by David Wood
Maya choked on her Diet Coke. Dirk and Kyle were nothing like the people she'd met at the diner, and through them the town rose a tiny bit in her esteem.
“No, we're not together.” Kyle stared into her eyes and gave her a sly grin that made her stomach flutter. “It's not for lack of trying though. I was just getting ready to put my moves on her when you stood up and went all Lurch over my shoulder.”
“Ah shit,” Dirk replied with a smirk. “I know how to take a hint.”
Dirk moved to exit the booth, but Kyle grabbed his shoulder and laughed. Maya blushed so fiercely she felt like her face was on fire. She would have been lying though if she'd said she wouldn't have liked to see Kyle's moves.
A series of electronic notes blasted from Kyle's pants. He reached down, dug for a moment, and then came up with a battered flip phone. After flicking it open he pressed it to his ear and said, “Hello? Taylor? Is everything... Yeah, I can come over... Do mom and dad... All right, sure. I'll be right there... Love you too... Bye.”
“Baby sister need her big brother?” Dirk asked as Kyle pressed the END button on his phone.
“Yeah. She's the whole reason I'm here. I–”
Helen shuffled over to the booth before he could finish speaking and laid plates down. “Here’s your food.” Her eyes passed over the booth without a hint of real interest.
“I need a to-go bag,” Kyle said.
Deciding she didn't want to eat in the bar if Kyle wasn't there, Maya said the same thing.
Helen sighed and closed her eyes. “Jesus wept. I'll be right back then.”
An electric jolt of anger ran up Maya’s spine. “That bitch is on my last nerve.”
Kyle nodded while handing his phone to his friend. “Sorry I have to split, but put your phone number in there and I'll call you tomorrow. We'll reminisce more then.”
“Only if you bring this pretty lady with you,” Dirk replied as he took the phone and started pressing buttons. Once he was done he flipped it closed and handed it back. “Man, you need a smart phone. Get in the twenty-first century with the rest of us. These old things kill my thumbs.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Kyle took the phone and slipped it back in his pants pocket. He then looked at Maya and said, “As for the pretty lady, that's up to her. What do you say, Maya? We didn't get to finish our conversation, and I'd like to see you again. Will you have some free time tomorrow?”
Considering how much work she had to do the next day she didn't know how to answer him. But, she knew that she liked him, and that the idea of spending more time in his company was greatly appealing, so after a few seconds she nodded. “Yeah, I'd like that. Give me a call.”
Maya opened her purse and withdrew one of her cards. Kyle took it from her hand like it was precious and fragile, and then slipped it into his pocket. A moment later Helen returned with two Styrofoam containers and plastic bags. As she transferred the food from the plates to the containers, Maya took out her wallet and withdrew a twenty-dollar bill.
“Enjoy that,” she said to the waitress as she handed her the money. “It'll be the last you get from me.”
Helen took the money with fingers that looked like rotten sausages and slipped it into her bra, the turned and walked away. “I'll try not to cry myself to sleep.”
Maya looked at both men, aghast.
Dirk shook his head and shifted out of the booth. “Like I said, I can't understand it either. Makes me glad I have a place far enough out of town that I rarely have to deal with these people.”
Following his example, Maya and Kyle stood up and grabbed their bagged food. Kyle used his free arm to hug his friend again, and Maya shook his hand.
“I'm glad we ran into each other, man,” Kyle said.
“Yeah, me too.” Dirk turned to Maya and nodded his head in a slight bow. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Maya. I hope I get to see you again.”
Maya returned his nod, feeling much the same way. “I'm sure we will.”
Their farewells made, Kyle and Maya left The Basement as Dirk handled his bill. The sun was a distant memory, and only a few lights lit up the road that separated the bar from the motel. They crossed it in silence, both content to tend to their own thoughts until Kyle reached his rented Jeep and deactivated the alarm.
“You sure it's okay to call you tomorrow?” he asked. The vulnerable look on his face made her want to laugh, but she knew that was the wrong thing to do. Men liked to act tough, but inside they were fragile, and experience had taught her that even a friendly laugh could be killer when their hearts were on their sleeves.
