Chasing Butterflies (8 page)

The hot girl
I had to go see was my mom. I promised her I would have dinner with her that night. Dad had been MIA, which was a good thing for me and, well, it bothered Mom.

“Have you seen your father?”

“No. He hasn’t been home?”

She moved her head side to side, so sad I wanted to kill the fuck even more. I was pretty sure it was Aunt Joy’s rules that had scared him off. Still, it was pretty shitty of him to leave Mom the way he did. I had to wonder if her worry over what he was up to was causing her to suddenly look far older.

“What did you do after school?”

I shrugged. “I went and got help to catch me up in my classes.”

Mom’s knowing smile broke up some of the tension I felt for watching her waste away in a bed. I wished we’d never come here.

“Does this have anything to do with a certain girl?”

“She has a boyfriend.”

“Un huh.” She dug into her food, but I knew the subject wasn’t over.

I took a bite, resenting our situation. Aunt Joy was grateful we took our meals in Mom’s room and not in the dining room.

“It’s not like she’s married. Maybe she likes you too.”

The conversation differed far greatly than the one we had yesterday.

“Maybe she’s not, but the guy she’s dating doesn’t see it that way. He gave her a ring, and she wears it like she’s married.”

Could this be any more unreal? Then again, with Sandy gone, who did I have to talk about girls with?

She patted my hand. “Regardless, she’d be lucky to date you. You should bring her by so I can meet her.”

My denial of that request was evident. I shook my head.

“Why not? It may be the—”

She stopped herself, but we both knew how that sentence ended.

“You’re getting out of here. I’m going to break you out. Maybe we can go sit by the pool this weekend.”

“Maybe.”

I decided to ask another question. Normally I didn’t pry, but I didn’t want to talk about Lenny anymore.

“Why doesn’t Aunt Joy have kids?”

“She can’t have them, and she found a husband who didn’t want them.”

Our conversation died after that. I lay in my bed last night, the only piece of furniture we’d brought from Galveston. I needed to get a job so I could help Mom pay for a place of our own. Being where we were wasn’t helping her at all. I wanted to move back to Galveston. I’d talk to Mom about it. I could take care of her and go to school at night.

The door to my room banged open, and I stared at the darkened figure in the doorway. Rain fell hard, and he dripped water on the floor as he came forward. Bile rushed to my throat because it was bad.

“Where is it, boy? Where’s the money? Your mom says she gave it back to you.”

The money I’d saved and had given to Mom, she had in fact returned it to me that night. But there was no way in hell I would give it to him as he swayed forward, slurring his words.

I’d grown, but not enough. He took a fistful of my shirt and hauled me to my feet. His beer stained breath blew in my face with each of his words.

“Give me the fucking money, Kelley.”

Trying to push him off me didn’t work. He only laughed when I swung wildly with little distance between us. He let go of me next, sending me stumbling a few steps back. With everything I had, I connected a right with his jaw.

He shook his head and said, “Bad for you.”

The warning was apt. He took one step forward, closing me in with nowhere to go. I raised my arm to protect myself and braced for the blow to come. It was better than taking a punch and leaving myself open. He wasn’t that drunk as his fist came straight at me like a sledgehammer. The crunch only confirmed he’d broken something in my face. But the lights went out, and I had a vague sense of falling.

I woke up face down and rolled, realizing my mistake too late. My ribs ached. Dad must have kicked me while I was down. Light poured into the room, and I shifted my head to see shit everywhere. He must have torn up my room searching for money. I groaned and rolled back to my stomach. Lifting my head up, I saw the nightstand still had the lamp on it. It glowed and remained untouched. I scooted across the floor and reached out a hand underneath and found the sealed bag still taped there. I sighed and lay there a few moments longer.

When I was able to prop myself up, I carefully removed my shirt and wiped my face and floor. Then I slowly got to my feet and staggered to the door to toss the smelly shirt on the landing just outside. I turned to face the damage. The mattress was tossed, along with everything else. I went to the mini fridge, the only good thing my aunt had provided. I righted it, suppressing a groan when sharp pain darted across my chest. I put the few bottles of water and napkins full of leftovers back inside. I cracked out one bottle of water and drank.

Then I forced myself to straighten the bed where I flopped back down, deciding school was out. I didn’t have a mirror, but I knew my face was shit. I forced my eyes closed and willed myself to sleep. I had no clock and no idea what the time was.

Some time later, a hand patted my shoulder. I blinked, praying it wasn’t my dad for a second round.

“Kelley, what happened?”

Mom came into focus. “What are you doing out of bed?” I asked, scrambling to sit up.

