Chapter 17

All For Twenty Dollars

Same night

Drake felt like he was out of his physical body as Audrey and Walter rushed Josh. She

wanted to call an ambulance, but Walter said it wasn't necessary. Drake actually

agreed. He was conscious, he could talk, and he could walk. Albeit a weak walk as he

had to be escorted upstairs by their parents.

"Jesus Christ," Drake wasn't speaking to anyone in particular even though Megan was

still sitting at the kitchen table, "What a Boob he is." Drake forgot that his t-shirt was

puke stained when he put his hands across his chest. He was not thinking when he

wiped his hands on his blue and green checkered sleeping pants.

"Nice going." Megan commented

Drake took his shirt off, but it wouldn't cooperate as he had to fight to get the sweat

lined and vomit soaked t-shirt off his body. "Damn it! What was he thinking?" He opened

the washing machine lid with force and put his shirt in.

Megan walked in the room as Drake had another bout with getting the detergent bottle

open. Was everything going to be difficult tonight?

"Here. Let me." She took the bottle out of his hands and opened it.

"Thanks," he opened the dryer, "Ooh, there's a load in here. Can you please leave

Megan while I change into my jeans?"

"I'll turn around."

It was a strange thing for her to say.

"You aren't scared to be alone are you?"

"Of course not. " Megan noticed the mess around the floor. There were wrappers, fast

food containers, and junk food boxes all over the laundry room floor. "He ate your

Drake's Cakes."

That son of a bitch inhaled the cupcakes that his girlfriend bought for him. When Torey

saw the package of the coffee cakes she had to buy them for him because his name

was on the box.

"You can turn around Megan." Drake put the washing machine on. He was wearing his

jeans and a crisp white t-shirt.

"I'll clean up."

"Just the boxes. I'll get the wet-dry vac."

"And the air freshener."

"If Mom asks I'm throwing away the mop pail."

"Okay." Megan grabbed a heavy-duty garbage bag off the lower shelf.

"Do you know what pisses me off?"

Drake put the aerosol cans of air freshener on top of the dryer and went to plug in the

wet-dry vac.

"I don't know."

"Don't get me wrong, I love him and all, and I'm glad I could save his life. But he was

about to take a coward's way out. It makes Dad's death seem all in vein. He died all for

twenty dollars because a crack addict needed to rob someone for his fix. He was shot

five times while Josh almost chokes on the cupcakes that MY girlfriend bought for me.

And for what, because Mindy Crenshaw is a loon who doesn't know what she wants? If

Spidey Parker were still alive we wouldn't be living this crap right now! Well he can just

go straight to fucking Hell!"

"Drake, that's enough."

Drake looked up to see Walter standing there.

"Where's Megan?" His heart skipped a beat.

"She went upstairs."

"I'm sorry that you had to hear that, Dad. But that's the truth." He unplugged the wet-dry

vac and emptied the gross contents of the plastic crystal compartment into the hand-

washing sink that was one of the reason's why mom chose this house.

"Sit down, Drake." Walter led him back to the kitchen.

"Are you going to give me a lecture?"

"No. I wanted to thank you for your quick thinking tonight. But I'm more concerned about

this anger you are harboring."

Audrey was going to be keeping Josh company all night and she suggested to Walter

that this might be a good time to talk to Drake.

"I don't hate Josh. I'm just frustrated. And I'm angry."

"I think your anger has more to do about your father than it does about Josh."

Walter knew he was treading on dangerous waters here.

"Do. You. Really. Want. To. Have. This. Conversation. With. Me.?" Drake asked Walter

that as if he were a telegraph machine and not a real young man with real emotions.

"I'd like to."

"How nice of you."

"I'm very sorry about the loss of your father. I would never want you or Megan to forget

about Peter."

Drake stood up, "I never would have forgiven Josh if he successfully killed himself. Even

if it was an accident, not after the way my father died."

"Don't walk away, Drake. Sit down, please?"

"I suppose. I have to get my stuff out of the washer in twenty minutes."

"Want some ice cream?"

"Now I see where Josh gets it from. Sorry."

"I know you are in pain, Drake. You are acting just like I did when Jen died."

"Who is Jen?"

"Josh's sister." There was no ice cream left due to Drake's previous sore throat and

Josh's binging.

Drake's eyes widened, "Josh had a sister? He never told me."

Walter put a plate of brownies on the table.

"It's too painful for him to talk about. Do you want a glass of milk?"

"Sure. If you don't mind me asking how did she die?"

"Josh was babysitting his little three year old sister when he was nine. He just turned his

back for a minute, but that's all it takes, and she drowned in the pool." Walter tried not to

get too choked up; there was a time when he couldn't talk about his daughter without

breaking down.

"I'm so sorry."

Drake could relate to this.

He squeezed Drake's hand, "It was an accident. Josh took it very hard no matter how

many times me and his mother tried to assure him that we didn't hate him. It didn't

matter. He still carries it as a burden but can usually get by on his humor to disguise the

situation."

"It explains a great deal."

"No parent in sound mind wants to outlive their child. All I could think about was 'what if

Josh didn't make it?' tonight. I can't thank you enough, Drake. I know you don't see me

as your father. But I do think in spite of it all you are a good kid who wants to do the right

things."

"You're a good man, too, Dad."

The washer beeped to signal that the load was done but Drake remained seated.

There would be no warm embraces or declarations of "I love you" on that balmy August

night, but Walter Nichols and Drake Parker started to bond over shared tragedies.

"Would you like to bring this into the living room and watch a movie on TV?"

Drake took a deep breath as a cracked smile came over his face.

"Sure. Why not?"

Notes: Drake's Cakes are primarily sold on the East coast. For the sake of the story I

used it as a nationwide brand.