an armchair. "Like cats in a bag they are."
I sit down and smile, not really sure what I to say.
"Speaking of cats in a bag," Scott says, leaning against the back of my chair, his bottle of beer by my ear. "Are you taking the one that's living at my place, or is that what I should do with them?"
I gasp, covering my mouth with my hands, glaring up at Scott. But his eyes are fixed on his dad, who seems like he heard none of it.
His dad points to the picture of the cats. "We just lost the black one. I found it dead on Scott's bed in June. She always slept there, even after he was gone. And she died there too."
Scott exhales sharply. "Don't mind him. He's telling you because he thinks it's sweet. Even though it's morbid as fuck."
Andrew and Tina come in, holding hands.
"Maybe you could take it down a notch, Scott," Andrew says, and turns on the TV. "I want to at least watch the game in peace."
Scott's still glaring at his dad though. "You know, maybe you could add Marjorie's picture to the shelf now. Seeing as she's as good as dead to us. There's still plenty of room."
"Really, Scott," Tina mutters.
His dad shoots to his feet and I'm sure he'll strike Scott, but he just turns on his heel and walks from the room, the door crashing closed sending a jolt through my chest.
Tina's looking at me, shaking her head, though I'm not sure she knows she's doing it.
"Was that really necessary, Scott?" Andrew asks over the sound of the game starting. "Grow up already."
"Me grow up?" Scott yells and points to the stairs. "When's he gonna grow up and notice what's going on in the real world?"
Andrew wraps his arm around Tina's shoulders. "He knows what's going on. But he won't ever face it."
Scott's cheeks are red and he's breathing hard. But Andrew and Tina are both watching the game now, like nothing's happened, until I'm half sure I imagined all of it.
"We're going," Scott says and I'm on my feet in an instant, saying my goodbyes and following him from the house.
"We packed up some leftovers for you. They're in the kitchen," Andrew yells after us, but Scott's already handing me my jacket and holding open the door.
It doesn't even matter what all that was about, just as long as I never have to witness it again. Anything my Gran can throw at me pales in comparison to Scott's family.
"Big happy family, right?" Scott says once the doors shut behind us. "I told you this wasn't a good idea."
"Who's Marjorie?" I ask, since it could be the only question he might answer.
"She's Derek's wife."
"But they're not together anymore?"
Scott's got his hands buried deep in his pockets, and I have to jog to keep pace with him.
"They're still married," he says. "Now stop asking questions."
There's finality in his tone, and I'm suddenly sure he'll just tell me to go home once we reach his house if I keep asking him questions. But there's one more bouncing around in my mind, the loudest one of all.
"What did you mean when you said you'd be gone soon?"
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Scott stops abruptly, like he's reached an invisible wall and I almost run right into him. I'm standing so close our misting breaths are mixing in the air between us. His eyes are darker than I've ever seen them, deeper too, like I'm looking right into the farthest depths of the ocean, where no one's ever been before.
Then he smiles, and yanks me closer, his interlocked hands resting on my lower back. "I was over exaggerating about that. Don't worry about it."
And I want to believe him with every fiber of my body. But my mind won't relent. "Why would you say that to them if it wasn't true? It's so harsh."
"I wanted Mike to leave. It seemed like the best way." He's no longer smiling.
"So he wouldn't tell me your secret?" His dark eyes don't scare me, and his icy menacing tone doesn't either. The only thing that fills me with sheer, panicky terror is the thought of him gone.
"Yeah, he would've done it. Just 'cause I asked him not to."
I wrap my
I sit down and smile, not really sure what I to say.
"Speaking of cats in a bag," Scott says, leaning against the back of my chair, his bottle of beer by my ear. "Are you taking the one that's living at my place, or is that what I should do with them?"
I gasp, covering my mouth with my hands, glaring up at Scott. But his eyes are fixed on his dad, who seems like he heard none of it.
His dad points to the picture of the cats. "We just lost the black one. I found it dead on Scott's bed in June. She always slept there, even after he was gone. And she died there too."
Scott exhales sharply. "Don't mind him. He's telling you because he thinks it's sweet. Even though it's morbid as fuck."
Andrew and Tina come in, holding hands.
"Maybe you could take it down a notch, Scott," Andrew says, and turns on the TV. "I want to at least watch the game in peace."
Scott's still glaring at his dad though. "You know, maybe you could add Marjorie's picture to the shelf now. Seeing as she's as good as dead to us. There's still plenty of room."
"Really, Scott," Tina mutters.
His dad shoots to his feet and I'm sure he'll strike Scott, but he just turns on his heel and walks from the room, the door crashing closed sending a jolt through my chest.
Tina's looking at me, shaking her head, though I'm not sure she knows she's doing it.
"Was that really necessary, Scott?" Andrew asks over the sound of the game starting. "Grow up already."
"Me grow up?" Scott yells and points to the stairs. "When's he gonna grow up and notice what's going on in the real world?"
Andrew wraps his arm around Tina's shoulders. "He knows what's going on. But he won't ever face it."
Scott's cheeks are red and he's breathing hard. But Andrew and Tina are both watching the game now, like nothing's happened, until I'm half sure I imagined all of it.
"We're going," Scott says and I'm on my feet in an instant, saying my goodbyes and following him from the house.
"We packed up some leftovers for you. They're in the kitchen," Andrew yells after us, but Scott's already handing me my jacket and holding open the door.
It doesn't even matter what all that was about, just as long as I never have to witness it again. Anything my Gran can throw at me pales in comparison to Scott's family.
"Big happy family, right?" Scott says once the doors shut behind us. "I told you this wasn't a good idea."
"Who's Marjorie?" I ask, since it could be the only question he might answer.
"She's Derek's wife."
"But they're not together anymore?"
Scott's got his hands buried deep in his pockets, and I have to jog to keep pace with him.
"They're still married," he says. "Now stop asking questions."
There's finality in his tone, and I'm suddenly sure he'll just tell me to go home once we reach his house if I keep asking him questions. But there's one more bouncing around in my mind, the loudest one of all.
"What did you mean when you said you'd be gone soon?"
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Scott stops abruptly, like he's reached an invisible wall and I almost run right into him. I'm standing so close our misting breaths are mixing in the air between us. His eyes are darker than I've ever seen them, deeper too, like I'm looking right into the farthest depths of the ocean, where no one's ever been before.
Then he smiles, and yanks me closer, his interlocked hands resting on my lower back. "I was over exaggerating about that. Don't worry about it."
And I want to believe him with every fiber of my body. But my mind won't relent. "Why would you say that to them if it wasn't true? It's so harsh."
"I wanted Mike to leave. It seemed like the best way." He's no longer smiling.
"So he wouldn't tell me your secret?" His dark eyes don't scare me, and his icy menacing tone doesn't either. The only thing that fills me with sheer, panicky terror is the thought of him gone.
"Yeah, he would've done it. Just 'cause I asked him not to."
I wrap my
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