Desolate (Riverband #2) (12 page)

"That's also debatable."

He laughed. "Anyway, I told dad he was wrong for thinking that about you. Then we got into a fight. It was stupid, but it pissed me off."

I took a hit off my cigarette. "I don’t need you or anyone trying to get dad to cut me slack or think I’m anything but a screw up."

He opened the door to his truck. "It's what big brother's do."

“Yeah, but I don’t need you to, Garrett. Just let dad hate me.  It’s my fault and I’m just like whatever about it…I really don’t care.”

My phone dinged.

Reese: Did you find Garrett?

Me: Yeah. He was stuffing his face with a double cheeseburger.  Practically making out with the damn thing. And why are you still up? How's your dad?

I got in my truck and followed Garret towards the house.

Reese: My head hurts too bad to sleep and he's asleep. He's talking about looking for houses when the doctor lets him leave here. Well, I love you. I miss you already. Get some sleep.

Me: Driving home now to do that. And don't bitch about me texting and driving. I'm a pro at it. Love you, Princess.

Reese: lol. I love you too. Goodnight.

~~~

I woke up after lunch, thankful that I was suspended. I wouldn't have made it to school anyway.

I sat up and stretched. I heard my phone ding and saw a text from Jude.

Jude: After school we’re hanging out.

Me:  Sounds good, but first I need to see if Reese needs me to come to the hospital. I'll let you know.

Jude: K

I saw a piece of paper hanging on my door.

I furrowed my eyebrows and went over to it.

My youngest son,

You are GROUNDED. Your keys are gone until further notice.

Love,

Mom & Dad

I grabbed my cell off my bed and called mom.

"Hello," mom answered in a sweet tone.

"Grounded?! What's the point of being eighteen if I still can get grounded?!"

"You live under our roof which means our rules."

"And if I move out? Because I can!"

"You could, but you can't. You wouldn't have enough money to travel after school."

She had me there. I'd tough it out here before I tapped into my savings. I hung up on her.

I texted Reese.

Me: I'm hanging out with Jude after he gets out of school.

Reese: All right. Do me a favor, please?

Me: ?

Reese: No drugs pretty please. Oh, and I'm working on your late birthday gift.

Me: Maybe and cool.

Reese: I guess I'll talk to you later.

Me: Love you.

Reese: I love you too, My Prince Charming.

I laughed.  Prince Charming?  Yeah right.  I’m the villain.

~~~

Jude pulled up in his car that was shittier than my truck.  I looked at my truck wondering if we should take it.

He stuck his head out his window. “Oh, hell no.  While she’s running, we take her.”

A storm was rolling and the wind was kicking. I got in and adjusted the seat.

“What's up?” He asked as we bounced down the road.  The shocks were gone.  I was half embarrassed to ride in this thing.

I grabbed the “oh shit” handle as we rounded a curve. “Grounded, but you see how seriously I'm taking it.”

Jude laughed. “Your mom is nice, dude. You should respect her.”

“And my dad?”

"Scares the shit out of me. He doesn't say anything, but when he does, it's all serious and shit."

I laughed and lit a cigarette. "Yeah..."

He started driving towards the River. "How's the mayor?"

“Not great.”

“Damn.”

When we got to the river, got out and sat on the bank. It looked like it would start pouring any minute, but we didn't care.  The humidity was killer.  I was sweating just sitting here.

I looked at Jude.  He lit a joint he pulled from his jean pocket.  He took a hit and passed it to me. I remembered Reese's text but didn't care. I was who I was and she'd either accept it or not. I took a long hit.

"Prom is coming up, and Selena wants me to take her."

I cracked up. "Selena Nixon, the anti-social tatted up bitch of Riverbend High.  You've got to be shittin' me?"

"Yeah, weird right?" He laughed. "But I'm gonna take her."

"So, you and Selena are a thing then?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Our relationship is purely sex. But I like her, though. It’s confusing."

He passed the joint. I took another hit and handed it back to him. "I haven't even thought about prom with everything going on with Jackson and Reese's dad. It’s not really my scene anyway."

"Speaking of that jackass, how are you feelin’?”

"Fine. If I had never done meth before I wouldn't have been prepared for the way it makes you feel the first few days after the high, but I'm good. Just tired.  He gave me too much I think."

An hour passed, and I was stoned out of my mind. The wind picked up and we felt a few sprinkles.  We grabbed our phones and hurried towards his car. 

I waited for him to unlock my door but he just stood at his door.  “What’s the deal?  It’s about to start pouring.”

