Jamie’s behavior. Ace had advised him to leave Patrick alone. “Why would you do that? Do you want to get your ass kicked again?”
Jamie reached into his backpack for a crumpled-up piece of paper. He handed it over.
Ace used his phone screen as a light and skimmed the contents. It was a flyer for Vixen, showcasing three of the dancers with framed headshots. One might have been Janelle in a cowgirl hat. It was a grainy copy. Someone had drawn a spurting penis by her face and scrawled “Jamie’s mom sucks cocks.”
Ace stuck the paper out the window and set it on fire with his lighter. He dropped the last corner before it burned his fingers.
“His mom is the cocksucker,” Jamie said, sullen.
“How do you know that?”
“Everyone says it.”
“So what?”
“So, he shouldn’t talk.”
“He’s doing it because it bothers you. He can tell you’re ashamed.”
“He’s the one who should be ashamed,” Jamie said, his eyes narrow.
Ace started the engine and pulled away. He lit a cigarette as they left Slab City. “I grew up here.”
“Really?”
He exhaled, nodding. “My mom was sixteen when she had me. She worked as a waitress at that ‘50s-style diner in Brawley. You know the one?”
“Yeah.”
“She had this condition called endometriosis. She didn’t get it diagnosed until I was older. But she was in pain a lot, and she got fired for calling in sick too much. It was hard for her to keep a steady job.”
“What did she do?”
“She turned tricks.”
Jamie appeared to know what that meant. His mouth dropped open and he closed it quickly, glancing away.
Ace took another drag of his cigarette. “She didn’t do it often. Just when money was really tight, and we needed groceries or whatever. One day when I was about your age, she left on a date and never came back.”
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see who she went with, and neither did anyone else. I finally reported her missing, and they put me in foster care, but I kept running away. I lived by myself in our trailer all through high school.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
Good question. He flicked the ash from his cigarette, uncertain. “I guess because I would’ve given anything to see her again. You’re lucky to have a mother. Not everyone does.” Skye didn’t. She had Shawnee, the imposter. “You shouldn’t look down on Patrick’s mother, or on yours for doing her best to support you.”
“She could do other things. She’s not sick.”
“Well, she’s been in college. It can’t be easy to work and go to school and take care of a kid on your own.”
Jamie couldn’t argue his logic, so he went on the defensive. “You’re not my dad,” he said in a low voice. “You’re just another guy who wants to get in my mom’s pants. So you can spare me the life lessons.”
Mouthy little fucker. Ace put his cigarette butt in the soda can, where it extinguished with a hiss. He was irritated for a few minutes. Then he pictured Jamie slipping on eggshells and laughed, shaking his head.
“What’s so funny?” Jamie asked.
“Nothing.”
They arrived at his grandmother’s house and Jamie got out. Ace hadn’t planned to stay, but Janelle’s mother was standing in the front yard and it seemed rude not to acknowledge her. He followed Jamie, feeling awkward.
“I was so worried,” she said to Jamie, clutching the lapel of her bathrobe. “What were you thinking?”
Jamie shifted his weight from foot to foot.
“Is that egg on your pants? Did you take my eggs?”
“I’ll buy you some more tomorrow,” he said.
Ace stepped forward to introduce himself. “Hi. I’m Aaron.”
Janelle’s mother shook his hand weakly, studying his tattoos. She was a plump, petite woman in her fifties. “Renata Parker.”
“My mom said your name was Ace,” Jamie pointed out, as if Ace was trying to pull a fast one on his grandmother.
“Either way,” he said with a shrug.
“Would you like to come in
Jamie reached into his backpack for a crumpled-up piece of paper. He handed it over.
Ace used his phone screen as a light and skimmed the contents. It was a flyer for Vixen, showcasing three of the dancers with framed headshots. One might have been Janelle in a cowgirl hat. It was a grainy copy. Someone had drawn a spurting penis by her face and scrawled “Jamie’s mom sucks cocks.”
Ace stuck the paper out the window and set it on fire with his lighter. He dropped the last corner before it burned his fingers.
“His mom is the cocksucker,” Jamie said, sullen.
“How do you know that?”
“Everyone says it.”
“So what?”
“So, he shouldn’t talk.”
“He’s doing it because it bothers you. He can tell you’re ashamed.”
“He’s the one who should be ashamed,” Jamie said, his eyes narrow.
Ace started the engine and pulled away. He lit a cigarette as they left Slab City. “I grew up here.”
“Really?”
He exhaled, nodding. “My mom was sixteen when she had me. She worked as a waitress at that ‘50s-style diner in Brawley. You know the one?”
“Yeah.”
“She had this condition called endometriosis. She didn’t get it diagnosed until I was older. But she was in pain a lot, and she got fired for calling in sick too much. It was hard for her to keep a steady job.”
“What did she do?”
“She turned tricks.”
Jamie appeared to know what that meant. His mouth dropped open and he closed it quickly, glancing away.
Ace took another drag of his cigarette. “She didn’t do it often. Just when money was really tight, and we needed groceries or whatever. One day when I was about your age, she left on a date and never came back.”
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see who she went with, and neither did anyone else. I finally reported her missing, and they put me in foster care, but I kept running away. I lived by myself in our trailer all through high school.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
Good question. He flicked the ash from his cigarette, uncertain. “I guess because I would’ve given anything to see her again. You’re lucky to have a mother. Not everyone does.” Skye didn’t. She had Shawnee, the imposter. “You shouldn’t look down on Patrick’s mother, or on yours for doing her best to support you.”
“She could do other things. She’s not sick.”
“Well, she’s been in college. It can’t be easy to work and go to school and take care of a kid on your own.”
Jamie couldn’t argue his logic, so he went on the defensive. “You’re not my dad,” he said in a low voice. “You’re just another guy who wants to get in my mom’s pants. So you can spare me the life lessons.”
Mouthy little fucker. Ace put his cigarette butt in the soda can, where it extinguished with a hiss. He was irritated for a few minutes. Then he pictured Jamie slipping on eggshells and laughed, shaking his head.
“What’s so funny?” Jamie asked.
“Nothing.”
They arrived at his grandmother’s house and Jamie got out. Ace hadn’t planned to stay, but Janelle’s mother was standing in the front yard and it seemed rude not to acknowledge her. He followed Jamie, feeling awkward.
“I was so worried,” she said to Jamie, clutching the lapel of her bathrobe. “What were you thinking?”
Jamie shifted his weight from foot to foot.
“Is that egg on your pants? Did you take my eggs?”
“I’ll buy you some more tomorrow,” he said.
Ace stepped forward to introduce himself. “Hi. I’m Aaron.”
Janelle’s mother shook his hand weakly, studying his tattoos. She was a plump, petite woman in her fifties. “Renata Parker.”
“My mom said your name was Ace,” Jamie pointed out, as if Ace was trying to pull a fast one on his grandmother.
“Either way,” he said with a shrug.
“Would you like to come in
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