him.
“ I just thought I’d check
to make sure you and your mother got moved in okay.” I had to fight
to keep my fists unclenched when he mentioned her, but he didn’t
seem to notice. “I heard you were here and figured you might need a
hand.” He gave a shrug. “It’s the least I can do, after what
happened to my brother.”
I ground my teeth so hard at the mention of
Dad I was surprised they didn’t break. I stopped a few feet from
him so I wouldn’t give in to the impulse to throw him through the
windshield of his car. “We’re doing fine, thank you. Brock and I
are late for school, so we’ve gotta go.”
“ Oh, I understand.” He
turned his sickly sweet smile on my friend. “Brock, is it?” I
kicked myself mentally for giving Mason his name. When Brock
nodded, his eyes alternating between Mason and me, Mason smiled
again. “A pleasure to meet you, my boy.”
Brock glanced at me. “Thanks.” It sounded
more like a question than a response.
I grabbed Brock’s arm. “Come on, we’re going
to be late.”
Brock followed close behind; I passed the
car facing it until I practically walked backwards. “Thanks for
stopping by, Uncle Mason. I’ll be sure to tell Mom you send your
regards.”
He nodded. “You do that. I went by the
house, but she must still be at work. Let her know I hope she’s
settled in comfortably at the office.”
Cold fire ran through my veins, but I forced
myself to turn and continued to school. We passed through the doors
just as the first bell rang. I threw my plated silver bracelet into
a cup, stepped through the metal detector, and put it back on in a
blur, angry and more frustrated than I could think. My feet took me
toward my classroom and it wasn’t until Brock called my name the
third time that it registered.
“ Jaze!” His face was red
and he fought to catch his breath as he put on the last few pieces
of silver jewelry he had taken off for the metal
detectors.
I waited for him. “Sorry. I was
distracted.”
“ Tell me about it!” At the
look on my face, Brock slowed down. “Was that who I think it
was?”
I nodded.
“ What’s he doing here? I
mean, I assume you guys moved to get away from him or something if
he’s the one you told me about that-“
I held up a hand to cut him off. “Don’t say
it. I can’t handle it right now.”
Brock nodded quickly. “Okay, no prob. But
what do we do?”
We had reached my classroom. I glanced
inside, wanting more than anything to go check on Mom and not sit
inside a brick room all day listening to lectures that wouldn’t
sink in past the tornado of thoughts in my head anyway. “I don’t
know.” I took a deep breath to slow my pounding heart. “But until I
figure it out, we’ve got to go on as normal.”
Brock nodded, his eyes wide.
I gestured to the classroom. “I’ve gotta go.
See you at lunch.”
I slid into an empty seat just before the
second bell rang. Two more students ran in late and received a
reprimand from the teacher. Mason wasn’t supposed to know we were
here. We had justified using my real name because we needed my
school records for the transfer, but I didn’t think he would track
us so quickly. He obvious had more pull than I realized. But to
take a trip so far east just to check on us? He either worried I
suspected something or was here on business of his own.
I wondered if I had given anything away. We
had never had a close relationship anyway, so I hoped the
standoffish encounter didn’t give him any reason to suspect I knew
anything. I forced myself to stay seated, rationalizing that Mom
would be safest at work surrounded by her coworkers and customers.
Something was definitely wrong and I had to get to the bottom of it
soon for all our sakes.
The rest of the day passed without incident
beside a few accusatory stares and the occasional jostle in the
hallway from Chet's gang. By the time Brock and I were alone in the
office, I was so tense my muscles shook.
Brock
“ I just thought I’d check
to make sure you and your mother got moved in okay.” I had to fight
to keep my fists unclenched when he mentioned her, but he didn’t
seem to notice. “I heard you were here and figured you might need a
hand.” He gave a shrug. “It’s the least I can do, after what
happened to my brother.”
I ground my teeth so hard at the mention of
Dad I was surprised they didn’t break. I stopped a few feet from
him so I wouldn’t give in to the impulse to throw him through the
windshield of his car. “We’re doing fine, thank you. Brock and I
are late for school, so we’ve gotta go.”
“ Oh, I understand.” He
turned his sickly sweet smile on my friend. “Brock, is it?” I
kicked myself mentally for giving Mason his name. When Brock
nodded, his eyes alternating between Mason and me, Mason smiled
again. “A pleasure to meet you, my boy.”
Brock glanced at me. “Thanks.” It sounded
more like a question than a response.
I grabbed Brock’s arm. “Come on, we’re going
to be late.”
Brock followed close behind; I passed the
car facing it until I practically walked backwards. “Thanks for
stopping by, Uncle Mason. I’ll be sure to tell Mom you send your
regards.”
He nodded. “You do that. I went by the
house, but she must still be at work. Let her know I hope she’s
settled in comfortably at the office.”
Cold fire ran through my veins, but I forced
myself to turn and continued to school. We passed through the doors
just as the first bell rang. I threw my plated silver bracelet into
a cup, stepped through the metal detector, and put it back on in a
blur, angry and more frustrated than I could think. My feet took me
toward my classroom and it wasn’t until Brock called my name the
third time that it registered.
“ Jaze!” His face was red
and he fought to catch his breath as he put on the last few pieces
of silver jewelry he had taken off for the metal
detectors.
I waited for him. “Sorry. I was
distracted.”
“ Tell me about it!” At the
look on my face, Brock slowed down. “Was that who I think it
was?”
I nodded.
“ What’s he doing here? I
mean, I assume you guys moved to get away from him or something if
he’s the one you told me about that-“
I held up a hand to cut him off. “Don’t say
it. I can’t handle it right now.”
Brock nodded quickly. “Okay, no prob. But
what do we do?”
We had reached my classroom. I glanced
inside, wanting more than anything to go check on Mom and not sit
inside a brick room all day listening to lectures that wouldn’t
sink in past the tornado of thoughts in my head anyway. “I don’t
know.” I took a deep breath to slow my pounding heart. “But until I
figure it out, we’ve got to go on as normal.”
Brock nodded, his eyes wide.
I gestured to the classroom. “I’ve gotta go.
See you at lunch.”
I slid into an empty seat just before the
second bell rang. Two more students ran in late and received a
reprimand from the teacher. Mason wasn’t supposed to know we were
here. We had justified using my real name because we needed my
school records for the transfer, but I didn’t think he would track
us so quickly. He obvious had more pull than I realized. But to
take a trip so far east just to check on us? He either worried I
suspected something or was here on business of his own.
I wondered if I had given anything away. We
had never had a close relationship anyway, so I hoped the
standoffish encounter didn’t give him any reason to suspect I knew
anything. I forced myself to stay seated, rationalizing that Mom
would be safest at work surrounded by her coworkers and customers.
Something was definitely wrong and I had to get to the bottom of it
soon for all our sakes.
The rest of the day passed without incident
beside a few accusatory stares and the occasional jostle in the
hallway from Chet's gang. By the time Brock and I were alone in the
office, I was so tense my muscles shook.
Brock
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