Chapter 12
Closed Doors Part Four
…the next Teen Cancer Support Group Meeting
Drake really did not want to go to this meeting at all. If it weren't for Herbie and some
of the others he would have stayed home. If cancer was good for one thing and one
thing only, it was the fact that it made you think.
You think about the fact that you might die from your disease but it wasn't always the
heavy topics sometimes it was the little things like maybe, next time you'll pick up
your clothes off the floor so your mother or brother don't have to do it for you.
So, Drake Parker thought in between from the chemo days to the walk around the
block ones, he's never thought so much in all of his seventeen years. He also made a
decision. He was done with Emme Jessica Watson. He didn't know the hold she
had over him or why he even cared, but she really was a Miss Priss. Drake was sorry
that she had cancer, he'd have never wished that on a soul even Hewitt from the
Belleview Choral Society who stole his song at the Belleview Talent Contest when he
was crowned the three-peat king thanks to Josh's help.
Drake also thought about Josh, how their relationship was like how it always went.
There were days when they'd be fighting over his ethics over how Drake treated the
girls he dated and then there were days when he would help him walk upstairs if the
tiredness and pain were too much to bear.
He wondered if he'd see Megan get married and become a young woman? If he and
his mother could talk more about the deeper things and maybe someday and not in
an empty promise way that maybe he and Walter could go golfing. Why not? He was
his father in the real way that counted.
Drake sat in Clipboard Ted's office with the door open and was in the process of
stapling some papers together about nutrition plans for cancer patients. He didn't
even see Emme walk in the community center.
Emme hated being here, but if she made a fuss over not wanting to be here, her
mother would only probe her for information. She saw Drake from the open doorway
stapling papers together and being lost in a silent world. One word could make it
right, but Emme couldn't afford to make it right, when all she had was her hope that it
would all just go away. She walked by the window to stare at the hustling and bustling
crowd.
People walking with their briefcases, I-Pods, and shopping bags, it wasn't the
crispness of New York City, but San Diego had the California cool that she used to
love.
Drake came out with his stack of blue-stapled papers and his heart went into his
throat at the site of Emme. He figured he was being tested and she had like
everyone else in the program a right to be there. Still he'd like to know what exactly
was going on in her head?
Emme felt those shivers down her neck like when you think someone is talking about
you. She turned around and her eyes met with Drake's.
Her blue eyes were a mix of bravado, survival, and a secret of hoping to be exposed
to lift the burdens that she was carrying.
His brown eyes were of two basic emotions hurt and anger.
"Oh, I can see you finished stapling those. Thanks, Drake." Clipboard Ted said
breaking their brief eye contact.
"No problem." Drake went over to the side table to pour himself a cup of boiling water
for some mint tea, he was thirsty, but needed something more than plain water.
He was not going to play her game. Even when Emme walked by but kept herself at
a safe distance and it was hard to ignore a pink pleated just below the knee skirt.
Drake just pretended that she was invisible. Like those playground games you play
at recess when you are little.
She had cooties.
He wrapped the tea bag around the white plastic spoon and then put
that in awhite paper napkin to toss it in the trashcan.
No sugar or milk. He was bitter so he figured the tea should be as well.
"Hello, Drake." Oh, thank Heaven for the little people.
"Hi, Herbie."
"I think my mom might let me get a guitar. Will you help me pick one out?"
"Yeah."
Should I give him the Fender Strat? It'd be a nice gesture.
"Thank you, Drake. Hi, Emme."
She was going to walk away from him and sure enough she did. Drake couldn't hold
it in any longer,
"That was rude." Drake said to her back as she walked by her window spot.
"We're not starting that again, Mr. Parker. And don't think I forgot about what I asked
you to do."
What did this moron want me to do? Oh yeah, know everyone's name here.
"Don't worry about it, Drake. Cancer changes people." Herbie reminded.
But not always for the better.
"But not always for the better."
Why not say it out loud?
"Miss Watson would you like to sit down?"
"not really."
"If you are not going to participate than you can wait in my office until your mother
picks you up." Clipboard Ted said in a stern voice.
"i don't care."
But Drake could not let it go. He did not know why, but he just couldn't let it go.
"I think you do care." But Emme was already gone and if she heard what he said, it
didn't bother Miss Priss in the slightest.
"Mr. Parker, come here."
Drake did not like the guy's tone, but he had to get up to throw away his styrofoam
teacup. He couldn't finish his tea.
"What?"
"I'd like to talk to you for a second."
"Okay."
"Excuse me, I have to get a pencil from my desk." Clipboard Ted grabbed a pencil off
his desk as Emme laid on the small sofa curled up like a sad kitten on a windowsill.
"Drake, will you get me my coat on my desk chair, please?"
It was a dirty, nasty, rotten trick when Drake realized Clipboard Ted always had a
pencil behind his ear and by then he was already in the room when the Teen Cancer
Support Group moderator closed and locked the door from the outside with his key.
