A Slight Tear
…a Saturday afternoon
It wasn't going to be a good day make that afternoon Drake thought to himself noticing
the clock read 12:30pm. He could've sworn he just put his head down for only ten
minutes after being barely able to keep a dry piece of toast down. He only wanted to
take a ten-minute nap on the sofa in his bedroom. When he smoothed his hands down
his legs he noticed a slight tear in his favorite faded jeans and not the cool jagged rock
star rips that looked good as a nod to anti-authority on stage, but a tear that didn't
belong there. Or maybe he was becoming the nitpicking sort.
Like Josh.
Kill me.
Just kill me.
Cancer just didn't want to take your body. It wanted to take your soul. Not that Drake
was about to give up.
He's spent the better part of a week coming off a chemotherapy session trying to figure
really figure Emme Jessica Watson out. Taking Algebra II twice and being tutored by
Josh to pass his final exam was easier to decipher than this one woman.
They didn't talk much on the phone. She was always worried about her mother. Drake
didn't buy that. He's seen enough of Emme being backed into a corner whether it was
him uncovering her lies in front of Mrs. Watson or Emme wanting to apologize to
himself and the rest of support group in person. When she was tied to the train tracks
with no hope in sight she would shake, lose her stoic composure, and couldn't look him
or anyone else in the eyes.
Drake was sucking the salt off a pretzel rod that Josh or someone else put on the table
by the sofa. He wasn't going to throw up today. No way. Drake pulled himself up into a
sitting position.
"Yo, Boob!" Megan opened the door
"I hope that greeting is for Josh."
She supposed she should've thought that what if Drake was in the room sleeping
before barging in. But didn't he want to be treated by Megan like it was a normal day in
the neighborhood?
"It is. Have you seen him?"
"Not since this morning. He's working this afternoon."
"He owes me twenty bucks."
"You gave Josh twenty dollars. Why?"
"Because he spent all of his weekly money before his next paycheck. Something about
being in the doghouse with Mindy."
So, Mindy Crenshaw is worth only twenty dollars?
Ha ha ha ha
And Josh usually hides money like a squirrel hides nuts.
Maybe, he's saving to buy an engagement ring to Oprah.
"Thanks for the laugh, Megan."
"No problem. By the way did you know that girl is here?"
"What girl?"
"The girl you like…"
"Emme is here?"
"Well, she thinks nobody saw her go back to hide in her Mom's car. But I did. Mrs.
Watson is here to visit Mom."
Drake didn't even wait for Megan to leave the room before he jumped off the sofa.
Shirt. He needed to get out of his old orange t-shirt that said Tijuana on it in big letters
and put a better shirt on.
Megan didn't comment that it was good to see Drake like this. She just smiled on the
inside and closed the door behind her.
When Drake came downstairs he was concerned that he didn't see anyone anywhere.
Damn you for pulling a prank MeganBut isn't that what I told her to do?
Yes, I am a hypocrite.
He settled on his black button down shirt with the pink stripes.
Drake's heart slowed down when he saw Mrs. Watson and his mother come through
the front door. Audrey must have shown Beverly her prized yellow California poppies,
which was also the state flower. He hoped they would sit down for a long talk over
Suisse Mocha and celebrate the moments of their lives because this young man had
things to do. Drake quietly grabbed two bottles of fruit punch out of the refrigerator and
slipped out of the kitchen and walked to the garage with the confidence that he always
had.
There was the Lexus with semi-tinted windows parked in the garage. Which made him
wonder where in the Hell was his vintage Pontiac Ventura? Did Josh take his car
without asking? He was so going to give it to his brother later. Right now he had to stay
focused on the matter at hand. Drake put the juice bottles on the shelf where Walter
kept some of his Craftsman tools and walked over to the Lexus deciding to knock on
the window. He heard the doors lock before the window opened half way.
Why did she lock the door?
"Hi, Emme."
"Hi, Drake."
"Would you like company in there?"
Shit. That sounds like a line.
"That's what's next, isn't it, Don Juanoma?"
"You know I didn't mean it like that."
"I don't know what you mean."