“I'll be mad if you don't.”
A smile broke across his face, making his brown eyes glitter in the light of the parking lot. “Excellent. Tomorrow then.”
Maya was filled with the sudden urge to step close and kiss Kyle's cheek, but her mother had raised her better than that, so she stayed put. Deep down, though, she hoped Kyle would be less mannerly and do it for her. When he instead waved and got into the Jeep, a pang of disappointment vibrated through her.
She was surprised by how much she was attracted to him. He was handsome, most definitely, and despite her preconceived ideas about what someone from a place like Stillwater would be like he was also intelligent and sure of himself without being arrogant. The fact that his little sister meant so much to him appealed to her love of family. And while his gentlemanly wave frustrated her, it also spoke well of his character. He was definitely dating material. What more he might be remained to be seen.
As he engage the Jeep's engine and backed out of the parking lot, she waved back. She then reached into her pocket for her room key, hoping the bar's food was better than its service.
It wasn’t.
Chapter 6
The dark of night should have hidden how rundown Stillwater had become, but to Kyle’s surprise it only made it worse. Grime seemed grimier, holes were bigger, everything was falling into shadows. It was depressing. When he pulled onto King Street, his headlights swept the decrepit neighborhood like cleansing fire, but as soon as they shifted away the darkness rushed in to bring ruin to everything again. He saw his father's brown Ford pickup sitting in the driveway like a beast of rust and regret.
A shiny face appeared in his headlights, and all thoughts of his parents fled his mind to make room for spine-chilling panic. He hit the brake pedal so hard he nearly pushed it through the Jeep's floorboard and into asphalt. Once he was stopped he reached to open his door, but the face appeared again, this time next to his window. It took him a moment to recognize it as Taylor's. His dread quickly turned into anger.
“Hey, big bro!” She tapped against the glass. “Nice ride!”
He felt around for the window crank before remembering the Jeep had power windows. He stabbed the button with his finger and moist, chilly air flowed in.. “Jesus H. Christ! I damn near ran you over!”
Taylor shook her head and laughed. “Naw, not even close. I'm agile. Like a cat. Rawr.”
“You still scared the shit out of me.” His heart slowly climbed down his throat as she grinned at him. “Now get in the car before you catch a cold, Piglet.”
“Oh, God, you know I hate that name.” Rolling her eyes, Taylor ran around the front of the Jeep and opened the passenger door. She still wore the jeans and Lady Gaga t-shirt from earlier, but she'd added a few lengths of brightly colored feathers to her hair like she was heading to a rave.
“You're all dressed up,” he said as she pulled her seatbelt across and clicked it into place.
“A girl needs to look good, bro. Always.”
“Is there anywhere in particular you want to go?”
Taylor thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. “No. Just drive around awhile.”
“Okay.” He shifted into reverse and backed down the street. “Your wish is my command.”
Once they were out of their parents' neighborhood Kyle thought Taylor would erupt into typical teenage girl babble, but she didn't. Instead she pulled he
r knees up until they were resting on the dash and looked out the window beside her. His instinct was to reach out, talk, catch up on things, engage her in some way, but the air around her had a fragile feel to it, so he let her be and just drove.
His hands moved purely on muscle memory as he steered down the back roads of Stillwater. Ten minutes later, as they crossed a set of railroad tracks, Taylor sighed and turned to look out the front windshield. “So, I guess Mom told you I’m gay.”
“She…uh…mentioned it, yeah.” He wished like hell he'd given some forethought on what to say about the topic. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not if you're gonna get all condemny on me I don't.” She looked up when a set of bright lamp poles and a Joe-D's Gas & Sip sign came into view through a strand of trees. “Stop there. I’m crazy thirsty.”
The convenience store was set off to the right of the road. Gravel crunched under the tires as he pulled in and parked next to the building. He then handed her a ten dollar bill. “Get me a coffee. Two creams, two sugars. And some chips. I don't care what, but no pork rinds. Get yourself whatever you want.”
