Leftovers
Drake's first person POVThanksgiving 2005
I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that this is going to be the last time our
whole family shares a holiday meal together for a very long time. Christmas is a
month away, but I still have that dreaded feeling. Mom invited Wal—Dad to join us. I
really don't get the insides of her head. Audrey and Walter just stalled like an old,
beat up car that gasps for its last breath on a hill until it just stops in the middle of
the mid afternoon traffic. I mean I almost want one of them to call a lawyer at this
point. I'll sulk and brood for a while and get lost in my own guitar world and then I'll
accept it.
Megan isn't even herself. I think the poor kid is worn out. I almost want to get paint
poured over me, wrapped in silly string, or mildly electrocuted. I don't want her to
lose her spark. No pun intended.
Mom is too overly polite and compensating today. She knows this is a charade and
she knows everyone here knows it is. I don't want to have a happy holiday. I'm not
even hungry for this big meal. I'd rather just go to the pumpkin pie. (With whipped
cream).
Dad you can tell (or at least I can tell, because I've been in that spot before) wants
the relationship back. But it's all up to Mom who is being so immovable on the
subject. I hate Josh for the rift he caused between our parents.
I also wish that Spidey could be with us. That's not to say I don't want Dad here. I just
wish that Peter could be here.
Josh. Ick. Yeah, it pains me to think it. But, It's for the best. How he can sit there and
eat a turkey leg like he's Henry the fricking Eighth (yeah, I didn't fall asleep in all of
my classes) is beyond me. He's compensating too. Just in a different way. Do I care
if he should go in the bathroom to puke it all up later? Not really. I'm done caring
about him. In my eyes, the only sibling I have is a sister.
And then there's Torey. I wanted to invite her over for dinner even before my mother
suggested it. I look at her and think I'm the luckiest guy in the world, but after what
happened the morning after the Halloween dance with her trying to get me into a
junior college so I can "apply myself" to some dreary nine to five job because my
music is just "a hobby" that I cannot make a living doing is what sometimes keeps
me up at night. Because I do love her very much.
I'm still saving money for the ring.
I even know the ring I want to buy her. It's a white gold band with a sapphire heart
and two diamond chips in mini heart shapes on the side. I even know what I want to
get engraved inside the band.
The ring is gorgeous like me on a great hair day.
But I don't know if I can give her the ring on Christmas like I had planned. I think
romance is supposed to be complicated. If that's true then we are experts in our
field.
She stroked my thigh with her hand from under the table and I turn to mush.
The truth is the idea of our first time scares me too. I don't want to hurt her. I don't
want her to think of the terrible violating things her father did to her when the night
comes for us to be intimate. Of course no average teenage boy likes being a virgin,
but I want my first time to be with Torey. I just hope it won't be our only time.
I don't know if we are going to make it passed high school. I keep thinking about that
Saturday afternoon. Torey had way too many things mapped out for us. Things that
she knew I wouldn't be happy with. I know she had my best interests at heart. But it's
a little unsettling. She said she was sorry and I believe that to be the truth. After we
ate our doughnuts and finished the Chocolate Mocha Swirl Coffee we just went back
to her room to make out and cuddle.
Those are the times that feel right to me.
Back to third person
Josh excused himself before the pumpkin pie. He was working at the Premiere and
he didn't want to be late. Drake thought that was bogus. Yeah, the Premiere was
open, but Josh didn't skip dessert because he didn't want to be late for work. He
skipped dessert because he was a jerkwad who couldn't handle life. Drake always
managed to get his holidays off. It must have been his winning smile and charisma
combo. He was going to have to work some on Christmas Eve though. Ralph's was
closed, but Torey did have to work tomorrow morning bright and early, as it was Black
Friday. When every store in America from grocery to mall hoped that their accounting
books would be in the black and not in the red.
"I was surprised that you don't have any gigs lined up for tonight?" She cut through the
pie with her fork.
And Drake knew that Torey did not mean it in the after Halloween dance argument
way, but he still couldn't help but feel uncertain again. He wished that his mind could
accept that as the general question that it was.
"I think we might be doing something during Christmas."
Megan left with her pie plate when she thought no one was looking but Drake saw her
leave.
"And maybe I'll get to see you play. My work schedule never seems to allow it."
"It's all right. Damn," he whispered as he scraped the dollop of whipped cream off his
pie with the side of his fork.
"What is it, Drake?"
"See how everyone just left? Well, Josh I don't care about. But Mom went one way and
Dad went the other. It just sucks."
He pushed his plate away.
Torey held his hand. "I know. Maybe, I should do the dishes for your Mom?"
"You dry. I'll wash."
"Okay." She wouldn't press the issue on why he would rather she dry the dishes than
wash them.
