BrennonAge 10 - 11 years ago
Iwas so embarrassed. Dad could have chosen any of the other cars, but instead, we were in the big, white Hummer.
It seemed silly to take a white car on Camp’s dirt roads, but when I asked about it, Dad just told me to ‘Shut up and get in.’ before mumbling a bunch.
Now, hours later, we were finally pulling down the gravel towards the Camp Office.
I was grateful Mom was here. Usually, she wasn’t feeling good enough.
All year, Este, our housekeeper was the one to drop me off at school.
But lately, Mom had been better. She seemed happier and more awake, especially after she went on that special vacation while Dad was on tour the last few months.
From the front passenger seat, she caught my eyes in the rear-view mirror and asked, “Are you excited, honey?”
I nodded with a big smile on my face, thinking of my friends who I hoped would be waiting for me either at the office or maybe at our favorite hangout, our own private spot, we called Stones’ Throw.
“I’m excited to get the fuck out of this car,” Dad grumbled from beside her, “Or better yet, get back to civilization in the first place,” never looking away from the road.
Mom’s smile disappeared and mine went with it.
Only briefly, though, because as he turned the steering wheel, pulling this silly huge car alongside a bunch of other cars and SUVs lining the road in front of the office, there were three people standing in a huddle on the office deck, all watching the cars.
Toni, Xavi, and Cole. My friends. From my window in the backseat, I waved, unsure if they could see me through the tint but unable to resist. When the Hummer finally halted, I burst out the door, running up the path towards them.
“Brennon!” Toni shouted and she raced down the steps with Xavi, and then Cole, at her heels.
The three of them collided with me, knocking us all into a heap amongst the wood chips, and pebbles of the path.
It hurt, but when Toni’s soft giggles started, so did my own, and soon enough, all four of us lay there in the dirt belly-laughing.
My eyes watered and my cheeks ached by the time I heard my mom ask from above us, “Who are your friends, Brennon?”
One by one, we picked ourselves up. I had to brush sticks and dirt from my brand-new shorts and the black Vandals band t-shirt Este gave me for my birthday this year.
I made sure to look up the band online right after.
They rocked and this was now my favorite shirt.
I’m not sure why, but instead of introducing my friends, I just looked back and forth from them to my mom.
She was smiling and looked excited, but what if she did something embarrassing, like drift off or forget their names.
She hadn’t done it since her vacation, but before she left, she’d called me Dad’s name more than once.
Cole stepped forward first, holding out his hand towards her, “I’m Cole Michaels.” She shook his hand and even gave it a little squeeze. “Nice to meet you, Cole. I’m Delilah Grace, Brennon’s mom.”
Cole turned and pointed toward Xavi, who had both his hands stuffed in his pockets and hadn’t looked up from the ground, “That’s Xavier.”
Mom gave him a small wave and Xavi’s cheeks went pink, but he returned her wave. Not to be outdone by Cole, because she always had to prove she was just as brave as he was, Toni spoke up before he could introduce her,
“And I’m Toni Barrett,”
She then strutted forward and interlaced her arm with mine, “And we are Brennon’s best friends.”
No one had ever called me their best friend before.
Most of the kids at private school thought my family was weird because Dad’s a musician and Mom’s a bit of a hippy.
Their dads are mostly bankers and businessmen, while I’m the only boy with his ears pierced.
So, hearing Toni call me her best friend made my heart beat a little fast. My Mom looked down at where my arm now looped with Toni’s and said, “Well, Toni Barrett, it’s nice to meet you, too. Are you my Brennon’s girlfr—"
“Mom!” I groaned. She almost called Toni my girlfriend. What would Cole and Xav think of that?
“Shut it, Delilah. Can’t you see you’re embarrassing the boy?
” Dad shouted as came pounding down the office steps.
Mom’s cheeks turned as red as my own as she bit her lips closed.
My Dad got closer. He was so much taller than Mom and me, so he easily stared down at my friends, scrutinizing each one until he got to Toni.
Then, he smiled and reached out his long, tattooed, arm.
“Hello sweetheart. I’m Brennon’s dad, but you can call me Blue. Maybe you’ve seen my face before?”
His voice sounded weird. Nicer, and softer, than normal. Birdie didn’t move at all except for her big blue eyes, which wandered from the band logo tattoo, The Graces on his forearm up to Dad’s face, before giving one quick nod of her chin.
Dad’s cheeks flexed so his smile strained as he dropped his hand back to his side, unshaken. Still, he stared at her, not bothering to look at my other friends or even at me.
“Did I hear you say your name was Toni Barrett?” He asked.
She nodded again. This time, Dad really smiled. The same smile I see him use when he gets his picture taken or when fans stop us on the street to ask for autographs.
“Why don’t you kids go play?” He continued, “I’d like to speak to my son.”
Dismissing them, he grabbed me by the arm and yanked me away from Birdie.
None of my friends moved. The three of them watched my father with their different-coloured, but equally wide, eyes.
Until Mom, who looked at Dad, turned to them and shooed them off with a soft promise, “Don’t worry.