Taylor leaned over, kissed him on the cheek, and then snatched the money and bounced out of the Jeep. Through the rain-smeared windows he watched her go to the back and pour coffee into a dark brown Styrofoam cup, then measure out the cream and sugar. The store clerk sat behind his counter, his head down but his eyes raised and staring at his sister's ass like a hawk eyeing a field mouse. The twerp tracked her as she went to get a bottle of Diet Coke and then grabbed an armful of chip snack bags. Kyle put his hand on the door handle, ready to leap out if the clerk decided staring wasn't enough. Instead the two of them laughed like old friends as she paid for the food and drink. When she came out she looked like she had no idea she'd been mentally raped. He hoped he never looked at women with that same level of naked hunger.
“What's wrong?” she asked as she opened the Jeep door.
He thought about telling her what he'd observed, but then shook his head. After years of not being the big brother she needed, he didn't want to come off now like an overprotective jerk. Complimentary would be the better tact to take.
“I just can't believe how beautiful you've become, that's all.”
Taylor blushed and handed him his coffee. Once the chip bags were stashed in the open space between their seats, she got back in and buckled up. “You're not so bad yourself, mister soldier man. Looks like the Army's made you into a lean, mean, lady killing machine.”
The hot coffee burned his lips as the Jeep bucked across the bumpy parking lot, but it tasted sweet enough to be drinkable. After setting it into a cup holder he steered them down Old Mine Road.
“I can't believe you'd think I was capable of condemning you. You're my sister.”
Taylor took a quick swallow of her soda. “After the things Mom's said I don't give blood the benefit of the doubt. Besides, aren't you military types supposed to be all 'no fags in this man's army' and all that?”
Kyle coughed to cover a laugh. “First off, I'd never say that, so fuck off. Second, there are gay people in this man's army that I know personally, and I trust them with my life. And lastly, I gotta be honest – knowing I'll never have to sweat about you being out on a date with some douche bag dude-bro makes me kinda happy.”
Taylor leaned over and gave him a quick hug around the shoulders. “Aw, I'm glad we're both in the 'We Like Girls’ club.”
“Mom said you were actually dating a girl. Is she someone you really like, or is it more of a limited option thing?”
She reached down and grabbed a bag of Bugles, then pulled it open and shoved one of the small tornado shaped treats into her mouth. “You'd be surprised. Stillwater might be backwoods, but there's a fair number of gay kids if you know where to look. And I do.”
“What's her name?”
“Morgan, though she likes to be called Morgana. Don't ask. It's a goth thing.”
The way Taylor rolled her eyes made Kyle laugh. “And is she your little mistress of the night?”
“Mmm hmm,” she replied around a swallow of Diet Coke. “She avoids the sun like crazy. Cramped my style over the summer, but that creamy skin of hers is worth it. And don't even get me started on her tits.”
The Jeep nearly went off the road when Kyle tried to laugh and shout in outrage all at the same time. Taylor pointed and laughed, obviously pleased that she'd gotten the reaction she wanted. Once his hands were back under control, Kyle took a long drink of coffee and focused on the heat of it sliding down his throat.
“You're so easy.” She giggled around her soda bottle.
“Whatever. You're not the little girl I once carried around like a stuffed animal.”
She turned toward him and tilted her head. “And is that a good thing, or a bad?”
“A good,” he told her, not hesitating for a moment. “Definitely a good.”
Taylor's face lit up in a smile. “I’m glad to hear that.”
It was nice to have his sister beside him after so many years away, and if all they had to talk about were boobs and the latest pop bands, he’d have been as happy as a pig in shit. But he’d returned to Stillwater for a reason, and he figured now was as good a time to get into it as any.
“So… What’s going on at home?”
From the corner of his eye he saw her chewing on her lower lip. It was almost a minute later before she replied.
“Something's wrong with Mom and Dad.”
“You think?” Kyle wanted to laugh at her statement of the obvious.
