7. Chapter Seven
Walking into the room I can”t help but feel a shudder run down my spine. Sure the room looks different from what I remember. The two small beds have been replaced by a double bed in the corner of the room and there”s now a small bedside table and lamp. But it’s still like walking into a nightmare. One that I know I can”t wake up from. I throw open the built-in wardrobe and carefully begin unpacking my bags. As I do, I notice the chipped wood on the inside of the door and the tiny nail marks from the time Dad caught me hiding in there, hoping to escape his drunken wrath. He grabbed me by the feet and dragged me out. I grabbed onto the wood for dear life, but my little child’s grip was nothing compared to his drunken, angry strength. Slamming the door and deciding that”s quite enough of a journey down memory lane, I head back and start unpacking things somewhere else. I head into the bathroom, take out my toiletries, and begin placing aftershave, hair gel, and other essentials under the sink. Then an idea hits me.
“I”ll be back in a bit,” I shout as I head out the door. But I see Gabe sitting outside in the backyard. “Oh, you”re out here. I assumed you were watching TV or something,” I say.
“Nah, there’s fuck all on. What”s up?” Gabe asks as he offers me a beer from the cooler beside him.
“No, thanks, I don”t drink,” I reply, the way I have so many times before. But rather than the approving nod or ‘if you say so’ shrug I usually get, I”m met with what seems like anger. What the fuck is this about? Is he really angry that I don’t want a beer?
“What do you mean you don”t fucking drink? Like legally or at all? Because it makes no difference to me that you”re only eighteen, I”m not trying to bust your ass over a number.” Gabe laughs.
“No Gabe, it”s got nothing to do with my age, I just choose not to drink.”
“What? Never or just before noon?” he quizzes
“Ever, like I don”t drink at all.” I clarify, crossing my arms. What the fuck is his problem? Why is he so mad?
“Is something the matter? Are you like dying or on medication or something?” Gabe asks, sounding genuinely horrified.
“No,” I laugh. “ I just don”t drink. I choose not to.”
“Why?” he gasps as though I just told him something that is utterly horrifying to him.
“Take a look around Gabe. Ring any bells?” I ask, waving my arms. He looks around but still doesn”t seem to be getting it. “Our father was an alcoholic, Gabe. He had problems his whole life with the shit and from what he told us about his father, he probably had problems with alcohol, too. It”s not worth the risk.” Gabe flinches like I physically punched him.
“Well I drink, all the time, in fact. Doesn”t mean I”m an alcoholic,”” Gabe tries to argue, sounding very defensive. I look past him and into the cooler. I notice at least four if not five of the beers are missing.
“Gabe it’s…” I say looking at my watch, “quarter past eleven in the morning, we didn”t get back from the airport until just past eight, and it looks like you”re already on your fourth beer.”
“Who the fuck are you to judge? A man’s allowed a beer in his own backyard to unwind, you know.” he snaps back defensively. I could feel his anger and something else, perhaps shame, radiating off of Gabe.
“Anyway, I”m going out, I feel like I need a walk to clear my mind. I”ll be back later.” I say.
“Wait, I”ve made plans for us. We’re meeting some girls at six.” Gabe says, looking towards me.
“Gabe, I”m not interested in girls.” Gabe looks at me with confusion written across his face.
“Not like that, I am interested in girls. I just meant I”m not interested in meeting random girls.”
“Oh good… not that I wouldn’t still love ya if you were interested in dudes. Like, it would be weird as fuck, but I’d still love ya,” he stutters, a flush creeping up his neck.
“Good to know I guess” I laugh back, enjoying seeing my usually cocky brother, flustered.
“Anyways, as I said, I”m heading out.”
“Come on, I already told them we’d meet them,” Gabe begs.
“Fine, I”ll be back before six then. Friends only, though,” I say, giving him my best ‘I mean it’ face.
“Deal,” he agrees, nodding his head.
I leave our yard and make my way towards the woods. It all seems so different, yet oddly familiar. I head through the woods, past the tall trees with a very clear destination in mind. I continue walking until I see it. The cabin. My real home away from hell growing up. My legs begin running like they”ve got a mind of their own till I reach the wraparound porch. Running up to the door I knock as hard as I can, begging and praying that by some miracle, since it’s summer break, she’ll be there. Disappointment fills me but not surprisingly, there”s no answer. I make my way around, peering in the window. Looking for some sign of life inside. But I see nothing to indicate anyone is even staying there.
I slump down onto the decking and sit, reminiscing about all the other times I was here. I envision me and Bella playing hide and seek around the trees just in front of me. Then I remember how we used to play games and draw right here on the deck. I wonder… I crawl around the decking looking, until I spot it. Our handprint. I chuckle to myself remembering the time her pops was varnishing the wood and Bella accidentally put her hand in it. She was so worried they would get mad that I decided to put my hand in it too, so that if they found it they”d realize the mark belonged to me instead of her. But of course, I did it wrong. Instead, we ended up with some strange seven fingered hand print. I can”t believe after all these years it”s still here.
I can”t believe her pops never painted over it. Her pops. I suddenly remembered. He worked at the Ranger’s station, I wonder if he”s still there.
I make my way there, knock on the door and am greeted by a guy who looks barely in his thirties. “Hey, I”m looking for Mr. Williams, erm George, I think. . .” I say desperately hoping I got the name right.
“Sorry kid, I don”t know him,” the guy answers.
“Ignore the newbie, he”s barely out of diapers,” a voice from inside calls.
“What do you want with George?” the older man asks.
“Hi sir, so my name is Nate. I used to know him and his granddaughter years ago. I”ve been to the cabin, but they’re not there,”” I say, a little too quickly.
