Chapter 10

I'll Be Back (again)

Monday—Thirty minutes before the morning school bell at Belleview High

"…but he's still my brother." Josh said to Mindy as they sat in the cafeteria. Belleview

High offered breakfast as well as lunch but most kids especially the ones that were part

of a couple just liked to sit and hang out together.

"After all you told me I can't believe that you didn't disown yourself from him."

"I know he's suffering. Yes, he's done some terrible things. What am I supposed to do?"

"He's been avoiding you. Sandy, Melanie, and their clique will eat Torey alive if she sits

by herself. Besides, Drake still has his guy friends, let him hang with them. I don't see

why you have to ask him to eat with us. Need I remind you, Josh, he not only was rude to

me and grabbed my arm but he also said terrible things about your own mother. Just

because his father is dead is no excuse for him to act like a jerk."

"He wasn't going to hurt you. But you only see this one side of Drake. I know the guy that

gave me all of his Zero Gravity gig money to me because I replaced his guitar that I

ruined, who helped me babysit when I couldn't do it by myself, and who took the rap for

my ill-fated popcorn idea so he'd get fired from the Premiere so I could keep my job.

That's the real Drake. The one that I know."

"Okay. Fair enough. But I also know that Drake used to sell your stuff on Ebay, wrecked

the dune buggy you two were working on, and used you for many night rides after he

was 'nice' enough to pay your parking ticket as well as making you pretend you were

the family chauffer so he could score with some older college chick."

"He's not a bad guy, Mindy. He's apologized for most of those things."

"It is always an empty sorry from Drake Parker. I don't want us to fight about him. Just

think of how awkward it would be for Torey to eat lunch at the same table as your

brother."

"I do agree on that. But you still should know better."

"I cannot believe you, Josh. After all he's pulled in the past three days alone how you can

stick up for him? Didn't you tell me at breakfast this morning he barely talked to you?"

"He's still my brother, Mindy."

It was then that Drake came in the cafeteria with some of his guy friends. Half of them

were barely his friends in the true sense of the word since the 'being surrounded by hot

girls' quotient dropped to nothingness as all the groupie girls started an anti-Drake 'you

can't hang out with him, he isn't cool anymore' Parker wildfire.

Mindy Crenshaw was all about proving a point and when the opportunity showed itself

she grabbed onto it.

"Okay, Josh. There's Drake."

"I can see him."

He felt a fight coming on and he wanted no part of it.

"Come on." Mindy stood up.

She was eager to confirm this. She waited until most of Drake's friends were sitting at

their table and he was alone in line paying for a big cookie.

"Hi, Drake."

"What do you want, Creature?"

"Nothing. Well, that's not entirely true. I have to ask you a question."

"Make it quick."

He had a big day of self-loathing ahead.

"Do you want to eat lunch with Josh this afternoon?"

Drake did not know that Josh was behind him and could hear every word.

"Did he tell you to ask me that? No. I do not want to eat lunch with Josh today. It's bad

enough that we live in the same house and have to share the same room. Goodbye."

Josh didn't want Drake to realize he was in ear shot so he walked as fast as he could to

go back to his and Mindy's table that was on the other end of the cafeteria.

"Josh, Josh, Josh. I hate to be right, I really do. But I love you and that's why I did it."

"Mindy, knock it off. Regardless of how Drake feels about me I'm always going to love

him. And please don't go into stories about how we didn't get along before our parents

got married. We were just kids then. Just stop trying to demonstrate on how bad of a

guy you think Drake is. I think maybe you and Torey should eat lunch together. I don't

think I want to join you, Mindy."

"Calm down, Josh. It was for your own good."

"You want to poison me against my brother. How can that be good?"

He jumped out of his skin as the morning bell rang.

"I'm sorry, Josh. I just don't want to see you get hurt by Drake anymore. You saw what he

did to Torey."

"But that wasn't the Drake I know. We can argue about this until we are blue in the face

but there is no point in that Mindy. "

"I suppose." She relented.

"Good," he kissed her on the cheek, "and I'll eat lunch with you. But I want it on the

record that it should be a table for four and not a table for three."

Josh was certain that if Torey and Drake sat and ate lunch together maybe after awhile

she would at least want to be friends with his brother and that might make him feel

better about the state of things.

Lunch

Drake was good at keeping up a calm public persona. You had to if you wanted to be in

the public eye. He was thinking of a conversation he had with Megan a few weeks ago

on the day he decided to skip school. Drake forgot all about it until he woke up from his

morning doze off in math class today. You would think he could just ask his mother about

it. She would definitely know, but it was just as painful for Audrey to relive the past as it

was for Drake and he didn't want his mother to feel any more heartache then she

already did on the subject. He and Josh did not speak to each other in the halls or in

their shared American history class. Drake couldn't even discuss music with his guy

friends and that included the ones in his band. He was also thinking about Torey and

how beautiful she looked in her dark purple button down blouse and denim skirt. It was

as if they were the only two people in the cafeteria. She was sitting with Josh and Mindy

and barely touching her food.

He didn't think anything of going from one end to the cafeteria to the other through all of

the prying and some laughing eyes of his classmates to try and get her attention one

more time. After all if Spidey Parker could do it.

"Hi, Torey."

"Drake! Leave her alone." Mindy said

"Mindy." Josh advised

"Mindy," Torey stood up. It was time for an emergency chat in the girl's room.

"Damn it," Drake sat down, "Not a word, Josh, not a damn word."

"I didn't say anything, Drake."

Drake stood up, "Good. Keep it that way."

There was something about this that Josh couldn't quite put his finger on. He could

understand Torey's reservations after all it was two strikes with them and no one with a

pure heart would want them to see them get together again only to get to that third

unrecoverable strike if they didn't make it. Still there was something wrong. He couldn't

figure it out. It wasn't Mindy because whenever she would go on an anti-Drake tirade

(like no doubt she was doing in the girl's room!) he would always say that his brother

was a good guy. (Except for last night when he was angry.)

There was something wrong with the picture. Josh didn't know what it was,

but he was beginning to think that would make a real difference to everyone involved if

he just knew how to make it better.

Mindy couldn't wait to tell Josh that after she comforted Torey and helped her reapply

her eyeliner that she took a great delight in reading the graffiti strewn walls and how the

adulation of Drake was crossed off and edited with someone's green Sharpie.

Do Not Call Drake Parker.

Drake Equals Loser.

Drake waited patiently for that bathroom door to open. He didn't care if anyone was

watching. He wasn't afraid of people.

"Torey, you have to talk to me again sometime," Drake tried to ignore the Creature that

was standing in between them, "I'll be back again."

Drake said turning around as the sixth period bell rang.

"Stop bothering Torey. Parker."

"Get bent, Crenshaw."

Yes, Drake would be back again.