Brennon will join you in a minute. We just want to say goodbye. ”
My friends did as she directed, mostly thanks to Cole, who latched onto Toni’s hand and one of Xavi’s belt loops, dragging them both towards the Centre Circle.
Meanwhile, Dad squeezed my arm hard as he guided me back towards our ugly, now dirt-stained, monster car.
Mom followed us, staying a couple of paces back.
As we rounded the side of the car, I could no longer see my friends and I hoped they couldn’t see me either, when my dad slammed my back into the bumper.
“Ouch!” I cried out. He ignored my grimace.
“That girl’s your friend, huh?” He asked. I rubbed my back, distracted by the pain of it hitting the car.
“Answer me, boy.” Dad grabbed and shoved me again.
The second hit hurt much worse. “Yes, we’re friends.” I answered, trying to blink away tears.
My father smiled down at me, “Good,” and I let out a big breath. I didn’t want him to be mad at me anymore.
“Good,” he said again, “Keep it that way, because I would really like to meet her father at Parents Weekend.”
“You’re coming to Parents Weekend?!” I couldn’t stop my excitement. Last year he’d been on tour and Mom had been too sick, so I had been stuck at Camp while everybody else, including my friends, spent the day out with their families.
“You, too?” I asked, flipping my attention to Mom. She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say anything, Dad spoke over her, “No. I don’t think she will.”
He gave her a hard look until she looked away from us. My excitement faded, but I knew better than to question my dad. That would just make him angry again. Not that he was waiting for any kind of answer from me. He just shoved me at Mom, so he could open the Hummer’s trunk door.
“Now, I’d like to get the fuck out of here, so take your shit.” He gestured to the two black duffel bags that Este had helped me pack all week.
“The sooner your mother and I can get back to civilization, the better.”
He grabbed one bag, then the other, dropping them both on the ground.
They were really heavy and landed with a hard thud that echoed off the other cars parked around us.
After all, they were filled with nearly two months’ worth of clothes and my guitar case.
My friends must have heard the sound because they came running over just in time to see my dad tear open the passenger door and push Mom inside, gritting his teeth as he said in an angry whisper, “Just get in the fucking car, Delilah,” before slamming the door closed on her.
Then, he turned to me, “Bye, kid. Remember what I said about Parents Weekend.” Then, he jumped into the driver’s seat.
With both my parents in the car, my friends came to stand around me, and together we watched my dad reverse out of the spot and drive back towards the camp gates.
As the Hummer rounded the last curve in the road, Toni reached for my hand and squeezed it. Quietly, she said, “Your dad’s not very nice. To you or to your mom.”
I squeezed her hand back, but didn’t say anything.
My throat felt too tight. All I could think was that Mom didn’t hug me goodbye, and my friends had definitely noticed.
Now they probably thought my family was weird, just like all the kids at my stupid private school.
When Birdie released my hand, I knew I was right.
Especially as she skipped away from me, calling out in her sing-song voice, “Let’s go to Throw! ”
I looked at my giant bags still sitting in the dirt.
No way I would be able to carry them on my own.
But then Cole walked over to the biggest one, the one with my guitar case inside, and hoisted it over his shoulder.
My mouth dropped open in surprise, but he just shrugged, “My Dad screams at me all the time. Even more…since my mom left before Christmas.” I stared at him, grateful, until I felt a tap at my side.
It was Xavi beside me, his shoulder barely knocking just above my elbow.
Xav was the shortest of the three of us, and I was the tallest, even though Cole was catching up. He’d grown a lot since last summer.
“And my father,” he swallowed, “He barely speaks to me.”
We all shared small, sad smiles before Cole hollered to Birdie, “Toni! We can’t go to Throw.”
She spun to look at us, frowning, until Cole gestured to the bag hanging off his arm, “We have to help Brennon with his bags.”
Her frown vanished and she sprinted back toward us as Cole directed, “Xav, you and Brennon take the other bag.” Xavi, following orders, grabbed a handle and I grabbed the other. It was awkward but as we started to walk, we figured it out.
Toni walked between Cole and I, “You’re all in the same cabin,” She pointed in the direction of the Boys Section in the distance.
“It’s not fair. I wish I was in your cabin, too,” she said, before pausing to shake her head.
“Actually, no. I don’t. Then I’d have to be around all those other boys.”
From her far side I hear Cole grunt.
“No,” she continued, “What I really wish is that we could have a cabin all to ourselves. Just the four of us.”
Then, like the Birdie she is, her mind flying between subjects quicker than the rest of us, she changed track.
Looking at me, she said, “I’m sorry I called your dad mean, Brennon.
I just think most boys are mean. My brother, Francis, used to be nice, but even he’s starting to turn into a bit of a butthead. ”
Xavi popped his head up. He was sweating and breathing hard under the weight of my bag as he said, “Hey! We’re not mean, right, Nettie?”
She laughed, shaking her head before beaming at him, “No, Xav, but you three are special.”
We all looked up at that, glancing at one another. All three of us blushed.