Didn't know I needed more

 "What?" KC winced hard. How could Harley ask a favor like that? Why did it have to be her cousin Kimmy? Wasn't it enough that he had to put up with all her touchy-feely stuff at Harley's graduation party?  It gave him the shivers just thinking about it.

"I just need you to be there," Harley told him in a text. It made KC cringe. He knew his place now in her life, and he didn't like it even if he had plenty of time to get used to it. He was at work at the bowling alley.

It was exhausting, making sure those balls looked good and the floor too. He'd never had to sweat so much, but it felt therapeutic too. It gave him a new perspective on things. Still, if he wasn't there, he wished he was hanging out with Maddie. Somehow, she always had a calming effect these days.

She'd gotten on at the library. It was mainly the afternoons. One Saturday a month she worked circulation. She still worked at the coffee shop in the mornings. He was beginning to think she had a lot more energy than he did.

Next up came a text from Maddie. It was about Rainy. "I know he hates. He has to hate me."

KC sighed. What was he supposed to say? He was glad she let Rainy move on. He did have plans. Rainy was going to be an art student. 

"How many times are you going to be on a guilt trip about this?" KC texted back.

"Gotta go," she texted that she was seeing a room today.

"A room?" he didn't understand. Was she really moving out of his house?

 "Ma! You gotta let me decide," Boone practically yelped back. "I don't need your help." He was on the phone in his living room.

He looked at the bare room that Dory left. Thankfully, Madonna, the black cat went with Dory. There was a bed and a dresser. Not much of anything else. 

Someone had texted last night and he said he had time to meet this mid-morning. He'd taken a break from work. Of course, he needed a nap. He yawned as he listened to his mom talk about all the bad things that could happen. "What if they can't afford it?"

Boone rolled his eyes at that. A knock came to the door. "Ma, I gotta go." He clicked off before she could finish telling him not to make any quick decisions he might regret.

When he opened the door, it was a shock. Boone sighed. It wasn't like he had applications to go through, and the phone ID was that of a man. "It's you?" Rafe's Maddie was at the door.

"Oh, sorry," she said her Uncle had set up her phone and that wasn't her real name. 

Boone nodded, and he invited her in. 

"Hey, I know you," Maddie smiled. "You're at the bakery."

For a second he felt like a small-town celebrity. But he slightly felt he knew her somewhere too(without Rafe).

"Coffee shop," she told him with a nod. She said she'd gotten on at the library. Of course, she looked a little nervous. She told him she'd graduated high school.

"Maybe it's my gap year," she smiled.

"Well, I'm kind of still on mine," Boone understood. "Of course, I like baking."

"Will you go to culinary arts?" Maddie said the one at Metro was top-notch.

Boone smiled. It felt funny talking to somebody about what he should do. He went to put on the electric kettle. While he was asking if she'd want tea or coffee she took a peek at the room.

"Um, it's sunny," she said about the room with the smooth wooden floor. She said she had a car, but it would be nice to walk to work when she could.

Suddenly, Boone was full of laughter. He'd found a new roommate.