Jude felt his pockets then looked at the ground around him.  He then put his face to the window and cursed.  “Ummm, my keys are in the car.”

“Well that’s brilliant.”  I looked at my phone. 

We both refused to call for help because we didn't want to get caught being high, so we waited. But then it started pouring and thundering and not just a little.  A lot.   We were drenched in a matter of seconds.  Even if we wanted to text or call for help we couldn’t now.  Our phones were water logged.

Jude was laughing so hard he could barely catch his breath.

Reese was gonna freak when she couldn’t get in touch with me. Jude and I sat down under a tree but there was no point.  It didn’t shield us from the downpour at all.

Jude stood and started looking around.

“What are you looking for?”  I had to yell over the monsoon.

“A large rock!”  He yelled back. He smiled when he found one.

“What are you doing with it?!”

He didn’t answer.  He walked towards his car and busted his window out with it. He got in and I hurried over to get in.  Just as I was sitting down I saw headlights.

"Shiiiiit," I said when I saw it was Garrett's truck.

I looked at Jude. "Are my eyes red?"

Jude laughed. "Naw."

I cursed. "Shit."

It wasn't Garrett but Reese who got out of the truck. She took one look at me frowned.

Jude looked at me.  “You coming with me?”

“No.  See you later.”  Reese walked up to me.  She was soaking as well.  “He locked his keys in car.  Then he busted the window out.”

"I could have unlocked that," Reese said loudly, her frown deepening.

"He's not in his right mind. He'll be pissed tomorrow."

I looked at her. "Why are we out here? It's pouring."

"I thought I'd say bye to my boyfriend before I went back to the hospital, but I see that was a bad idea. Come on I'll give you a ride home."

She started to walk towards the truck.

“I'm not going home,” I shouted as I followed.

"Fine, then where do I need to take you?" She asked not looking at me.

I got in the truck and so did she. "Nowhere. Can we just sit here until the high wears off then I'll go home?"

She nodded and sat there.

Garrett's truck seats were gonna be soaked. I started laughing. He was so picky about his truck. I took off my shirt and threw it in the floorboard. I then took off my jeans and shoes. I leaned over to crank the truck so I could turn on the heat.

"You're being a bitchy little witch princess tonight." I started flipping through the radio stations.

Her hands gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turned white. She then got out of the truck slamming the door behind her and started walking.

Shit. Seriously?
I got out in just my boxers. I took off after her. "You're damn buzz kill. What is your problem?!"

"What is
my
problem?!" She asked in a snapped as she kept walking. "Go back to the truck Havock and have a fun trip."

“Seriously?!” And did she have to use Jackson’s words? 

I moved in front of her. "I didn't ask you to come here, Reese! You came. If you didn't want to see me like this then you shouldn't have come at all! As a matter of fact, you better get used to it because I enjoy it!"

She looked at me and shook her head. "What's so bad about this world that you don't want to be in it?! That you don't want to be with me?!"

I laughed at how stupid this was. I hit my head with the palm of my hand and shook my head. And I swear the rain just started pouring harder. "I enjoy the world and I want to be with you! What does smoking dope have to do with me liking my life and wanting to be with you!? You turn shit into bigger deals than they are!"

She shook her head at me. "You’re right. I'm just a delusional bitch." She started walking again. She was heading back towards town.

"Reese! It's pouring! Just get in the damn truck!"

"No!" She snapped back. "I'd hate to ruin your buzz!"

"It's already ruined! You were a bitch to me the moment you saw me! Just get in the truck! I'll stay here!" The thunder and lightning were so close together there really wasn’t a break anymore.  The wind picked up.

She turned, faced me and poked me hard in the chest. Water poured down her face, mixing with her tears. "Why do you do this? Why can't you just be happy? It's like you start doing better and you’re happy then you say screw it all - I want to prove to everyone that they're right about me!"

"I don't care what people think about me! Maybe drugs are a part of who I am! Accept it or not: I don't care!"

I didn't really mean that. I'd quit anything for her.
Anything.
But I was pissed. I didn't like people telling me what I shouldn't be doing. And when I got pissed, I said things to hurt on purpose.  I was an asshole.  Bottom line.

She took another step towards me and poked at my chest again. "You know what? You wanted me to get a backbone and yell at you, so I’m going to! I love you more than anything, but I can't watch you waste your life because you want to prove to everyone that you don't care what they think or that you don't follow the rules!" She locked her eyes with mine. "Why can't it be enough for me to love you?"