The ringing of an old telephone broke the early morning silence within the two-story house. Specks of dust floated idly in the soft light peering through the numerous window panes, the hardwood floor cluttered with discarded clothing and weathered texts. The phone continued to ring without end, beckoning incessantly for someone to heed its call. A minute or two later, there were noises of frantic shuffling coming from the second floor. A door slammed shut abruptly, the whole house quaking as someone bounded down the oak staircase. A teenage boy rounded the corner with wild abandon, loping towards the object that disturbed his rest with a lazy, careless gait. Reaching out, he stifled a loud yawn as he pulled the phone from the hook.
“Yeah?.....No, Pop Pop. This is Zeppe……Zeppe…..your grandson. We go through this every time, I swear.” The young man scratched his shaggy, grey hair lazily as he shifted in place, his saffron, half-asleep eyes struggling to stay open in the invading sunlight.
“No, I think they already left.” He exclaimed, giving the empty residence a quick look-over. “Yeah, so it’s tonight, then. Your place as always, huh? Going into those mountains is a living hell; can’t we have it down here for a change?” Zeppe pleaded, kneading the skin on his forehead, as he looked straight down, trying to avoid the morning sun shining on him.
“Hm, my leg?” He looked down and shifted his underpants, revealing a prosthetic limb where his left leg would be. He gave it a pat and ran his fingers along the metal parts and plastic casing that made up its form.
“Meh, I saw the doctor last week and he said everything looks tip-top. Can’t really complain…..right….I’ll tell them. See ya, Pop Pop.” Zeppe hung the phone back on its hook and staggered to a nearby refrigerator, removing a sandwich and peering out the kitchen window. His eyes strained against the golden hue of the rising sun as he munched absent-mindedly to the gentle hymn of a family of magpies nesting outside.
“Another grey day in the big, blue world.”


The nose-curling stench of smoke filled the small town nestled at the foot of the Altay Mountains. Slick dew and melted snow reflected the luminescent rays of the winter sun. Large crowds of village folk gathered and dispersed among the icy cobblestone streets, slowly returning to their daily lives.
Zeppe waited nonchalantly at a modest bus stop on a street corner, his stubby nose shriveling from the town’s odiferous aura. He gripped the weathered straps of his hand-me-down backpack tightly with anticipation when the small, green school bus rolled into view. With a sigh, the bored youth climbed drowsily into the cramped bus, scanning the interior for an empty seat or perhaps a familiar face as the door creaked shut behind him. A waving palm and friendly smile caught his eye, and Zeppe squeezed his way to the back seats to meet his childhood friend.
“Well, if it isn’t groggy grey-hair. Sit down, take a load off.”
“Shut it. You know damn well I can’t help that my hair looks like this.” Zeppe exhaled impatiently as he slouched into the leather-bound seat, snatching his companion’s plaid beret.
“And speaking of which, you’re the one who always covers up with ratty things like this. Like that mangy cut of yours is any better, Nero.”
Zeppe’s voice carried a sardonic tone while he played keep-away with his friend’s cap, bending and stretching to avoid his playful grabs, only to have it filched from him by a delicate, feminine hand.
“Geez, hasn’t even been a minute, and you two dweebs are already jerking each other around.” A pigtailed classmate leaned over the seat before them. Wearing an amused grin, she flinged Nero’s hat back to him.
“Lay off, sis. We’re just fooling around is all.” Nero carefully adjusted his hat back on, giggling softly.
Speak for yourself. Keep badgering me about my hair and I’ll hock that tacky thing.”
Zeppe’s quip was met with a swift purse across the head.
“Better not! I bought that ‘tacky thing’ for Nero’s birthday!” The feisty girl scowled at him fiercely, only to be ignored as he rolled his eyes and stared out the opposite window, trying to distract himself with visions of passing cars and townhouses. Frustrated, she slumped and muttered.
“You wouldn’t be laughing if someone tried to pawn that ugly peg leg of yours, freak.”
Zeppe shot her a vicious glare upon hearing those words, which luckily, she didn’t catch. Nero’s face grew pale and he intervened.
“C’mon, Rose. Lighten up, he was just joking. You know I’d never let anything happen to my favorite hat, right sis?”
Rose simply shrugged at her brother’s nervous grimace and defensive gesturing and slouched back around in her seat, whispering something under her breath before disappearing from sight.
“You only wear it when Dad makes you get a haircut.”
Nero flinched and leaned into the seat, wiping the sweat from his brow. The two teenagers stayed completely silent for the rest of the ride, the medley of bus chatter, engine noise, and the radio playing Gorbachev’s latest speech serving as ambient noise against their awkward silence. Nero could only bring himself to glance shyly at his friend as he stared silently at the outside scenery. Zeppe wore a blank expression of sheer contempt until the bus finally pulled up to their modest high school building.


The diminutive classroom was filled with languorous movement as a menagerie of students crowded the aisles between desks, sluggishly taking their seats and preparing for class. Nero kneeled down from his chair and reached into his backpack, stuffing his beret inside along with his excess books, secretly hoping no one would notice his new buzz-cut. He couldn’t help but notice his best friend leaning on one arm on the desk next to him, pouting.
“Hey bud.” He whispered, smiling weakly. “I’m sorry about what Rose said. She…our family’s been going through some stuff and…”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m thicker skinned than that.” Zeppe leaned backwards over his seat, eyes kept closed against the fluorescent lighting overhead. His unusually prominent canine teeth glinted in the artificial light, catching Nero’s eye for a moment.
“Plus, it’s not like your sister ever liked me in the first place. I just plain seem to have bad luck with women.” He suddenly opened his tired eyes and gazed almost longingly at the classroom ceiling. Nero chuckled forcibly and looked away.
“Yeah, so…We haven’t really hung out or anything in, geez, I don’t even remember. What with graduation coming later this year and all.” Nero suddenly wore a beaming smile.
“Hey, how’s this for an idea? I’ve got the whole weekend off. Whaddya’ say we get together tomorrow and…”
“No can do.” Zeppe climbed upright with a deep yawn. “My folks and I are heading up into the mountains tonight. I’ll be gone for most of the weekend.”
“Yeesh. Going camping, huh? Or…doesn’t your gramps live up in those god-forsaken mountains?”
Zeppe’s vacant expression slowly morphed into a small grin. “You think camping’s bad?”
The school bell rang, reverberating throughout the halls and into the room as the teacher stepped through the door, proceeding to write the day’s lesson upon the black board. Whilst the other students gave the teacher their undivided attention, Zeppe shifted onto his side and gave his friend a sly look.
“Try a family reunion.”