“I’m not dead, and I was worried about you. Your aunt said the school called and you hadn’t shown up.” I closed my eyes. Cool fingers pushed at my hair. “He did this, didn’t he? Damn him.”

I didn’t answer. Mom was in no position to fix it. “I’m okay.”

“No, you’re not. He won’t be allowed back here. We aren’t alone anymore.”

She was dreaming. My aunt wouldn’t do anything, and my uncle was more like a scared rabbit. Dad would eat him alive.

“I’m going to get some ice. I’ll be back.”

“Mom, it’s okay.” I tried to get up and my ribs made me go back down. I pressed a hand to the sharp pain.

Mom was back. “Are they broken?”

I shook my head. “I’m okay.”

“We need to get you to a hospital.”

“No, we don’t have the money.”

“You let me worry about that.”

She hobbled out the door, and I saw how she struggled to walk. The disease that brought us there was taking hold. I felt so fucking useless because I couldn’t help her.

Some time later, Mom came in with a stranger.

“Kelley, I’ve brought a doctor to see you.”

Next thing I knew, the man sat on the side of the bed, ignoring the destruction in the room. He poked and prodded me before declaring I would be fine with rest.

“Nothing appears to be broken,” he said wearily.

“What about my chest? It hurts,” I mumbled.

He turned his attention back to me. “Does it hurt to breathe?”

I took in a breath and winced. “A little.”

“Most likely they are bruised. If the pain worsens over the day or you have a harder time breathing, then I suggest you go to the emergency room.”

“My nose?” I touched the bridge of it and closed my eyes. I ached all over.

“Again, it looks fine, although swollen. You can ice it, but if it is broken, there is nothing we can do but let it heal on its own. It’s not out of alignment, so it’s just a matter of time.”

“Can you give us a minute?” Mom asked.

“Sure,” the doctor said, surveying the damage of the room. “You took quite the fall.”

So that was the story they were spinning. He stepped outside and headed downstairs.

“Who is he?” I asked.

“He’s the doctor Joy hired to come check on me.”

I nodded. She pulled a cooler I hadn’t noticed over toward the bed. The doctor must have carried it. “There are some ice packs in here. Your meals will be brought to you by Carla. You should rest.” She took a pill bottle from her pocket. “And take these for the pain. I’ll come check on you later.”

“Don’t,” I said. “You don’t need to keep walking up and down the stairs, Mom. You need rest so we can get out of here and get our own place.”

Her eyes didn’t carry the smile her mouth did. “You’re my baby. And there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

I wanted to say except leaving Dad, but I didn’t.

She opened the bottle and handed me two pills. She shuffled over to the fridge and handed me a bottle of water. I had no choice but to take the medicine as it didn’t look like she would leave until I did.

I closed my eyes and listened to her unhurried steps as she navigated walking when her muscles didn’t want to cooperate. It was hard for me not to jump up and try to carry her back to her room. I would have if merely sitting up didn’t cause massive pain. So I sank into my sleep as a dark-haired girl filled my thoughts.

Clearly, I was
becoming borderline obsessive. Every day I’d been searching for Kelley. I had to return his book, I told myself. There wasn’t another reason I wanted to see him.

Finally after school, I turned to Debbie. “Have you seen Kelley?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“He left his book in tutoring, and I want to return it.” I tried for innocence, but I could tell she wasn’t buying it.

“Does Ox know you’re spending time with him?”

I took a step back. “What does it matter? There is nothing going on between us. I tutor a lot of people, and I don’t need Ox’s permission to do so.”

“I haven’t seen Kelley,” she said. “Are you still going out with Ox tonight?”

The divide between us never felt greater. I wasn’t sure I could trust the girl I’d grown up with. She acted as though aliens had taken over her body.

“Yes,” I said.

She lopped off, and I was left to wonder if our friendship would survive the year. She always came over, and we got ready together. That wasn’t her plan tonight.

I didn’t bother to go to my locker. I kept Kelley’s book in my backpack and headed outside where Mom waited to take me home.

Later that night, I stood in front of the mirror, not really wanting to go out with Ox. Mom called upstairs when he arrived. I smoothed the front of my dress down, wishing for jeans. Ox said we were going to a fancy dinner. I didn’t think sneakers would be seen as fashionable in those types of places.

Downstairs, Ox stood smiling at me. “You look beautiful, Lenny.”

“Thanks.” I felt a blush creep on my face. The way he stared, I believe him.

“You kids have fun tonight,” Mom said. Dad gave a grunt in the living room. He was watching something on TV that was far more important. He’d seen Ox and me go out plenty of times.

We didn’t end up at a restaurant. Instead, he parked in front of someone’s house.