“Yeah, that old cabin hasn”t been used in years. Not since the rugrats grew up and moved away.”
“Do you have any idea when he”ll be here next?” I ask.
“He”s gone kiddo, retired a while ago. Had a heart attack you know, or was it a stroke?” He ponders and scratches the top of his head. “You know this old mind ain”t what it used to be. I”m only here to make sure Diapers here, doesn”t screw up.
“Gramps, I”m almost thirty five,” the kid says as he rolls his eyes.
“Do they still live in the same house?” I ask. realizing I must sound like a stalker.
“Who knows kiddo, who knows. I barely remember where I live some days,” he laughs.
“Well, thanks for your time anyways, sir,” I say as I wave before turning and walking away.
I make my way back to the cabin and lay down on the porch, letting the sun rays hit my face as I take in the peace and quiet, remembering all the happy memories I had growing up here.
I”m getting out of the shower when my phone rings.
“Hey handsome. What are you up to tonight? Wanna meet up?”
“I can”t tonight, I”ve got plans with my brother,” I say even though I’m now kicking myself, wishing I didn”t. I’d much rather be spending it balls deep in Stacey instead.
“Oh wow, you”ve got a brother, how old? Older or younger…”
For almost forty-five minutes our conversation flows easily back and forth.
“Anyway, I”ve got to go, think about what I said. I”ve got an extra ticket to the concert tonight. Bring your brother if you want. I”m sure it will be easy enough to get tickets at the door.”
“It”s not really my thing.”
I get off the phone feeling odd. I never talk to girls like that on the phone. Usually, they are lucky to get five minutes, let alone forty five.
I head to the kitchen to make myself a snack when another message buzzes through.
Cock Tease
Loved chatting with you, miss you already.
Miss me already? How the fuck can she miss me already. We”ve only just finished talking.
I decide to ignore her message and continue making myself a grilled cheese.
Cock Tease
You”ll never believe it, Justin is still coming. He doesn”t even like the band. I had to beg him to come. Yet now when I don”t want him there he says he”s still coming fml.
Me
fml?
it means fuck my life, grandad. *wink emoji*
I’d rather fuck something else instead.
Oh yeah? Like what?
Well, you for a start.
So what would you do?
And there goes the next hour, back and forth flirty texting each other driving each other wild.
Cock Tease
Seriously, I”ve gotta get ready, before I”m too hot and horny to make it to the concert. Talk soon. I leave at seven and it”ll take me three hours to get ready at least.
Three hours! Fuck, girls are hard work.I look at my watch and realize it”s already four o”clock. Where the heck is Nate? He”s been gone all day.
For fuck”s sake! Grabbing my shoes I head out to look for him.
Imust have drifted off to sleep as the next thing I know I”m waking to the sound of Gabe bellowing my name.
“There you are,” he finally says as I stand up and make my way down the steps. “I”ve been looking for you everywhere. I thought you”d gotten lost or something. I should have guessed I”d find you here,” he says, a little colder than necessary.
“Sorry, I must have fallen asleep, what time is it?”
“It”s almost five, we”re going to be late,” he says. Although it”s clear from his voice he’s not even remotely bothered about being late.
I head back to the house, quickly take a shower, and change my clothes and I”m ready just thirty minutes later.
“Come on then, Gabe, it”s 5:45. Are you ready to go?” I ask, but I notice that the cooler is now empty.
“Give me the keys,” I demand.
“Why?”
“Because you”ve been drinking and I haven’t. Now give me the keys,” I demand, more forcefully this time.
“I”ve always been drinking, it”s fine,” Gabe laughs. What the fuck? This is no laughing matter.
“Put it this way, either I drive or I don”t come,” I snap.
“Fine, you big baby, here,” Gabe laughs, taking the keys and throwing them to me.
We get in the car and Gabe directs me all the way until we reach a pub called Saints. “Is this it?” I ask as I park.
“Yeah, they”ll be waiting for us at the back.” Gabe makes his way to the door.
As he was saying that, some woman waves at us from one of the booths at the back.
“Hi! I’m Kelly,”” the blonder of the two girls says, leaning over and giving me an awkward hug. “And this is my friend Amy. She”s visiting from New York for the week.” Amy attempts to lean forward, presumably to greet Gabe, but Kelly puts her arm on her shoulder and pulls her back. “I wouldn”t,” she whispers.
We spend the next thirty minutes chatting, well, I say we, but it”s mostly me and the girls. Gabe adds very little to the conversation. He spends most of his time looking down at his phone. After a while, he gets up and heads outside, not even having the decency to excuse himself.
“I”m so sorry ladies, I”ll be right back. I”ve just got to head to the bathroom.”
I”m just washing my hands when Kelly appears near the bathroom door. I quickly glance around praying I”ve not walked into the wrong one, but the urinals soon confirm I”m in the right room.
“Oh, the ladies is next door, I think” I say as I attempt to walk past her.
“Oh, okay,” she says, taking a step back. Poor girl must be so embarrassed.
I glance over at the booth and notice Gabe is still nowhere to be seen so I make my way outside. I find him sitting on a wall smoking and looking amused. I walk up behind him and can”t help but notice what is clearly sexting judging by the amount of eggplant and fire emojis I see.
“Really, Gabe? You”re on a date and you”re sexting another girl?” I ask, sitting down beside him, but far enough away that I can”t see his phone anymore.
“Nah, it”s not like that. She’s no one, and Kelly wouldn’t give a fuck even if she was,” he laughs.
“Well, she”s inside alone, maybe we should go back inside, at least pretend you have some manners.” I say, standing and reaching out a hand to help him up, which he pushes away.
“Okay. Whatever.”