I remember

  What could it possibly mean? She didn't make a pumpkin pie for him. It was cheesecake with cherries on top. Elvis could hardly hold the laugh in. Here he was living with Rox's friends.

"Well, they're not all my friends," Rox looked at him a little frustrated. She sounded as if she hardly knew any of them, but they were the friends who could take him in at a moment's notice.

"Sure, they're not," Elvis sighed back as he leaned against the kitchen door watching this pixie of a girl be all domestic as she and Nonnie were putting the Friendsgiving spread together. It wasn't a big deal, according to Rox's bestie. 

"Oh, but you are the best," Rox sweetly said as she had her arm around Nonnie's shoulders while she was putting the last of the fixings of the King Ranch Chicken casserole which meant more cheese.

There were lots of cheesy things for the feast. Cheesy pizza, mac and cheese, broccoli, cheese and rice. 

"I did cut some carrots," Elvis shrugged.

"Yeah, he's afraid we didn't have any real vegetables," Nonnie smiled at him. Elvis looked at her cooly as if he might win Rox's friend over yet.

They sat together then. Roomies, except for Rox who lived down the hall in her apartment with Pan.

"Why didn't he come?" Elvis asked as everything was settled and chowing down piled plates of carbs.

"You know, we've broken up," Rox was even lipped about it. She wasn't dolled up and she looked to be in her favorite clothes for moments like these, in sweatpants heaven.

Elvis sighed and looked down at his mounds of cheesy casserole. It was spicier than he ever imagined.

"I could be with you," he said out loud.

"You know, we are just friends," she snapped. 

He remembered. But it felt like so much more. She was like a light at the end of the tunnel. He had someplace to go now. He didn't feel to be lost in the forest only to have his mother find him and to need him so badly. After all, he was just her errand boy out to find her local drug dealer.

"I want to be your bestie," he grinned then. Possibly, she was an angel in devil's clothes. He didn't care. He knotted his hand in hers as if this was real and she better figure it out before it was too late. 

Elvis looked around the dining table. He knew what Nonnie thought of him. He heard her say to her boyfriend that the new roomie had the face of a snake. 

"Thank you guys for making me feel like this is home," Elvis smiled with gratitude. "Just don't eat all the cheesecake. Rox made it for me."

Yes, he was selfish. Maybe even a real prick. They knew his real colors. But it didn't matter. No, Elvis knew right where he wanted to be. He looked to Rox. He knew there had to be a reason as to why he was here and not somewhere hanging out in the cold dark shadows.

Carmen didn't even realize it was Black Friday. Of course, she was at the skating rink with Rico. It was fun just watching him while she took care of skates and the cash register. There was a special today and it was amazing how many were coming in to skate. 

It felt like the times when she was a kid and she couldn't get enough with her in-line skates. But since she was working there, the crowds weren't nearly as big. Although she was OK with that since the pandemic she wasn't one much for crowds.

And yet, she knew why some came to the skating rink now. It was Rico. Of course, he'd get her out on the floor later. He always did near the end. Many would be getting ready to go home, but they were in no hurry when he'd put a show on. It wasn't like he was in a roller derby. No, he would glide by moving to the disco music and then he would take her hand. It would feel as if they were in a different world. 

She couldn't help but smile when she was with him. Somehow, she always felt safe when they skated together. All she had to do was have a little faith. Yes, it made her feel a little giddy and wild. And it was their stage. 

His moves made her see a life she'd never known before. It felt as if everything was moving forward and she felt a part of it. Yet, he made her feel at home when they weren't dancing, or at work. She looked forward to seeing him at any given moment. It was an opportunity to seize the moment. Yes, she felt as if it was meant to be and she didn't know she would ever experience anything like that in her life.

Really, all Tristan felt like doing after all this Thanksgiving was hybernating with Delia. They just couldn't have the Facetime his mother wanted with Liv. After all, he felt as if he'd been dropping in on everyone for Thanksgiving. 

They'd made the rounds to Dora's then to Rico's dad's. It felt never-ending, and yet it came back to that new roommate....Elvis.

Really, it made him laugh in his sleep. How in the world did they end up with this guy?

"Your name can't be Elvis, it just can't be?" He's said first thing to the skinny blonde dude. For a moment he thought he might have new problems of some kind, but Elvis said they were very old.

"I've been living with her most of my life," he shrugged. After all, it was his mom who named him Elvis. "She never gave me a good answer about it." In fact, she didn't have a lot of answers for him. It was because of her that he'd ended up in the emergency room. It was evidently the last straw.

"I've been thinking, I don't want to die for her," Elvis sighed about the matter. There had been fentanyl-laced in the marijuana. "She's been worried about it for a while now. She won't go to one of those licensed places for her pot. She says it's not strong enough."

Evidently, his mom liked to smoke it first thing in the morning and before bed too. 

"I don't smoke the stuff. I don't do drugs," Elvis told him. "Believe me there is no chance I am doing anything for her anymore."

Tristan knew Elvis was worried about her, in spite of saying, "Never." Of course, he said she'd lucked out. Was happy to have his drug prescription. 

"I gotta wonder how long that will last her," he sighed about the matter, but with Roxann around Elvis didn't look too worried. Hopefully, his mother was nothing to worry about.