Isolation (3 page)

Especial y a fight having to do with all the weird shit that‘s been going on.

―Oh, yeah?‖ he says, drumming his fingers against the table. ―Did you have anything

good?‖

―No,‖ I say, figuring it‘s better to keep it simple. If I start telling him about some made up meal, he might start asking more questions. And if he starts asking more questions, I might not have answers.

―Real y? Did Adrianna – ‖

―Listen,‖ I say, cutting him off. ―We need to – ―

But before I can finish, a huge crash comes from the kitchen, followed by the sound of my mom screaming. Cam and I look at each other, and then go running.

When we get to the kitchen, Cam‘s mom is on the floor, her dress hiked up around her shoulders, revealing a pair of huge white underwear. She‘s laughing and trying to push her dress down.

―Are you okay?‖ my mom‘s asking. She looks up as Cam rushes over to his mom and

kneels down on the floor. ―She was… she just sort of stumbled into the bowl of carrots.‖ She looks at the bowl, which is now on the floor, upside down, with a bunch of carrots scattered around it. Damn. I love carrots.

Now I‘m going to be stuck eating the corn.

―I‘m so clumsy!‖ Sheila says, sitting up. She‘s giggling, like she‘s a toddler who‘s just learned to walk, instead of a drunk middle-aged woman who‘s at the house of her son‘s girlfriend and should be on her best behavior.

―Mom,‖ Cam says, ―Come on, get up.‖ He puts his hand out and pulls her off the floor.

―Wow,‖ she says, stumbling a little in her high shoes.

―How

embarrassing.‖

She

doesn‘t

look

embarrassed, though. She looks like she‘s having fun.

―Well !‖ I say brightly. ―I think we should probably start eating dinner now, don‘t you?‖

―I‘m starving!‖ Sheila declares, following Cam happily into the dining room.

When she sees the table, she gasps. ―Gorgeous!‖

she says, ―Just gorgeous!‖ She picks up one of the napkins. ―When I was a waitress in high school we used to make swans out of the napkins. It was a real hit with the customers.‖ She starts to fold up one side.

―Hmmm, I‘m not sure if I remember…‖

―Natalia,‖ my mom says, ―Why don‘t you come and help me bring out the food?‖

I follow her into the kitchen. As soon as we‘re out of earshot, she starts. ―Jesus, Natalia,‖

she says, ―You didn‘t tell me she was a drunk.‖

―She‘s not a
drunk,”
I say, not real y sure if she is or not. I mean, just because she‘s drunk right now doesn‘t necessarily mean she‘s a drunk. She could just be one of those people who drinks on the weekends, after a stressful week at work. Although I guess if you think it‘s okay to show up to a dinner three sheets to the wind, it probably does indicate some sort of alcohol problem.

My mom opens the oven and pulls out the ham, then sets it down careful y on the

counter. She takes off the oven mitts and starts to carve the meat.

―I real y hope her problem isn‘t genetic,‖ my mom says. She gives me a pointed look, like she‘s imagining Cam turning out to be some kind of crazy alcoholic who leaves me home alone with our five children while he‘s out at the bars.

I decide to ignore her, and get busy gathering up the bowl of mashed potatoes.

When my mom‘s done cutting the ham, she picks up the platter, and we head into the

dining room.

―It smells delicious,‖ Sheila says. ―I can‘t even believe you made all this food!‖

She reaches over and picks up some ham, then plops it on her plate without even waiting for me and my mom to sit down.

Cam‘s sitting next to her, looking sullen. God, this was a horrible idea. What was I thinking, letting Cam bring his mom over here?

―Hmmm,‖ Sheila says, looking at her ham in distaste.

―What‘s wrong with this glaze? It‘s a little too sweet.‖

***

The rest of the dinner doesn‘t improve. Sheila alternates between making weird, borderline rude comments about the food, and gushing about how good it is. She drops her fork on the floor. She knocks a glass of water all over the table. She gets up to go to the bathroom and almost fall s again. ―Well ,‖ my mom says, when we‘re through eating.

―That was a nice time.‖ She doesn‘t make any mention of dessert. And Sheila either

forgot she brought some dusty truffles, or doesn‘t care. Which is good, because if I‘m being completely honest, I would have been a little afraid to eat them.

―Yes, a very good time,‖ I lie. I get up and start to clear the table. To my surprise, Cam gets up, too, picks up his plate and his mom‘s, and follows me to the kitchen. Of course, that means leaving the moms alone, which is pretty dangerous, but whatever.

