"I got a new job," said Rob. Mark was too lost in his own thoughts to notice. There was silence for a little while, except for the white noise of running water coming from the kitchen faucet.
It didn't really matter anyhow. It wasn't the type of job that Rob could get too excited about. It was a job. It was available. For some, having found a job after searching so long would come as a relief, as a source of pride. But not for Rob; not in this particular case. He had merely mentioned it to Mark as a statement of fact. But, as he sat there thinking about it, he slowly started to realize all the wonderful things that this fact implied. First of all, he'd be moving. Even if what he'd be doing up there wasn't all that thrilling, at least he'd get a change of scenery. And Brattleboro was definitely more vibrant than his hometown.
"Shit, I'm gonna need a coffee table. And a bureau!"
Even if Mark had heard what Rob said, he remained outwardly expressionless and unresponsive, just quietly sketching in his sketchbook. He mused on coffee tables.
"I could make pieces of it out of paper-mache!" Mark suddenly realized, completing his thought. "Oh sorry, what did you say?"
"Nothing, it doesn't really matter," Rob shrugged. It was his turn now to be absorbed in thought. Minutes passed and the sound of the running water was starting to really irk him. "Really, can we turn that off?"
"Why?" wrangled Mark. "We might as well leave it running. But whatever, you were saying something..."
"Eh, I was just thinking about stuff I need to do before I move."
"Have you told your parents that your moving?" Mark asked, his face still buried in his notebook.
"I'm reluctant. I don't think they're going to approve of my choices. Sometimes it kinda feels like Cindy and I are Romeo and Juliet. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but you know what I mean."
"Don't worry about it dude, your parents may be from a different generation, but I'm sure when they were your age they thought exactly as you do now."
"I dunno, do you you think they made some mistakes back then that they're trying to protect me from repeating? But even if that's the case, why would they do that? Wouldn't it be the natural thing to let me make my own mistakes so that I might learn from them? Besides, there's no chance we're making a mistake. Cindy and I both agree that this'll be the best way to prove our relationship can last. Besides, we'll be saving money. It's just pragmatic. It's also pretty exciting to think how much this move is gonna change both our lives!"
Melinda came in through the front door. She made a thumping noise as she set her bags down on the hardwood floor. Pausing, she tilted her head to the side and scrunched her forehead a bit, obviously confused by the sound coming from the kitchen sink. "Is the water supposed to be running?" she asked, annoyed.
"No, we're just sitting here listening to it because we want to go mad," Mark quipped. Rob chuckled. The noise slowly enveloped them all. It washed over the entire room. Like staring into a magic eye puzzle, Rob loosened his focus. The noise started to change and shift. For him it sounded a bit like thousands of squeaking bats. It may have been weird, but it was somehow comforting...
