by Wiley, John
Erick grabs Rhys’ shoulder, pulling him to a stop. “Why are you having a breakdown?”
“Stop!” Rhys knocks Erick’s hand off of him. “I need to be moving right now.” He crosses the street, followed closely behind by Erick. “I’m having a breakdown because I’m homeless. Thanks for that by the way.”
“I’m doing it to save our friendship!” he insists. “If we keep living together, going on like we are, we’re going to end up resenting each other.”
“I already fucking resent you! You’ve kicked me out of my home without time to find somewhere else to live or fulltime employment. And you accused me of making up being attacked by Jared.”
“I don’t think you made it up; just exaggerated it.”
Rhys stops and turns to face Erick. He’s visibly shaking from anger. He takes a deep breath, turns, and takes off in a run, screaming in frustration as he does.
Several minutes later Erick finds the source of the music: a large party on the beach. There are hundreds of people dancing in front of a stage where there is a band playing some rock song. “What is this?” Erick asks a girl waiting in line for the port-o-potty.
“Hmm?” she turns to face him. “Some charity concert thing,” she says in a high pitched voice.
“Isn’t it early for a concert?” he asks as he looks at his watch.
“It’s…a 24 hour concert,” she says slowly. “It just started and is going until 8PM tomorrow.”
He looks at his watch again. “So it’s a 26 hour concert then.”
“It’s a 24 hour charity concert,” she says like speaking to a stupid child. “I’m going to go pee now.” She goes in the green box and shuts the door.
Erick turns away and starts looking for Rhys as some local rock group takes the stage.
An hour later he still has no idea where Rhys is. He called Rhys twice, and he answered both times, so he knows he’s at this concert somewhere. And despite his better judgment telling him to leave, Erick can’t leave Rhys this upset and all alone...apart from the hundreds of people. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials a number.
“Really?” says Cindy when she answers. “You have some nerve calling after the scene you pulled this morning.”
“Wait,” Erick urges. “I need to talk to Marion and I don’t have her number.”
“Why should I let you talk to her? Haven’t you done enough damage to this family?”
“Cindy, please. Let me talk to her.”
There’s a brief pause before Marion comes on the line. “What do you want?”
“I need you all to come down to the beach. Rhys is really upset and he needs his friends.”
“Then why are you there?”
“Regardless of what you all think, I do care about your brother. Ask Chloe and Cindy to take you to the beach for the charity concert; if we split up we might have a better chance of finding him.”
She hangs up on him without comment. He groans and shoves the phone back in his pocket before heading off toward the food tent.
“Erick?”
He turns when he hears his name and sees Jennifer with a man in his fifties; he has shaggy brown hair and a short gray beard. “Hey,” Erick says, glancing around for Rhys. “Is this your dad?”
“Oh no,” she laughs. “This is Alec, the youth minister from my church.
“Nice to meet you,” Alec says to Erick, shaking his hand.
“Yeah, you too. Well, I need to get going…”
“Is everything OK?” Jennifer asks.
“Uh, I don’t know. Rhys is here somewhere and I’m trying to find him; he’s really upset.”
“I can help you look for him if you want,” Jennifer offers.
“Are you sure?” Rhys looks at Alec.
“Yeah, for sure,” says Alec. “We were just going to watch some of the kids from our youth group perform,” he points to the kids on stage. “I’ll catch up with you later, Jennifer.” He turns and walks closer to the stage where the rest of the youth group is sitting.
“I didn’t know you guys listened to rock music,” Erick says as they continue toward the food tent.
“What?” she laughs. “Because I’m Christian, I can’t listen to rock?”
He shrugs. “I definitely didn’t think you would know people in a rock band.”
Jennifer shakes her head and walks ahead of him.
“Are you fricking serious?” he yells. “What is wrong with me today that I’m pissing everyone off?”
“Well, I assume you know what you did to Rhys, so I’ll just focus on me, yeah?” she says with a tight smile.
“Whatever.”
“I know you’ve been really judgmental of my family since you moved in.”
He opens his mouth in protest.
“The walls are thin, Erick. I’ve heard what you’ve said. So has my mom.”
He blushes at the memory of some of the things he’s said about Janie.
“I know she can be a little extreme, but she’s working on it. Seriously, before meeting you and Rhys she would have never knowingly invited a gay person in her house and fed them. Rhys has been over most days for breakfast, dinner, or both since he lost his job.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Because you’re never home.” She enters the food tent and starts checking all of the lines for Rhys. “And you think that my mom was bad about judging you just because you’re Atheist? She doesn’t care as much as you think. But the snide comments you make about Christian people are just as bad as them judging you. I mean, how shallow minded are you that you think we can’t listen to music or watch a show unless it’s about God?”
“Damn, it was just a joke.”
“Really?” They walk out the other side of the tent, still no sign of Rhys.
“OK, so maybe not really. But the only other time I’ve met anyone else really religious was this guy that my sister Annie was dating three years ago. He would only listen to gospel music, wouldn’t watch a movie if it was rated above a PG –”
“He’s the exception,” she snaps. “You say we’re closed minded, I say you’re as bad as the man with no pants laughing at the man with holey pants.”