―That was fun,‖ Cam says, dumping the rest of his dinner into the garbage. He hardly touched his food.

―Yeah, total y fun,‖ I say. ―I had, like, the best time ever. Do you think our moms are going to become BFF?‖ I‘m trying to lighten the mood, but Cam doesn‘t say anything. He just crosses the kitchen and puts the plates he‘s holding into the sink.

―So,‖ I say, ―Um, do you want to do something tonight?‖ I real y want to talk to him about what happened today, going to see Brody, the iPad he gave me. I can‘t do it now, because our moms are right in the next room.

―Why did you lie about going to lunch with Adrianna?‖ Cam asks. He leans back against the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. I swallow hard, and feel my face get hot. Shit, shit, shit.

―Cam – ― I start, but before I can explain, he cuts me off.

―Were you with Brody?‖ His eyes are flashing, like just the mention of Brody‘s name is making him angry.

―Cam, ― I say, taking a step toward him. ―Look, let‘s hang out after this. You could take your mom home and then we‘ll --- ―

―Answer the question,‖ he says. ―Were. You. With.

Brody?‖

―Yes,‖ I say, ―I was with Brody. But it was --―

―Thanks,‖ he says, turning his back on me. ―That‘s all I needed to know.‖ He takes a few steps toward the dining room. ―Mom!‖ he cal s, ―Are you ready? We should get out of here.‖

―Yes, Cam,‖ she says, bustling into the kitchen.

―Sorry we have to run like this,‖

she says to my mom, who‘s following her, ―Next time we‘ll make sure to stay a little longer.‖

―Don‘t worry about it,‖ my mom says, looking relieved that they‘re taking off.

She was probably trying to figure out a way to get rid of them. But I guess I saved her the trouble. Once Cam found out I was lying, he wanted to get out of here on his own.

Cam‘s phone rings, and he pulls it out of his pocket and looks down at the caller ID. I watch his face careful y. It‘s a mixture of fear and annoyance, with a flash of guilt, like he‘s just been caught doing something wrong. I try not to let my eyes flicker down to his phone, but I can‘t help it. I see the number.

555-6123. It‘s not a number I recognize.

―I‘ll meet you in the car,‖ he says to his mom, and then turns on his heel and walks away.

I see him answering the cal as he walks out the front door. I swallow around the lump in my throat, wondering if I should go after him.

―Oh no!‖ Sheila cries suddenly, putting her huge straw hat back on her head.

―What about dessert?‖

―Oh, well , I‘m stuffed,‖ my mom says. She pats her stomach and looks at me with her eyebrows raised.

―Yeah, me too,‖ I say. Who the hell is Cam on the phone with? And why did he leave

like that? Was it because he‘s pissed at me for lying? Or was he trying to keep me from seeing who he was talking to? And if he
was
trying to keep me from seeing, why would he do that?
The
same reason you didn"t tell
him about Brody,
a little voice in my head whispers.

―Well !‖ Sheila says. She reaches over and picks up the truffles from where they‘re

sitting on the counter.

―You won‘t mind if I just take these with me now will you?‖

―No, not at all ,‖ my mom says, starting to sort of push her toward the front door.

―It was so great to final y meet Raine‘s mom,‖ Sheila says.

―Yes, great to meet you too,‖ my mom says. If she‘s wondering who Raine is, she doesn‘t say anything.

Probably figures it‘s just the ramblings of a drunk, crazy woman. Which it is.

―Bye, Natalia!‖ Sheila says, getting her mental faculties back enough to remember my name.

As soon as the door shuts behind her, my mom gives me a look. ―Well !‖ she says, ―That was interesting.‖ She heads toward the kitchen, probably knowing better than to discuss it right now.

I look out the front window as Cam‘s mom makes her way toward Cam‘s truck.

He‘s sitting in the driver‘s seat, still on the phone. He ends the cal just as his mom gets in, and then he pulls out of the driveway, that same weird look on his face.

And I just stand there, watching him go.

Chapter Three

Campbell

The conversation with Hadley is pretty short and to the point. She tells me we need to leave town.

―Why?‖ I ask. ―And where are we going?‖ I‘m sitting in my car in front of Natalia‘s

house, watching my mom walk unsteadily down the front walkway.