“No,” Taylor replied, shaking her colorful head. “I'm serious. They're both a couple of weirdos, sure, but lately they've been taking it up a notch. Lots of notches. It's... It scares me.”
Taylor had used the word 'scared' in her messages, but in text it had felt like over exaggerated young girl drama. Hearing her say it, with her voice soft and fearful, the word took on a new level of importance.
“How do you mean? Why scared?”
“It's like...” She paused and ran her left hand through her hair, played with the beads and feathers she'd braided in. “It's like they're not the same people anymore. It started with Dad. He's always been closed off, ya know? Hard to read? But about a month ago he started opening up in a bad way. If I or Mom did something that pissed him off, he'd yell at us. At first it was once or twice a day, but then it became more and more. When I still had Mom I could deal with it, but then she started getting weird too. Instead of yelling, she got condescending, walked around like someone put a crown on her head and made her Queen Bitch of the world.”
“Hey now.” Kyle interrupted her. “As bad as she seems, that's still Mo—”
Taylor twisted around in her seat and pointed a black-lacquered fingernail at him. “No, Kyle. You don't get to play that card. You left. I could have hated you for that, maybe sometimes I even did, but I understood why you did it. Hell, you were an inspiration. But when you left me here with them, you lost the right to tell me how I should talk about our parents. And I'm telling you, those people aren't my parents anymore.”
“What, you mean like pod people or something?” he asked, unable to keep a small laugh out of his voice.
“No, not... I don't know. I mean, no, I don't think aliens have fallen from the sky and replaced Mom and Dad so they can take over the world. 'Cause, if so, epic fail on that plan. But there is something wrong with them. When I look in their eyes, I don't see any love there. No love, no joy, no happiness. Every day they get a little more angry, a little more...dark. I don't know how else to say it. I don't even recognize them anymore.”
Kyle was a man used to dealing with facts, statistics, black and white info. He didn't understand what Taylor was trying to say, and that frustrated him, because he wanted to understand. He wanted to help. “By dark, what do you mean?”
Taylor chewed on her lip again and looked down at her knees. “The other day I got up and went into the kitchen to get breakfast before leaving for school. Wh
en I went past the living room I saw them sitting on the couch. The only light was what came from my bedroom, so they were just sitting there, in the dark, dressed in the same clothes they'd had on the day before, staring at nothing. I swear to god I just about screamed. It was the creepiest thing I'd ever seen.”
“Did they say anything?”
She gave her head a slight shake. “Not at first. They just sat there. I stood there watching them breathe and stare. I didn't know what to do or say. It was almost... It was like they were in church, just sitting and listening to Pastor Lucas preach. After half a minute of me building up a good freak-out, Dad turned and looked at me with eyes that…I can’t believe I’m saying it…with eyes that weren’t there. I swear, they were just black holes in his face. And then, just as I’m ready to scream, he said, 'You better get your ass to school, girl, or I'll take you to work with me, and we'll see how you do in the deep dark.' His voice sounded like it was coming out of the ground, Kyle, like…like he was talking from that goddam mine. I was so scared I didn't even go back to my room to get my book bag. I just grabbed a breakfast bar and ran out. It was awful.”
“Sounds it,” Kyle replied, choking on the understatement. “Have they done it again, or anything like that?”
“The sitting in the dark thing? Not really. Dad's barely home anymore. They've got him working the mine practically around the clock. Mom's way of dealing with it is to smoke more and call me a dyke every chance she gets. I've been staying at friends' houses to get away from it, but it’s not just Mom and Dad.”
“What do you mean?”
Taylor sipped on her drink and stared into the darkness outside the windshield. “It’s the whole town. Fights have been breaking out in school more and more, some of them so bad ambulances had to be called. I’ve seen people who used to be friends yell at each other like they were born enemies. And…I know this sounds stupid, like I’m a doctor or something…but everyone looks sick. I know Fall isn’t the best time to get a tan in these mountains, but people are walking around looking almost like corpses. It’s crazy. It’s all around here, and I’m scared.”