by Hart, Jerry
“See?” Mom said. “They want to stay. Go ahead and tell your boss.”
Uncle Johnny looked at his nephews again, but they avoided his eyes.
* * *
Don was at school, sitting in English class, when he came to the decision to live with Dad. He didn’t care what Ethan would decide to do, but Don knew he wanted to leave. He had to leave. He wasn’t happy where he was, and though he doubted he’d be much happier in Texas, there was one positive: Dad wasn’t cursed.
But then again, Dad wasn’t his read dad.
“Mr. Scott?” a voice called from the head of the classroom, drawing Don’s attention from the courtyard outside the window. “I hope you managed to finish your poem I assigned last week.”
Mr. Clifford’s aristocratic voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard, but Don managed to nod. It was a rather cathartic poem, and he had enjoyed composing it. He stood and walked to the head of the class, facing his classmates as he prepared to recite the poem. Mr. Clifford sat on his desk, staring and waiting.
In the darkness it will wait,
It uses me as bait,
To find me unaware,
I must beware,
Nothing can save me from hate.
* * *
When he stepped off the bus after it stopped in front of his house, he immediately knew something was wrong. He knew because the screen he once pried off the front window was lying on the porch. That window was also open. Did Ethan lose his house key and resort to sneaking into the house the same way Don had long ago?
Or were they robbed?
Don didn’t know what to do, but he did know he didn’t like standing in the driveway, looking like an idiot. He slowly walked to the front door and unlocked it.
The house seemed unnaturally quiet. Don wanted to call out to Ethan but was afraid he would get a response from someone—something—other than his brother. Something? Where did that thought come from? Had the creature from Florida found him? Don didn’t quite feel its presence the way he did in Dad’s backyard in Melbourne; his imagination was just running wild on him. That was all.
He found himself stepping into the foyer and looking over the banister and into the living room. The only light came from the midday sun. He took a few more steps until he reached the hallway on his left. The three bedroom doors were all closed, as they had been when he left that morning.
The kitchen was slightly to the right, and Don sidestepped in order to see the back-porch door. It was closed, with the locking bar and wooden block still in their places. If someone had snuck in, they had done so only through the living-room window.
It had to be Ethan, though Don never told his brother about the time he’d done the same thing with the window. Unless it just seemed like the obvious way to get into the house....
But if that were the case, anybody would come to the same conclusion after scooping out the house and finding that window’s lock broken. Which meant Don could in fact be dealing with a burglar. He backed away from the kitchen, intending to leave the house and run to a neighbor’s.
Someone was behind him.
Don bumped into him.
He was about to scream when the figure quickly said, “It’s Uncle Johnny.”
Don spun around and saw his uncle standing there, dressed in black from head to toe. A black ski mask was pulled up from his face. “What are you doing?” Don asked him, breathless. “Are you robbing us?”
Uncle Johnny laughed. “No, silly. I was waiting for your mom.”
“Why?”
That was when Uncle Johnny lost his friendly demeanor. “I just wanted to talk to her. I was hoping she’d come home before you boys.”
Don looked his uncle over again, the way he was dressed, and knew he was lying about wanting to just talk. “You were going to do something to her, weren’t you?”
“No! What?” Don’s uncle was very nervous now.
“You were going to make it so Ethan and I would have to live with Dad instead of her.” He didn’t know how he knew this, but he was certain he was right.
“I was just going to scare her, Don.”
“I don’t believe you, but it doesn’t matter. I want to live with Dad anyway.”
Uncle Johnny tilted his head. “You do?”
“Yes. I decided today, at school.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that, but I doubt your mom will let you go that willingly.”
“I don’t care. When my sophomore year ends, I’m moving in with Dad. No matter what.”
They were both startled by the sound of an approaching car coming from the open window.
“Mom’s here,” Don said as he grabbed his uncle’s arm and led him to the kitchen. Don removed the locks and opened the sliding-glass door, and his uncle quickly left with, “I’ll tell your dad what you told me.”
And then he was gone.
* * *
Don didn’t know how to feel about his seemingly rash decision to move; his life was about to change and yet he felt nothing. He figured it was due to the fact nothing was official yet. School records had to be transferred, belongings had to be packed....
Mom had to be told.
Don didn’t want to be the one to tell her, nor did he want to be around when someone else did. There was no doubt she wouldn’t take it well after the conversation between her and Uncle Johnny, but back then Don had said he wanted to stay.
Well, Don wanted to go now, but what about Ethan? Don had to talk to his little brother to see how he truly felt about the situation. He knew Dad wouldn’t leave either of them.
Don contemplated all of this on the way to school one morning. His head was resting against the window when he saw him walking along the road. “Is that Nick?” he asked Sym, who was sitting next to him.
“I guess he missed the bus,” Sym said. “Oh, I heard he and Monica broke up.”
Don perked up at this news. “For real?”
“Yep. Looks like you get another chance at her.”
Don wilted once again. “I’m moving, though.”
