FRIDAY…
"Have fun at practice today." Clay gives Bryce a kiss before Bryce walks towards the gym.
Clay just stands there and watches Bryce. All he can feel is love, but at the same time something just feels off. Once Bryce turns the corner he turns to his locker.
"Hey!" Hannah jumps in out of nowhere. "What's wrong?" She instantly notices something is off with Clay.
"Nothing."
"Don't pull that bs on me. Tell me."
"It's just Bryce." Hannah gives him a look to continue. "Well, the past couple of days I feel him pulling away from me."
"It's probably just football and trying to figure out how it all works together."
"Yeah…"
"But you don't think it's that?"
"It's something different."
"Then talk to him."
"I can't just go up to him like that."
"Um… yes, yes you can." Hannah puts her hand on Clay's shoulder and looks him in the eyes. "Just do it. Trust me."
"Okay… I'll talk to him tonight after my parent's surprise."
"Ooooh yeah! That's tonight. Take a video!"
"Yeah…" Clay can't get his mind off it.
"Coffee?"
"Yeah. Sounds great." They leave school together.
HOURS LATER…
"That was really good mom." Clay hands her his dinner plate.
"Yeah. Very tasty." Bryce chimes in.
"Yeah sweetie." Clay's dad goes to the sink and stops her from cleaning the dishes. "I think it's time."
"Yeah. Let's do it." Clay is excited and looks over to Bryce, who's on his phone.
"Hey Bryce." Clay's mom turns around with a big smile on her face.
"Yeah…?" Bryce is a little worried, putting his phone on the table.
"Come with us." She leads everyone through the house and to the garage.
They stop right outside of the garage door. Everyone is smiling, and it creeping Bryce out a bit.
"Am I about to be murdered?" Everyone laughs.
"No…" Bryce's mom puts her hands on his shoulder. "You've been here a couple of weeks now. You've been through a lot. And you've made Clay the happiest I've ever seen him." She looks over to Clay, her eyes getting a little watery. "We've come to see you as family, and really hope that you'll be part of our family for as long as possible. Even if you two don't stay together forever…"
"Mom!" Clay shouts and everyone laughs.
"As I was saying… Even if you two don't stay together, you'll still be a part of this family. We really want to see you succeed. And though our couch is very comfortable, I think we all would rather not have to hear you snoring in the morning." Bryce laughs, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "We really hope this will make your stay, no matter how long it may be, as comfortable as possible." She opens the door and reveals the garage transformed to an amazing bedroom.
"Oh damn!" Clay shouts before Bryce can even make a noise. "Sorry." He looks around as everyone laughs, except Bryce, who is silent and frozen.
"I… I can't accept this. This is too much." He can't stop starring at the room with some stuff from his room from his parent's house and some new touches that really show how well they know him.
"It's really no big deal. We've been planning on making into a room for a while now. We never used it."
"But… Bu… it should go to Clay." He turns to Clay. "This is his house. He should be the one to get this."
"I would, but it's just a bit too big for my taste." He puts his arm around Bryce.
"Really?" Bryce is holding back tears. "Thank you guys so much." He hugs each of them.
"But we're going to have to make some updated rules now that you have a room separate from the rest of the house. Especially about the two of you." Clay's dad chimes in.
"Of course." Bryce gives him a big hug.
"Can you guys leave me and Bryce alone for a minute?" Clay's mom looks at Clay and her husband.
They walk out and close the door. Bryce sits on the bed with Clay's mom. She smiles, looking at him holding tears back.
"As I said, you are family and you will always be allowed here. And this room is always here for you. But I don't want you to feel like you have to stay here."
"Why would I leave? Where else would I go?"
"Well… do you remember much of the day after you came to our house?"
"A bit."
"Remember when Clay and I went to your parents house to grab some stuff for you?"
"Yeah. You guys were very quick. Said you saw my mom for a minute and never saw my dad."
"Well… don't blame Clay because I asked him not to mention it, but that's not completely true. While Clay went to your room, I sat with your mom and talked to her, mother to mother. She… she looked like she hadn't stopped crying…
THAT DAY (in the Walker house)...
"We brought him to the hospital last night when he came to us. He'll be fine." That seems to take a weight off Mrs. Walker's shoulders. "He just needed a cast, some stitches, and lots of rest."
"Let me…" She grabs her bag and begins searching through it. "Let me pay for that. I'm sorry. I'm not normally this unorganized."
"Please." Clay's mom puts her hand on Mrs. Walker's hand. "It's no big deal. I just want to talk to you and you and Bryce. I've told Bryce he can stay with us as long as he needs, and that's completely true. But I"m sure you know it's not a long term solution."
"I know." Mrs. Walker takes a deep breath. "I"m talking to my husband and trying to convince him to let Bryce back."
"I think we both know that that is not a solution." They sit in silence for a minute. "How many times has this happened?" Mrs. Walker looks up in shock, her eyes watery.
"This is the sixth time. And it's not even the worst it's gotten." Clay's mom is shaken by this.
"Then… I don't feel comfortable letting Bryce come back here… at least not until something changed drastically."
"Bu…" She stops herself. "I understand. Thank you for watching after him."
"It's really no big deal. But what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Who's watching after you?" Mrs. Walker sits up, shocked at that response.
"What do you mean? I'm perfect." She puts on this big smile, a smile that's as far from a smile that one can be.
"If you ever change your mind about that I'll be right here. I'm a lawyer and have many friends in the sheriff's department that would be willing to help."
"That's really not necessary." Mrs. Walker stands up and walks over to a table, pulling out a checkbook, writing on it, then ripping a check out before walking back to Clay's mom. "This should more than cover all his medical bills along with anything he may need while at your house."
Clay's mom grabs the check and stands up.
"If you ever want to see your son again. Or even speak to him. Things need to change. Here's my number." She hands Mrs. Walker her business card and turns to the door, Clay coming down with a few bags of stuff. "Go to the car, I'll be right there." Clay walks out.
"Goodbye." She turns to leave.
"Wait." She turns back around. "Please… tell him…"
"He knows. But it's not my job to tell him." Clay's mom walks out, leaving Mrs. Walker standing there in silence, by herself.
PRESENT TIME…
"I didn't hear from your mom again until yesterday."
"Really?" Bryce truly thought the story was over.
"She wanted to let me know that she has separated from your dad. She asked me for a good lawyer. She wanted me to let you know that she wants to meet with you. She wants to talk. But she wants to make sure you are ready for that first. I told her I would tell you and let you make that decision on your own."
"Wow." Bryce is shaken.
"If you don't wish to talk to her that's fine. If you do, then we'll make sure it happens exactly the way you need it to happen. To make you as comfortable as possible."
"Thank you." Bryce hugs her.
"It's really no problem. I'm just sorry I lied to you all this time."
"I understand. You did it because you care about me."
They both take deep breaths and pull themselves together.
"I'm gonna head in. I'll let Clay know you're ready for him." She stands up off the bed.
"Actually," She looks down at him. "I think I just need to be by myself right now. To think."
"Of course. I'll let him know." She leaves the room.
Bryce just sits there, staring a the wall. His mind goes a million miles a minute. He sits there until he's too tired to sit anymore. Then he lays there and thinks. He lays there until he's too tired to stay awake, slowly falling asleep on top of his new bed in his new room.