―I‘ll explain more on the way,‖ Hadley says. ―But it‘s for your safety. And Natalia‘s.‖

―How long will I be gone for? What am I supposed to tell my mom?‖ Not that I care

much about what my mom thinks after the way she acted tonight. What a humiliation. Natalia‘s mom probably thinks we‘re a couple of hillbillies.

―I don‘t know, Cam,‖ Hadley says. She sighs, like she can‘t believe she has to take care of everything.

―Get in a fight with her and tell her you‘re going to visit your dad or something. Didn‘t you say he lives in Maine?‖

I hesitate.

―You know I can make you come with me,‖ she says.

―You can‘t keep me under a spell forever.‖

―I can keep you under my power long enough, if I need to. And there are others, more powerful than me who can help.‖

―What others?‖

―People who can give you the answers you‘re looking for. I‘ll take you to meet some of them.

Knowledge is power, Cam.‖ This perks my interest, and I want to ask her more. But at that moment, my mom somehow manages to open the car door and fall into the passenger seat.

She has a goofy grin on her face, and her hat is titled at a weird angle.

―I‘ve got to go,‖ I tell Hadley.

―Meet me at my house in half an hour,‖ she says. I don‘t bother pretending that I won‘t.

I get off the phone and start to pull out of the driveway.

The car is quiet for a

long moment and my mother just stares out the window, her head swaying like one of

those bobble head dolls.

―Cam, Cam, Cam,‖ my mom says out of nowhere.

I can barely look at her after the way she acted at dinner. ―Mom, mom, mom,‖ I respond with an obvious sarcasm that she ignores.

―I know you‘re going to hate me for saying this, but…I think I prefer Raine for you.‖

―Great, Mom.‖ I‘m starting to speed and I force myself to slow down.

―Listen, I know you and Raine have had some sort of falling out. At least, you said you‘re no longer an item. But when I see the two of you together—―

―You‘ve never seen the two of us together.‖

―In my mind I have. I know Raine and I know you. It‘s so perfect, you‘d have the most adorable, gorgeous, athletic children!‖

I glance over at her. ―You need to give it a rest.‖

―And Natalia. She‘s a nice girl, Cam, don‘t get me wrong. But a little bit common, no?‖

“Common?”

―Raine comes from high class stock. Her family is wealthy…. cultured. A boy like you would be taking a big step up marrying a girl like Raine.‖

―What is this, Pride and Prejudice? We‘re not living in the eighteen hundreds. I don‘t need to raise my stock by marrying a blue blood.‖

Mom laughs. ―That‘s where you‘re wrong. Moving up the ladder is always a good thing

in life. Always. And frankly, Natalia would be a big step down for you, Cam.‖

I look at her and feel a grimace cross my face. As much as my mom aggravates, frustrates and saddens me—I do love her. But now, for maybe the first time ever, I honestly hate her a little. Even if I‘m angry at Natalia for lying to me, even if we can‘t be together—hearing my mother talk badly about her makes me sick to my stomach.

But whatever. It doesn‘t even matter. Things are changing fast and I have bigger

problems than what my mom thinks of Natalia. Still , this conversation provides the obvious fight I need to have to give me an excuse to leave.

―How can you honestly sit here and pretend to give me relationship advice after you‘ve done nothing but fail at every relationship you‘ve had?‖ I say.

She recoils as if I‘ve hit her. ―Well …life is complicated. I‘m trying to give you the benefit of my experience.‖

I chuckle without humor. ―Oh, that‘s a good one. Your life experience of being

completely shitfaced when you‘re not working or sleeping?‖

―Do
not
speak to me that way.‖

―Don‘t try and play the parent card with me when you can barely get through the day

without a drink. You screwed your marriage and now you‘re trying to screw with me and my girlfriend.‖

We pull into our driveway and I park the car but leave it running.

―I‘ve made a mistake or two, but that doesn‘t give you the right to belittle and insult me,‖

she says, ―I‘m still your mother.‖

―Could have fooled me. Doesn‘t a mother actual y attend her son‘s football games when he‘s captain of the team?‖ I get out of the car before she can answer and walk purposeful y into the house and up to my room, where I pack a bag as quickly as possible with clothes, deodorant, toothbrush. Enough stuff to last for a few days.

My mom‘s coming in as I head down the stairs with the bag.

―Where are you going?‖ she asks.

―To dad‘s. I might be there for most of the week.‖

―You have school!‖

―I can afford to miss a class or two. I need to get out of here.‖

She looks tired and beaten down. ―I‘m—I‘m sorry if I said unfair and unkind things about Natalia.‖