“You’re moving?” Sym practically yelled. “When?”
“This summer, maybe.”
Sym sighed. “That sucks, man.”
As the bus passed Nick, Don saw his ex-friend looked sad and defeated.
* * *
Don knew he had to talk to Nick before he left for Texas; he couldn’t just leave things the way they were. They were both eating lunch when Don decided to approach. The tables were long and numerous and stretched clear across the cafeteria. Don never liked these tables and missed the round ones from his elementary-school days.
Nick was sitting in the middle of one table directly in the center of the cafeteria, surrounded by friends but not talking to any of them. Don slid into a spot next to him.
“Hey,” he greeted Nick.
“Hey.”
“I’m sorry about you and Monica.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am.”
Nick, who had been looking down at his tray the whole time, finally looked up at Don. “You mean it?”
“I do.”
“I thought you’d be happy, since you’re in love with her.”
“I was in love with her, but that doesn’t matter. What did matter was you went after her even though you knew I liked her.”
“You think I did it to make you mad?”
Don nodded.
“Why would I do that? You were my best friend.”
“I know. I was just crazy back then.”
“You still are.” Nick laughed.
“Maybe,” Don agreed. “Anyway, I just wanted to make things cool between us again.”
“Because me and Monica broke up?”
“No. Because I’m moving to Texas.”
That took Nick by surprise. “Why?”
“My dad wants me to live with him for a while.”
“Man, that sucks,” Nick said, echoing Sym’s sentiments.
Don grinned. “You g
onna miss me that much?”
“Not really. I just realized with you gone, Clark is gonna want to hang out with me more.”
They both laughed.
With Don and Nick’s friendship renewed, Don felt he had to talk with Monica now. He had very little time before he moved, and even less time to tie up loose ends. He had spoken with Dad the day before, and he had told Don he would take care of Mom. All Don had to do was finish his sophomore year.
He passed Monica in the hall one day as she went through her locker, exchanging books. He stared at her, wondering what to say, when he accidentally walked into another girl. Her books spilled to the floor.
“I’m sorry,” he said a split second before realizing who she was.
“Watch where you’re going, you idiot!”
“Don’s face reddened as everyone in the crowded hall, including Monica, stared at them. He grew angry at the yeller; he wanted to call her the idiot, to remind her she was the one who had tripped on a tree root in the courtyard outside on the first day of school.
Instead, he held his tongue and walked away.
He was in the library, looking for a book to complete an assignment, when Monica approached him.
“Hey,” he said, surprised.
“Hey.” She smiled at him. “Man, that chick was a major bitch to you.”
Don shrugged. “I deserved it for walking into her.”
“Why did you do that?”
“I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“What were you looking at?” She asked it suggestively, as if she already knew the answer.
“Sorry to hear about you and Nick,” Don said instead, changing the subject.
“Thanks,” she said simply.
“What happened between you two?” he asked, forgetting the book he’d been searching for.
She shrugged. “We just grew apart. It happens.”
“Does it happen to you a lot?”
She laughed. “Only when I’m with guys I don’t like.”
“You didn’t like Nick?”
“He was okay at first. But then, after a while, I came to realize we didn’t connect the way we should have. You know?”
Don nodded. “So you broke up with him?”
Monica flashed a curious smile. “Actually, he broke up with me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“You think he noticed the lack of connection too?”
“Guys don’t notice things like that.”
“I would.”
“I believe you.” She nudged him with an elbow. “You know, I think he broke up with me for you.”
“You think so, huh?”
“He’s a good friend.”
Don smiled and nodded. “I’m just figuring that out myself.” He sighed. “Monica, I’m sorry I lied to you about him, about what he said. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why did you do that?”
Don was a long time in answering, but finally he said, “A voice in my head told me to.”
Monica chuckled. I have that same problem sometimes.” She suddenly grew serious. “So, you’re moving to Texas?”
Don started at that. “How did you know?”
“Nick told me earlier. It’s nice in Texas; I’ve been there a bunch of times.”
They were silent for a while. The large library was practically empty at that time, so Don and Monica had a fair amount of privacy. Don still felt like whispering, however.
“If I weren’t moving, would you...”
“Would I have gone out with you?” she finished for him. He nodded. “I guess we’ll never know,” she said with a sly smile.
* * *
Don would miss his bowling league greatly once he left. He didn’t know if he would join another one in Texas, but even if he did, he doubted he’d find teammates as cool as his current ones. They were great bowlers and really nice guys, though both were a decade older than Don.
The bowling alley held the lock-in during spring break, and Mom let Don and Ethan attend, surprisingly enough. Don figured being locked in a building, surrounded by people, was safer than anything else.
He was happier than he’d been in a while with the prospect of all-night bowling and videogames to look forward to. Earlier in the day, Dad had called to say he was going to talk to Mom “very soon,” which Don took to mean that very day. Dad hadn’t talked to her before they left for the lock-in, though.