“What?”
“You’re being a hypocrite!”
Erick shrugs. “Fine.” He sits on the ground and falls back with his eyes closed. “How did my life get so fucked up?” he moans.
Jennifer sits next to him and puts his hand in hers. “Just sit here for a little bit and calm down. I know you’re being treated like the bad guy.”
“I am!” he says with his eyes still closed. “I know I overreacted this morning, but that’s not what I’m usually like.”
“I know.”
“And I tried to explain it to Rhys and he freaked out.”
“There’s Jennifer,” Chloe says from the distance.
Erick sits up and sees Chloe, Cindy, and Marion walking towards them.
“And there’s Erick,” Cindy says in a disgusted tone.
“Where’s my brother?” Marion asks as Erick stands up.
“I don’t know, I’m looking, though.”
“Yeah, it sure looks like it,” says Cindy.
“OK guys, we’re not going to attack Erick anymore right now,” Jennifer says. “Our first job is to find Rhys and then we’ll go from there.”
“Fine,” says Cindy. “Where have you looked?”
“Everywhere,” Erick says.
“Did you check that Ferris wheel behind the stage?” asks Marion. She’s pointing to a small festival set up on the other side of the stage where the band is playing.
“No,” Erick admits.
“He loves Ferris wheels; I bet he’s over there.” She leads them across the sand, past the stage, and to the surprisingly large festival.
Without speaking, they walk directly to the Ferris wheel and gather by the exit. “Do you see him?” Erick asks.
“There!” Chloe points to the top of the wheel. Rhys is sitting alone on one of th
e benches. He’s bent over with his head resting on the security bar. Slowly the wheel makes its way round, letting people off and new people on, until Rhys is finally to the bottom. He hops onto the platform to exit the ride and takes a couple of steps, but stops when he sees his friends.
“Keep it movin’,” says the ride operator.
Rhys sighs and exits the ride, immediately surrounded by everyone to prevent him from running off again. “What do you guys want?” he asks in a frustrated tone.
“We’re all going to talk,” Marion tells him. “Come on.” She grabs his wrist and pulls him back toward the food tent.
“She’s a bossy little thing, isn’t she?” Chloe says as they speed walk to keep up with her.
“I don’t like her,” says Cindy.
“You don’t like anyone,” Chloe sighs.
“Get six drinks and some snacks,” Marion says once they get to the food tent. She hands Cindy a wad of cash. “We’ll be over there waiting.” She points to a picnic table several hundred feet away.
A few minutes later Cindy and Chloe sit at the table with six slushies and two large orders of cheese fries. On one side of the table are Jennifer, Erick, and Cindy. On the other side are Marion, Rhys, and Chloe.
“So what’s going on?” Rhys asks as he puts a straw in his slushy.
“You guys have to sort this out,” Marion says. “I’m glad I came out here when I did, this lot sure wasn’t going to help you sort this!” she glares at Cindy.
“Bitch, I will cut you!”
“Why are you trying to start something?” Erick asks Marion. He sighs as he reaches for some cheese fries and eats them.
“To show you how ridiculous it is to start a huge argument over something so stupid.”
“Right, yeah, I was doing that too,” Cindy says quickly. She takes a sip from her drink and as she puts it down she mouths the words ‘I hate her’ to Chloe.
“We all care about you,” Jennifer says. “And we hate to see you guys being like this.”
“So tell us why you want him to move out,” Chloe says sympathetically to Erick.
“I just feel like it’s for the best. We’re growing apart; we’re more like strangers than best friends.”
“I put you as my emergency contact. How can you say we’re strangers?” Rhys says.
“We don’t know anything about each other!” he yells.
“Take a drink of your slushie and calm down,” Marion demands.
Erick sighs, but does as told. “I don’t know how else to explain it other than that. I mean, honestly Rhys, did you think we were getting on like we used to?”
“Well no, I guess not.”
“And why’s that?”
“You have your life and I have mine, and I guess they don’t really intersect at all.”
Erick nods.
“But that’s how our lives were at school. We each had our own jobs; we were getting different degrees in different colleges; our lives had just as little in common there as they do here, if not less! Out here we’re all each other has – our families and support systems are gone.”
“I’m all you have. I have family out here. I have friends at work.” He looks at Rhys, trying to decide if he should continue. “I feel like your babysitter!”
Rhys’ jaw drops. He tries to get up but Marion won’t let him.
“You’re wrong,” Cindy says quietly.
Everyone looks at her.
Her eyes are closed tight and what is quite possibly a tear (although it could be a bead of sweat) is running down her cheek. “You’re wrong Erick. He has us.” She opens her eyes and rubs them with the back of her hand.
“Please, you two don’t even like each other,” Erick says dismissively.
“I like some of her tattoos,” Rhys shrugs. “And her glasses are cool.”
“And I like some of his CD’s. I borrowed some, by the way,” Cindy says nonchalantly.
“What?”
“That night you left your keys in the door,” she says with a smile.
“Cindy!” scolds Chloe.
“You need to stop scolding me like I’m a baby, or else we’re going to have to be the subjects of the next group therapy session.”
