The sun had already set when Scud walked up the stairs onto the porch to his parents house. The pot cycling his system had the calming effect as planned. Still, he hesitated to knock. Unfortunately his mother's sixth sense had kicked in and she opened the door. "Josh!" Smiling like the rising sun, she embraced her son and he hugged her back. Feeling her shoulder blades sticking out, he worried about her. Her eyes still sparked with life but she felt thin as paper. "Mom. Good to see you" Taking a step back, he cupped his face with her hands and measured him like mom's do. "You need a haircut" she winked and he smiled at her usual joke. Taking him by the hand, she pulled him inside. The clacking of porcelain told him that dinner was either served right now or just over. He hoped for the latter. But no such luck. Lacey just put down a fourth plate, Dad already sitting on the head of the table. "Come, Josh, eat with us!" Making him sit down, Josh hugged his sister sitting next to him. His father eyed him. "Son." Nodding, he faced his already filled plate and started eating. "So, Josh, what's new?" "Nothing much, mom. Work's the usual." "And the women?" "Mom, please" As usual, his mom was worried he'd be alone for the rest of his life. Dad just huffed in fake amusement. "Only a hooker would want to be with someone like him. And he can't afford that. Can you?"
He winked at Josh but the menace beneath the smile, rooted deep in his eyes gave away the seriousness of the words. "Not true. My friend Lindsey thinks you're pretty hot!" Lacey chirped and nudged him with her elbow. Having to snort, he almost chocked on his smashed potatoes "Yeah, right. Just what pedophile me wants" "Josh!" but even his mom had to laugh. She covered her mouth in a ladylike way and Josh could very well imagine the impressive lady she once had been. But the time with her father had taken its tool on her. Still, seeing her laugh like that made his heart jump.
The rest of the dinner was just him, Lace and Mom talking about nothing and anything. Dad was silent, eating away with not much enthusiasm. After the plates where removed from the table, Lacey excused herself. "I got a date!" she was excited. Their parents didn't seem to care much. Funny, that felt familiar. Ok, it was Friday night but she was sixteen. Shouldn't good parents at least ask with whom and where they were going? Well, they hadn't bothered much about Josh back in the day either. No wait, they had bothered at the beginning. Later is was just another reason to beat him up. And Mom? Eyeing her, he saw her looking after her daughter as she disappeared upstairs. Ok, she seemed to care in the way she cared back in the day. Silent, afraid to say anything. Nothing had changed.
Taking a heart, Josh spoke up. "So, was there anything special you wanted to talk to me about?" "Can't a mother have her soon over without a special occasion?" Her words sounded innocent enough but the strain way audible. "Stop it, Bethany! You up-to-no-good-son knows EXCACTLY what this is about!" His father had gotten up from his armchair infront the TV and his demeanor was just as Scud remembered. "Do you really think we are that stupid, SON?!" He made the word son sound like a curse. "I can smell those dirty drugs on you! Don't you dare taking your sister down your filthy road or I will end you, do you hear me?" Without having noticed, Scud had backed up.
But he recovered quickly and took a step forward again, facing his father. "What the fuck are you talking about? I've done nothing but playing her chauffeur!" The two men stood chest to chest and the only thing that stopped this from escalating was Lacey. "Dad, back up!" Dressed in a nice, light summer dress, her long blond hair open, she looked a lot older. Funny enough, Dad seemed to listened to her. "Josh has done nothing but being there for me. And I don't do drugs, you know" Stepping between the two men, she played her 'daddys little girl- card' rather well. Nodding, he stepped back and sat down in his chair like nothing happened. On her way to the door, Lacey patted Scud's shoulder "I'm gonna be back at midnight. Going to the Black Moon with Miranda. See you!" It was beyond Scud how she was able to take these escalations that lightly. Then again, she'd been but a toddler when it had been really bad so the real extend to this might still be unknown to her. The door closed and a surreal silence took over.
Recovering from her little shock, Mom took Josh by the hand and led him to the now empty table. Gesturing to sit down, she kept on holding his hand. Suspiciously eyeing her husband, she swallowed hard before talking to Scud in a hushed voice. "I'm worried about you. You know, people talk and word is that you hang out in that biker bar just outside of town. And that stuff you're smoking...i...i just don't want you to get involved in something bad. You've been doing so well and..." she really looked worried. Before could continue, Dad jumped in "Face it, woman, your offspring is long but beyond 'something bad'. Has been ever since he was 14 and you know it. No need to come up with excuses, son, we know. But don't you dare coming to us for money for your shit. Shoot yourself to high heavens, for all I care" And with a dismissive wave of his hand, his involvement in this conversation was over again. For now.
Looking scared, Mom lowered her voice. "Don't listen to him" she put a little pressure to her hand still holding his. "All I am saying is, please be careful. I don't know your friends aside from Nick but..." "Friend, alright" Dad barked an evil laughter, making it clear that he was listening carefully. "Why his parents never put a hold on this so called 'friendship' is beyond me. They don't seem to care if their son spreads diseases with his behavior" Ah yes, this again. Of course, since Scud never had introduced and of his girlfriends, he had to be gay. Logical assumption. True. Leaning in further, Mom now looked worried. The drawl in Dad's speech pattern pointed to a bottle in his lap, not visible from where Scud and Mom sat. "Just be careful. There's strange things happening in town. I don't want you getting into trouble" "He IS trouble, wife! Unbelievable that this is really my offspring. Are you sure you didn't spread your legs for that hobo we met during our honeymoon. You remember, the one you gave a dollar?" Now Scud had enough He stood up,putting his hands into his sides "That's enough, Dad! Tell me down as much as you like but don't insult the woman who stayed with you even after you became an insufferable asshole!"
Next thing Scud knew was stumbling down the stairs leading away from the porch. His jaw hurt and he faintly registered the door being shut with a huge bang behind him. To sum it up, it hadn't been a too bad evening. Dad had called him worse. Fag, disappointment, loser, wanker, useless waste of space. Oh yes, all those nice things. He got into his car and without even knowing, he drove straight to the infamous bar his dad had just mentioned. The people there accepted him, the ladies loved him. It was more his home than the house he just left might ever had been. A warm feeling floated through his veins as soon as he got out of his car and walked towards the entrance. Light in dim light, the wooden exterior made him feel welcome. It was more than just a bar, though. Once through the door, you could decide whether to walk straight ahead into the real bar, with a pool table and a few other games, round tables and comfortable chairs, rock music playing in the background. Or you could take a left, down the stairs and have a little lapdance. Sure, that stripping was kinda illegal but the ladies were fine ones and the guys usually stuck to the rules. No touching, just watching. Scud didn't feel like that. Yet. He went for the bar and got himself a stool. Gesturing with two fingers, Ben the bartender knew exactly what Scud wanted and got him a glass of whiskey.