Drake sat on Clipboard Ted's swivel chair and swung it around.
"Don't talk to me and I won't talk to you."
Drake supposed this sitcom inspired idea of Clipboard Ted's was supposed to
make everybody hand-holding friends at the end like a Lifetime movie of the week?
Emme turned around to face the room, but still stayed in her position on the sofa.
Drake was reading People magazine more like scanning through it and not even
looking at the scantily clad actresses at Hollywood social functions, one of his
favorite activities.
Drake slammed the magazine down, "Stop staring at me."
"Don't honor yourself."
"By the way, I don't care how you treat me, but you should apologize to Herbie, that
was just really rude to ignore him when all he did was say 'hello' to you. Why? I don't
know. You certainly aren't worthy."
"I hate you."
"Yeah, whatever. Life is too short for me to even spend one more minute talking to
you. Let's just get through this hour."
Clipboard Ted should be lucky I don't report him or take away the other ball…
He better hope my bladder holds out.
Emme pretended to fall asleep, but her heart was beating so rapidly that she thought
she was inflicted with tachycardia on top of her cancer.
Drake did one of Clipboard Ted's crossword puzzles in ink as he waited the forty-five
long minutes for the door to open.
"Your experiment didn't work," Drake said to him, as he needed to make a run for the
restroom, "We aren't friends. And I don't know everyone's name here. I didn't even
have time to memorize the roster, so dock points on my participation, I do NOT care."
Drake walked away leaving Clipboard Ted to deal with Sleeping Miss Prissy.
"How did you get a stain on your blouse?" Mrs. Watson asked Emme when she
came inside to pick her daughter up as she used the Tide pen she carried in her
hard rouge red Hermes Kelly on her daughter's blouse.
"I don't know, Mother. Can we leave now?"
She didn't know why her mother felt compelled to come in and thankfully Clipboard
Ted was busy with other matters.
"Of course, dear. How was the meeting?"
"WONDERFUL. Drake and I got to spend the whole day in here helping Mr. Smithers
with an experiment. And that little Herbie kid and I had a sweet exchange."
"That's nice, honey. You'll have to tell me about it on the way home."
"I'll tell you what your daughter can tell you on the way home, Mrs. Watson,"
(Where did YOU come from?)
"Hello, Drake."
Hmm, maybe there was a reason for Josh being stuck behind a two car accident and
would be late picking Drake up. He certainly didn't mean to eavesdrop.
"Maybe, Emme would like to explain to you, Mrs. Watson on the LIES she's been
telling you."
"What's this about, Emme?"
(OH! I HATE, HATE, HATE, YOU!)
"Mother, can't we go home now?"
"No. I want to hear what's going on and if you don't tell me, I'm sure Drake will."
"With pleasure." He crossed his arms and felt victorious. She was being exposed. He
wondered what other crap she told her mother?
"I'll tell you, just not with HIM present, please!" She pleaded with real tears. They
weren't fake tears at all.
"I don't understand. I thought you two were almost dating."
"Dating?" Drake coughed.
"Mother…" Emme sat on the couch; she'd have run her fingers through her hair if she
had any.
"You lied about your first day here, didn't you? Is that Amy girl your friend?"
"No." Drake said triumphantly.
"Drake,"
"Sorry."
Emme was her daughter after all.
"You lied about making friends? Why?"
"anywhere but here, jesus christ, mother, please." She buried her head on the small
white Army surplus pillow and sobbed while her mother stroked her back for some
mild physical comfort.
That was it.
Game Over.
Drake could see Josh from the window and felt all hollow inside. It really wasn't a
victory. There were no winners here.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Mrs. Watson," Drake said softly, "I have to go
now, my brother's outside."
Drake felt the lump forming in his throat and did his best to swallow it without going
into a coughing fit.
"Goodbye, Drake, and I'm sorry for my daughter's actions."
Drake sighed as he walked away. He was outside with his hand on the car door
handle when he put up his hand to indicate "five more minutes". Josh nodded 'okay'
and wondered what was that all about?
There was something else that needed to be said regarding the situation. Maybe to
say something to put a closure or capper on it, maybe something to make Mrs.
Watson feel better about her daughter being a liar and to close the book chapter in
his brain that was marked "Emme Jessica Watson".
Drake walked back inside, if anyone was around him he really didn't notice.
He noticed Mrs. Watson holding her sobbing daughter, her tight head scarf
becoming undone, her secrets beginning to be exposed.
"I have one more thing to say and then I'll leave," Drake put his hands in his jacket
pockets and then took them out again while uttering some of the most sincere words
of his young life,
"I would have been a real friend."
No reply from either one of them was needed. Drake just walked away and didn't turn
back as he left the building to join his brother in the car for the bittersweet journey
home.