“I hate to see you like this,” Jennifer says to Erick. “I know you’re really a nice guy, so why are you being so mean to your friend?”
“Because I don’t think of him as a friend anymore!”
Everyone sits in a stunned silence, waiting for someone else to break it. Finally, Erick does.
“I don’t think of you as a friend,” he says again, making eye contact with Rhys.
Rhys sips from his drink in an effort to keep his emotions in check.
“Why?” asks Marion, her voice full of the hurt Rhys is trying not to show.
Erick shrugs. “I’ve explained it the best that I can. People grow apart; friendships end. It’s not that I wish ill of you. When I see you I can’t help but think to myself there’s my old friend Rhys. I wonder what he’s up to now. It’s the same thing I think when I’m home for Christmas and see my best friends from elementary school. “
“I know what you mean,” Rhys says as his voice cracks. “Only I didn’t know it until you just said that.” He looks down, gathering his thoughts. “I look at you and think what I think when I see old friends when I’m home for school holidays. I think, there’s Erick. I miss him.”
For a while, the only sound is the waves on the beach and the crowd from the festival.
“So there’s no chance in you guys working it out then?” Jennifer asks.
Rhys shrugs and looks to Erick, who looks miserable as he shakes his head. Rhys nods in understanding, but not agreement. “Can I go now?” Rhys asks.
“We’re still not sorted,” Marion says. “If you want my brother out we need to discuss a few things. Do you have the right to kick him out? How are you going to pay the rent? What if he sues you?” she asks, ticking her questions off on her fingers.
“Just stop, Marion. There’s no need to make any more stress than there already is.” Rhys pushes his hair back from his forehead. “Can I at least stay until I find a place?”
“Can that be by the first of the month?” Erick asks. “It’s just that I’ve already talked to Gene about it, and he’s going to take your room.”
“That’s just over a week,” Cindy says in outrage. “How do you expect him to find a decent place that quick, especially when he doesn’t have a job?”
“I have a part time job,” he says. “The interview is Monday, but she’s unofficially offered it to me.”
“You can stay with us until you get situated,” Cindy says. “Right?”
“Of course,” Chloe says.
“Thanks, but I can’t ask that…”
“We already said yes,” says Cindy, slapping the table with her hand like it’s a gavel. “So are we done here? I kind of want to check out the bands.”
The girls all look at Erick and Rhys; when neither of them speaks, they get up and walk to the concert. Erick gets up and follows but Rhys stays seated, so Marion goes back to him. “
“Come on,” she says to him, as cheerful as she can. “Let’s go have fun. So far my trip out here has been pretty shitty!”
“Yeah, it has,” he says. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do,” he says as he gets up.
“What do you mean? You’ll stay with those girls until you get a full time job or second part time job and can afford to move out.”
“I can’t do that to them.”
“They volunteered!”
“I know…it’s just…I don’t want to impose.”
“Well with any luck it will only be for a week or so.” When he doesn’t respond, she jumps on his back like when they were younger. “Give me a piggyback ride to the ice cream booth and then to the Ferris wheel!” she demands.
“C’mon, get off,” he sighs. “I’m not in the mood.”
“If I’m going to spend the rest of my trip out here h
elping you pack, I want to have at least one fun night.”
“Fine,” he sighs. He carries her back to the concert and promises to both himself and Marion, that he’ll try his best to have a fun night.
***
On Monday morning Marion wakes up to a ruckus outside. She gets up from the couch and steps over Gene, who has decided to sleep on the floor while Marion is visiting. She opens the front door, and as she walks across the rooftop to the edge by staircase, she ties her long wavy hair in a ponytail. She looks over the ledge and sees Rhys digging through a dumpster.
“What are you doing?” she yells down, startling him.
Rhys jumps up when she yells to him, hitting his head on the lid of the dumpster. “Ow,” he says, rubbing the top of his head. He looks up to the roof and blocks the sun with his other hand.
“What are you doing?” Marion repeats.
“Looking for boxes. Figured I might as well start packing.”
Marion walks down the stairs and crosses the parking lot to Rhys, shuffling her fuzzy slippers as she walks. “I thought you had an interview.”
“Even if I did, I’d want to pack my stuff up to move it to the girls’ apartment.”
“Yeah.” She stands on her tip toes and peers into the dumpster. “Wait. What do you mean even if you had an interview?”
Rhys sighs and walks to the stair case and sits on the bottom step. “Sinead called this morning.”
“I thought I heard your phone, but it was the middle of the night so I assumed it was a nightmare.”
“It was 9:30.”
“Really?” Marion looks shocked. “What time is it now?”
Rhys shrugs. “Probably just after 10.”
“So what’d she say?”
“She got a role in a movie.”
“Cool! So you’re going to be working on a movie set?”
“In England. So she’s going to be there for a couple months.”
“You’re going to England?” Marion asks excitedly.
“So she doesn’t need me for anything. Job eliminated, interview cancelled. She has a UK assistant already, so there’s me back at square one.”
“Shit.” Marion sits on the ground next to Rhys’ feet but jumps back up and pushes past him as she runs upstairs.