“I thought we were going to dinner.”

He grinned as if he had the best kept secret. “I told your parents that so they wouldn’t get suspicious.”

“Suspicious of what?”

Instead of answering me, he got out of the car and came to my other side where I stayed. I wasn’t waiting for him to open my door. I was trying to decide if I wanted to go along with his harebrained scheme. There were several cars lined on the street.

He opened my door, and I glared at him. “I thought the party wasn’t until tomorrow.”

“It isn’t.”

“So what’s this?”

He took the arm I’d used to wave around to prove that all of the cars surely looked like a party to me. He yanked me to my feet, and I collided with his chest.

“It’s just a few guys and their girls. Nothing big.”

Somehow, I let him guide me in the house where burly football players and several cheerleaders sat around with plastic cups.

“Don’t you have a game tomorrow?” I whispered.

He shrugged, keeping a hold of my hand. “Let’s get you a drink.”

The cup cradled in my hand cooled my palm as I pretended to be interested in drinking. Guys were trading stories about the nasty things they did to unsuspecting freshmen. The girls laughed, and I wore a hesitant smile, trying to figure a way out of this.

I sat cradled between Ox’s legs and held in place by his big arms. I pretended to drink but took nothing more than a sip over the last hour if I could guess.

More people started to show up, including Debbie. She barely glanced in my direction as she sat with the rest of the cheerleaders. I took the opportunity to get away while Ox was otherwise occupied with his friends. I walked outside and sat on the porch after the last round of people came in. Music started and things were getting rowdy.

My phone screen remained dark as I considered calling my parents to pick me up. Ox wouldn’t be in any condition to drive me home. And I didn’t plan on becoming a statistic.

Far down the street, I saw a figure dragging a trash can to the curb. I squinted to see, mainly because there was no other movement. Things were pretty quiet outside despite the music. Ox’s house held most of the sound in.

Then the figure stepped under the glow of a street lamp. I wasn’t sure, but he looked a lot like Kelley. Without thinking, I jumped to my feet and hesitantly moved quickly down the lawn, holding back from a full out run. He disappeared into the shadows, but I knew which house he’d come from.

The mini mansions had sprawling yards, so he had fully disappeared before I got halfway there. By the time I came to a stuttering stop, he stepped out with another trash can. I froze, unable to form words. He hadn’t been in school the rest of the week, and I could see why.

“What happened?” I breathed.

He stopped short and glanced in my direction as if he hadn’t noticed me until that moment. His eyes narrowed and glanced over my shoulder.

“What are you doing here?”

“I—I’m here for a party,” I stuttered.

“Ain’t no party here.”

“Ain’t isn’t a word. And I know you know that. I’ve seen your class schedule, remember?”

He shrugged. “You still haven’t answered the question.”

“Ox is having a party at his house.”

I felt totally off balance. He didn’t seem angry, but he also didn’t seem happy about me being there.

“You should get back there.”

There were many reasons for me to heed his advice. Instead, I stepped into his space and lifted my hand. “Who did this to you?”

He stepped back, and I let my hand fall.

“None of your concern. Go back to the ball, princess. You won’t find any castles or princes here.”

“Princess,” I snapped. “You should talk. I don’t live in a house anywhere as big as this.”

His words were sharp and took me by surprise. “I don’t either. I’m barely tolerated as a guest. Don’t make judgments on what you don’t know. I’m two steps away from living on the street if my aunt kicks us out. And you want to know the truth? I’d feel more at home on the streets than I do here.”

He turned away and started off. But I couldn’t let it go. I followed him, because damn it, that was more information than he’d ever shared about himself.

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

He spun to face me. “You want to know who did this to me? Dear old Dad wanted cash I’d earned to buy beer and whatever else he’s into. When I didn’t give it to him, he commenced teaching me a lesson about who was in charge.”

With his arms folded across his chest, he held my gaze in defiance to anything I might have to say.

“That’s fucked up.” Normally, I didn’t curse. But his words hit me much like his father had beaten him. Surprisingly, he laughed. “What’s funny?” I didn’t understand why what I said would cause a burst of real laughter from him.

“That word sounds funny coming from you,” he said.

“What, fuck?” There, I’d said it again. Probably more times than I ever had in one day.

His head fell back and the belly ache of chuckles made me smile.

“I curse.”

“Sure you do. I bet you don’t even know what that word means. Or do you let Ox touch you down there until you scream?”

My jaw hit the pavement.

“That’s what I thought. Go back to your boyfriend, Lenora.”

“How do you know my name?” He’d called me Lenny like everyone else. He wasn’t in any of my classes.

“You’d be surprised what I know about you.”