Torey wouldn't mention that the thought of them washing dishes together reminded
her of Leave it to Beaver reruns on TVLand she didn't want Drake to think that she
expected him to get a job and wear his binding suit and tie at home like Ward
Cleaver.
"Where are you going, Dad?" Drake asked Walter who came in the kitchen just as he
and Torey were finishing cleaning up, "I don't think Mom would mind if you stayed."
Torey noticed Drake was strangling the dishtowel he was drying his hands with.
"It's nothing like that, son. I have to do the weather at six o'clock."
You took a vacation day off for Thanksgiving and Christmas ever since you married
Mom.
I HATE YOU, JOSH!
"Right."
Walter figured it would embarrass Drake if he hugged him in front of Torey so he just
gave him the shoulder squeeze.
"I'll see you later. Bye, Torey."
"Bye, Mr. Nichols."
She watched Drake release the towel from his hand land on the countertop. The
veins in his right hand were throbbing and not in the cool sense of being in the middle
of an awesome guitar solo but from a frustration that he didn't quite know how to
ease.
"Torey, can you grab one of those plastic containers in the cupboard where Mom
keeps the serving bowls?"
"Sure. Why?"
"Because for one fucking moment I want this holiday to be happy." Drake replied
softly.
He walked over to his girlfriend to kiss her on the cheek and to get a hug, but Torey
had a twisting feeling inside her that ever since the morning after the Halloween
dance she wasn't the be all/end all salve that soothed Drake's soul that she used to
be.
"It'll be okay, Drake," She gave him another kiss on the cheek before she got the
container that he wanted, "What are you going to put in here?"
"Leftovers." Even if he did have to take everything out of the refrigerator that he
recently put in. It was still something that he felt that he had to do since his mother
didn't bother and you really think that she would have.
Someone had to care about this family.
Chuck O'Hearly was the sixty-seven year old security guard at KDJY. He was
surprised to see Walter Nichols' stepson and his pretty young girlfriend come to the
desk.
"How are you, Drake?"
"Fine." Drake showed the contents of the paper bag he was carrying before he could
ask him to open it.
What was he going to do tell his life story to the security guard?
"Would you please open your purse, Miss?"
Another example of the post 9/11 world.
"Sure."
Chuck handed each of them a blue visitor sticker to put on their shirts.
"I think you are the best." Torey said when they got the elevator.
"Thanks." He pressed number four once they got inside.
"I'm afraid you can't see your dad. The news team was called in for an impromptu
meeting." The receptionist said in an I-wish-you-kids-would-go-away-you're-keeping-
me-from-my-paperback-reading-tone.
"That's fine. May I have a piece of paper and some tape?"
"Sure." The receptionist coldly put the items in front of him and Drake was too
stubborn to say 'thank you'.
Torey handed Drake one of her scented pens. It was cherry.
Dad,
You can't have a Thanksgiving without leftovers.
Drake
Drake took the container out of the bag and taped the note to it before putting it back
inside.
"Make sure Walter Nichols gets this."
"I will."
Torey held Drake's hand in the elevator. It was ice-cold.
"You know what I always wanted to do?"
She had to do it quickly since they were on the fourth floor.
"What?"
She pressed the red stop button. That got a smile on Drake's face.
"Well?" Torey asked
"You want to kiss in an elevator?"
"Yeah," she put her arms around Drake's waist, "Do you mind?"
"Mind? No. I think that's a good idea."
"But what about the security guards in the room with all of the monitors?"
"Well they're about to see a young couple kiss," Drake's eyes scanned for the mini
camera that was on the top of the ceiling as he proceeded to give a wave, "We'll
show you guys how it's done."
Two happy moments were better than nothing Drake thought as he and Torey had a
five-minute kiss-fest in the stopped elevator. He did think of going inside the back of
her pumpkin colored v-neck sweater but he didn't want to give the guards that show.
"Drake," Torey rested her head on his shoulder, "Do you feel better?"
"Yeah, I do."
He felt a vibration and almost forgot he had his cell phone clipped to his jeans.
It was a text message from Walter:
Thanks, Drake
Love, Dad
"Are you ready to go now?"
"Yeah."
She pressed the stop button again to restart the elevator.
"Now where to?" Torey asked when they got back to the car.
"Your house, so we can stop and go some more."
"It looks like you got your second wind, Drake."
Still attached to his seatbelt he moved in to kiss his girlfriend on the lips.
"You know it, babe."
And when he got to the Becker sofa grateful for the fact that Torey's Mom had work of
her own, he was going to put his hands in the back of her soft sweater. They might
never get to forever and the idea of proposing scared him to death ever since their
fight the morning after the Halloween dance.
But one thing was for certain they had right now.