly I couldn’t prove that it wasn’t my fault or that I hadn’t done anything because Ian just wanted to get rid of me”.

Danny’s face understands where I’m coming from but still doesn’t look too pleased about it “I know that you’ve had a babysitter for all your life and they’re usually doing it for other reasons, but Adam isn’t trying to babysit you, he genuinely cares about you and it hurt him that you took it out on him”.

Feeling upset I sit down next to Danny and try to avoid the tears “I know that and that’s why I didn’t mean to take it out on him at all” almost pleading to him now to believe me and I get the sense that he does. “Look, I get it’s tough for you but just remember that Adam isn’t jumping on you because he wants to babysit you, he genuinely cares deeply about you and he is doing it out of friendship because he wants you to succeed,” Danny says as he pats me on the back before it turns into a hug.

We decide to skip the gym and just talk about things “Can I ask you something and it is something that is probably weird but how are you so smooth?” I say as Danny looks at me with a weird smirk on his face.

“Why would you want to know something like that? Because I live out in a town like this so I’m not into taking care of my body?” he says with a bit of an attitude that takes me back. “Woah… I was just” Danny puts his hand up laughing “I’m only messing with you bro, it’s easier with the tatts to keep them clean and honestly I just prefer it because even I have to look good,” he says to me laughing “so why do you keep everything smooth?”.

“What do you mean?” Danny looks at me as I ask “What so you have a totally hairy body then?” he says laughing as he looks me up and down. “Alright, I’m smooth all over is that making you excited or something?” Danny shakes his head “Oh yeah totally” rolling his eyes we both laugh.

He checks the time and excuses himself and heads back to his place so that he can go to work but it was nice to talk to him for a little while and start to normalise things between us again. I stay around the house for the day studying a bit of the mine policies and procedures so I can complete the first module of work although after a little bit all become so hazy that I take a walk around town.

The attitude of everyone is still frosty but it is slightly better than it was, I wander around the shops and pick up my own supplies for the Barbeque even though Adam and Danny are organising it, I want to be a help for it. Walking out of the Supermarket, Ian walks past me and shoulders me deliberately as he walks in there and I just ignore him before he turns to start something “Do you mind Keppel, you do know where you are right and it’s not getting in anybody’s way here alright?” I bite my lip and ignore him because it’s not worth my while getting into anything nor do I want to cause trouble.

I start walking down the street when I hear his voice right behind me “What you aren’t going to apologise for what you did to me? You just hurt my shoulder that I’m supposed to have re-constructed and how are you going to deal with that?” I shake my head and ignore him and start walking again but his voice continues to raise at me and he pushes me. “You know that you don’t fucking belong here Keppel and I’ll make it my mission to get you back where you belong you fake piece of shit,”  I notice very few people around at the moment and I try so hard to not give him the satisfaction of reacting.

His baiting doesn’t work out no matter how much he tries and then I hear a familiar voice “Fuck off Ian and leave the poor kid alone” I turn around and see Linda standing behind me and trying to put herself in front of me. “Isaac might be a troubled kid but he’s trying to turn his life around here like you Ian because you’re not Mr. Perfect either” Linda barks at Ian quite strongly. “If I hear that you’re giving Isaac any sort of issues then you’ll have me to deal with”.

I appreciate Linda’s words as Ian slinks back off into the Supermarket and I start to walk before Linda grabs my shoulders “Are you ok cutie? I’d just ignore him if I was you, Ian is a total fuckwit that thinks the world owes him after the issues that he had and resents just about everyone” she pulls me in for a hug before letting me go “I’m looking forward to coming to the Party tomorrow afternoon, I hope that it makes you feel welcome”.

Smiling Linda walks back up the road as I start heading home, shaken up by what happened but relieved that I didn’t lose my temper as I have in the past and I wander back to my place. I notice that Adam is home early but despite wanting to go talk to him, I want to give him some space but it’s not long before I hear noise coming from my backyard.

I put the stuff that I bought at the Supermarket into the kitchen and head around where I see Adam setting up for tomorrow “Hey man, didn’t know you were going to be home early or still setting things up for tomorrow” I say walking over to him and putting my arm around him.

“I’m sorry for suffocating you, I just wanted to make sure that you were alright because I overheard some guys from the Mine talking about you and what they were planning on doing and just wanted to make sure you were ok,” he says looking quite upset about things really.

Standing there next to him, I put my hands on his shoulders “I appreciate it so much Adam, I want to make sure that you know that” I let him go and invite him to sit on the back step and we sit there for a minute “I was just frustrated with everything and you being there was the first person or thing that I could take my frustrations out at and it was wrong, I am so sorry”.

Adam nods his head “I accept that, it just hurt me that’s all and I said some things that I definitely didn’t mean at all” we both accept the apologies as Adam gets up and gets my backyard ready for the party tomorrow.

“Is there anything that I can do to help you?” I ask Adam as I sit there “Nah it’s all good here, just want this to be somewhat of a surprise for you” he says as he looks happy. I sit there talking to him as Linda comes round the back “Isaac you back here?” she says wandering around as she’s both Adam and I talking.

“Well if it isn’t my two favourite boys in town” a beaming smile covers her face as she wanders around “I just wanted to check if Isaac was alright after what happened earlier but with you looking after him I guess he is pretty good”. Adam turns his head with a very worried look on his face “What happened earlier?” he asks tentatively glaring at me momentarily.

“I just had another run-in with Ian as I was coming out of the Supermarket, he deliberately crashed into me and then tried to start something outside after I ignored him” explaining what happened as Isaac still gives me a suspicious look before Linda jumps in “I was walking up to get Milk and saw Ian starting the trouble with him and Isaac kept his calm and Ian was just baiting him for a reaction that he didn’t get”.

Adam’s face turns from one of concern to one where he looks proud of me, Linda talks about how much she is looking forward to tomorrow afternoon and asks Adam if he needs her to bring anything which he says just her and Rob.

After Linda leaves to head back to the Furniture store, Adam comes racing in and hugs me like a proud parent “See you are learning and making a change because I reckon that you probably would have reacted big time” I nod as he lets go of the hug which I enjoyed feeling the contact of his body on mine.

Watching Adam helping set up for tomorrow from inside the house makes me feel good about myself in that I’ve actually found people who care about me and I never thought I would care about anybody in the way that I am feeling with Adam right now. I don’t think I’ve ever had this much affection for anybody in my life before and there is just something so amazing about him.