And now Don was ready to bowl, the lanes lit with blue, green and pink neon lights. It was eleven at night, and everyone was wide awake with excitement. Don wished he could attribute all of his energy to the atmosphere, but he knew it was really his nerves. Would Dad really manage to get Don and Ethan to Texas?
And besides that, would Mom be okay by herself? Well, she wouldn’t be alone if she hadn’t killed Adrian—
Don told himself to stop thinking like that. There was a chance Adrian wasn’t dead. Don hoped to solve that mystery before he moved.
Deciding to take a break before the next game, he walked from one end of the bowling alley to the other. The place was packed and noisy, with a Mariah Carey song playing through the large speakers placed throughout. Don truly would miss this place. Once he got to the other end, he noticed a large group of kids forming a circle on the floor near the very last lane. When he got closer, he saw a balanced assortment of boys and girls. One of the girls was Monica.
He also noticed the kids were playing Spin the Bottle.
“Hey, Don,” Monica greeted. “Get down here and play with us.”
He gulped. He’d never played before, but he knew the rules perfectly well. A gap opened in front of him and he squatted down to join the circle. Monica was directly across from him. The boy to his right spun the empty soda bottle, and after a few seconds, it landed on a pretty girl next to him. He didn’t have to go far to plant a kiss on her lips.
And then it was Don’s turn. He grabbed the bottle and spun it as hard as he could. The other kids laughed as it spun at the speed of light. After more than a few seconds, it slowed. Don’s heart stuttered as the bottle finally landed on...
Monica.
She leaned forward, over the bottle, so close to Don he could smell her shampoo. The scent was indescribable and pleasant. He grinned like a fool.
And then he leaned forward as well.
Time seemed to stop, and the music became mute. No one existed except Don and Monica. He wasn’t sure why he was reacting his way; he’d kissed a girl before on the playground of Woodcrest. But they had been children, before he had known what love was.
And now he was moving to another state, right when Monica had become single. It wasn’t fair.
But at least there was this moment. If he couldn’t see Monica again for a long time, if he couldn’t be with her, at least they would always have this kiss.
“Break it up, people!” a voice shouted.
Before his lips could even meet Monica’s, Don was snatched from the moment by a nosy chaperone—someone’s mother. She stood over the circle, hands on her significant hips.
“I’ll be damned if one of you gets sick on my watch from swapping spit.”
Don was so angry as the circle dispersed. He’d had his moment. And now it was gone.
Chapter 14
It was during the first week of May 1998 when Don realized he truly was moving to Texas. He heard the confirmation not from his parents but from Mr. Clifford. His least-favorite teacher had asked him if he thought Texas high schools were better than those in Georgia. When Don only gave him a quizzical look, Mr. Clifford explained how “Mr. Scott” had visited the school, asking for his son’s records. Don didn’t even know Dad was in town and was shocked by this news.
When he got home after school, things seemed normal. Mom seemed resigned, like she had finally accepted an undeniable truth.
Don thought about asking her if she knew about the move, but decided to trust Dad would handle everything like he said he would. At some point d
uring the day, Don woke from a nap to find himself halfway off his bed. The sun was still up, and he heard a Bonnie Raitt song playing. He’d left his TV on, and a movie’s end credits were playing.
Before he could turn off the TV, someone who looked a lot like Denzel Washington stared directly at him and said, “Save them. Don’t let the monsters win.”
Don turned off the TV and got up from the bed. He wasn’t sure if he’d still been half asleep when he saw that, but decided to shake it off. Mom and Ethan were in the living room, just sitting there in silence. They were staring at the TV, which was turned off.
“Mom?” Don called uncertainly.
She and Ethan looked at him together. Mom said, “Good, you’re up. I was waiting so I can tell you boys something.”
She’d sounded so monotonous, neither happy nor sad. Don couldn’t tell if she knew or not about the move. She had to have known by now, with only a couple of weeks of school left.
Don sat down on the couch next to Ethan; Mom was on the recliner across from them. She said, “I know you boys are wondering about a lot of things after Uncle Johnny came over.”
She looked at Ethan for a moment, as if hoping he’d say something in her defense. Something along the lines of: “You’re a great mommy and I don’t want to leave you.” He apparently did not, so she continued: “There’s only one person I know who could possibly help us get back to a normal life.” She looked at Don and said, “Your birth father.”
Don said nothing, but his heart beat faster.
“I’ve been contacting all our mutual friends, looking for him,” she added.
“Did you find him?” Don asked.
“No, honey. I tried, but.… He’s dead, honey.”
Don gasped so hard he began to choke on the air. He coughed for a few seconds, and then settled down and looked at Mom with watery eyes. “Dead?”
“ ‘Birth father’?” Ethan asked.
“You and your brother have different daddies,” Mom said to Ethan.
“How do you know he’s dead?” Don asked after a brief silence.
Mom looked at him for a while. “I talked to one of his old friends the other day. He said your father...killed himself a long time ago.”