of walking into the house like I normally would.
Claire answered the door. “Oh crap, not you too.”
“Me too, what?” I said as I entered the house.
“Something bad happened to you too, you don’t look so good.” Claire shut the front door behind us.
“I’m fine, really. Where’s Avery?” I started off down the hall towards the kitchen.
“He’s—” Claire started to say.
“Zel, I’m up here,” Avery called from the top of the stairs.
I backtracked and ran up the stairs, Claire following behind me.
At first Avery looked relieved to see me, but then his expression changed to worry. I went right for him, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him.
He squeezed me tightly “Are you okay?”
I pulled away from him and looked over my shoulder at Claire. “What’s up with you guys? I’m fine.” There wasn’t anything I could do about anything right now. I didn’t know what I would do if I could. We had to get Avery’s problem figured out first anyhow. I studied his face. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not.” He took my arms from around his neck and led me into Claire’s room. He sat down on the floor with his back against the bed, pulling me down next to him. Claire stood in the doorway.
“Do you want me to leave you guys alone? I can go watch TV downstairs or something.”
“Yeah,” Avery said, “maybe you’d better. Thanks again.”
“Okay, you two, holler if you need anything.” She shut her bedroom door.
Avery turned to me and took my hands in his. “Things are bad. My dad served my mom with divorce papers today.”
I squeezed his hand tighter. “What happened? Why?”
He looked down. “I should have told you this. I’ve been meaning to, but it’s embarrassing and really, I don’t know…hard to admit? My mom’s sick and she um, kind of goes crazy when she doesn’t take her medicine.”
I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him to me. Well that just plain sucked for everyone. “Your poor mom, what’s going on?”
He laid his head in my lap. I stroked his hair while he told me about it. “Once or twice a year she does this. The last time was really bad. She, um, cut my dad’s head off in every picture that we had of him and locked herself in the bathroom for a whole day. She wouldn’t talk to anyone, she just kept passing me notes under the door that didn’t make any sense at all.”
“Oh, Avery, I’m so sorry. That’s horrible.” I had to lean away from him a little. The smell of pine was itching its way into my nose.
“Anyway, after the last time, Dad threatened to have her committed and divorce her if she ever stopped taking her medicine again. I guess she did. I mean, I know she did so…” He looked up into my eyes like he was checking to make sure I wasn’t about to run from him and all of his crazy mom baggage. As if. I pulled it together and gave him a comforting smile.
He started again. “Well, there’s more. When I went to my dad’s office after school today, she was standing outside freaking out. I took her home and gave her medicine and everything but the divorce papers…my dad said she’s crazy and he’s suing for sole custody of me. He’s taking me away, Zellie. He’s making me leave with him. I don’t know what to do.”
I held his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. “Listen, we’re going to figure this out. Let’s call my dad and see if he can help us. Y’know maybe he’ll let you stay with us while your mom gets herself together.”
He sat up. “Your dad is not going to let his daughter’s boyfriend that he doesn’t even know about crash on the couch. That is not going to work.”
The bedroom door opened a crack and Claire spoke from out in the hall. “You can stay here, I’m sure my parents wouldn’t even notice.”
“Thanks for the privacy Claire!” I said a little too harshly. “Look, my dad knows about us, he will help you, I
Claire answered the door. “Oh crap, not you too.”
“Me too, what?” I said as I entered the house.
“Something bad happened to you too, you don’t look so good.” Claire shut the front door behind us.
“I’m fine, really. Where’s Avery?” I started off down the hall towards the kitchen.
“He’s—” Claire started to say.
“Zel, I’m up here,” Avery called from the top of the stairs.
I backtracked and ran up the stairs, Claire following behind me.
At first Avery looked relieved to see me, but then his expression changed to worry. I went right for him, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him.
He squeezed me tightly “Are you okay?”
I pulled away from him and looked over my shoulder at Claire. “What’s up with you guys? I’m fine.” There wasn’t anything I could do about anything right now. I didn’t know what I would do if I could. We had to get Avery’s problem figured out first anyhow. I studied his face. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not.” He took my arms from around his neck and led me into Claire’s room. He sat down on the floor with his back against the bed, pulling me down next to him. Claire stood in the doorway.
“Do you want me to leave you guys alone? I can go watch TV downstairs or something.”
“Yeah,” Avery said, “maybe you’d better. Thanks again.”
“Okay, you two, holler if you need anything.” She shut her bedroom door.
Avery turned to me and took my hands in his. “Things are bad. My dad served my mom with divorce papers today.”
I squeezed his hand tighter. “What happened? Why?”
He looked down. “I should have told you this. I’ve been meaning to, but it’s embarrassing and really, I don’t know…hard to admit? My mom’s sick and she um, kind of goes crazy when she doesn’t take her medicine.”
I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him to me. Well that just plain sucked for everyone. “Your poor mom, what’s going on?”
He laid his head in my lap. I stroked his hair while he told me about it. “Once or twice a year she does this. The last time was really bad. She, um, cut my dad’s head off in every picture that we had of him and locked herself in the bathroom for a whole day. She wouldn’t talk to anyone, she just kept passing me notes under the door that didn’t make any sense at all.”
“Oh, Avery, I’m so sorry. That’s horrible.” I had to lean away from him a little. The smell of pine was itching its way into my nose.
“Anyway, after the last time, Dad threatened to have her committed and divorce her if she ever stopped taking her medicine again. I guess she did. I mean, I know she did so…” He looked up into my eyes like he was checking to make sure I wasn’t about to run from him and all of his crazy mom baggage. As if. I pulled it together and gave him a comforting smile.
He started again. “Well, there’s more. When I went to my dad’s office after school today, she was standing outside freaking out. I took her home and gave her medicine and everything but the divorce papers…my dad said she’s crazy and he’s suing for sole custody of me. He’s taking me away, Zellie. He’s making me leave with him. I don’t know what to do.”
I held his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. “Listen, we’re going to figure this out. Let’s call my dad and see if he can help us. Y’know maybe he’ll let you stay with us while your mom gets herself together.”
He sat up. “Your dad is not going to let his daughter’s boyfriend that he doesn’t even know about crash on the couch. That is not going to work.”
The bedroom door opened a crack and Claire spoke from out in the hall. “You can stay here, I’m sure my parents wouldn’t even notice.”
“Thanks for the privacy Claire!” I said a little too harshly. “Look, my dad knows about us, he will help you, I
Similar Books