Drake turned to get Emme a bottle of juice. Was this what they were meant for to bicker
back and forth like stale married couples that won't divorce?
He tried to hand her a bottle of juice, but she slapped it out of his hands. Drake couldn't
catch it in time so he watched it roll under the car.
"That was rude, Miss Priss. What happened to that day at the group meeting? I don't
know what to think or do regarding you anymore." Drake needed a drink himself and
went to get his bottle off the shelf. Why was she doing this? He could see her slouching
down in the brown leather seat trying to be invisible. It was probably killing the young girl
that she couldn't just evaporate into the thin air.
"Mmm, I bet you really are thirsty. That's too bad. Your bottle seems to be under your
car," Drake took a drink.
He didn't want to taunt her. He didn't want to be mean to her.
This was not what Drake Parker wanted.
"I'm trying to figure out which one is the phony? This arrogant and rude persona or the
one that cries for and begs everyone ESPECIALLY ME for forgiveness."
"I'll see you at the next meeting, Drake."
"Nope. That is not good enough," Drake finished the contents of the juice bottle and put
the cap back on, "I'm going to call your bluff! Right here. Right now."
Drake threw the bottle in the recycle bin and headed back over to the Lexus feeling like
he was living someone else's life.
Because it was never this difficult for him to "get the girl" ever.
"Go a-way."
"Tears come next, right Emme?"
"You are a---"
"Do you want to go out to a movie next week?"
"I'd have to ask my Mother." That came out in only the smallest of whispers like she
didn't want to be caught admitting such a thing out loud.
"I'm supposed to believe that you will? Hmm, but wait a minute, isn't your Mother in the
kitchen with my Mother talking about beauty products, men not picking up after
themselves, or their cancer ridden children? I'll ask your Mother right now."
"Drake, no!"
Why was he doing this to her?
"Where did the timid voice go?" Drake walked away, smiling to himself as she tried to
open the car door, but she forgot locking them to keep bad boy Don Juanoma out.
"you're impossible!"
Both Moms were sitting at the kitchen table, but not over coffee. Audrey just had to
break out her fancy English tea that she ordered from a catalogue.
"Hello, Mrs. Watson." Drake said
He could see Emme doing her famous standing just outside the doorway pose.
"Hi, Drake. How are you?"
"Peachy. I was having a lovely chat with Emme and I was wondering if you wouldn't
mind if we went out to the movies sometime? My brother works at the Premiere."
"Not at all." Mrs. Watson said, it would do her daughter good to go out on a date and
get out of the house for a few hours to a place that wasn't a hospital, clinic, or a cancer
support group.
Emme spun around and tried to run back to the safety of being inside a locked car
without anyone noticing, but she didn't count on Drake making a hasty exit himself just
to grab her arm in the process.
"Why are you still running away from me?"
He made sure to let go.
Emme didn't answer him she opened the front door of the car to turn off the ignition.
"I am not one of those girls." Emme rested her head on the glass again.
"What girls?"
"The girls you date and then dump. I'm NOT that. And I'm also not your cancer charity
case."
"Wow, you can really jump to conclusions more than anyone else I have ever seen. Your
headscarf is definitely wrapped too tight around your brain!"
She turned around and wished that he didn't have such beautiful eyes and or looked so
Abercrombie catalogue ready cute in his knit cap.
"I'm just telling you like it is."
"Do you want to go to the movies with me? Yes or no? You can't use your mother as an
excuse."
"I—I don't know. I need to think about it. Or am I on a time limit?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Emme."
"Ridiculous that I need to think about dating you or my question?"
"Honestly, both."
You held onto my hand for dear life.
And I'm supposed to think it meant nothing?
"Well, you are going to have to deal with someone having to think about it."
"Hi, kids."
Saved by the mother.
"Hi, Mom. I took your keys out of your purse when you were talking to Mrs. Nichols it
was too hot in the house. So I opted to sit in the car."
"It's okay, Sweetie. Bye, Drake. It looks like we'll be seeing you soon."
"Bye, Mrs. Watson. Bye, Emme." Drake waved goodbye.
He could play polite too.
When her mother was safely not paying attention Emme Jessica Watson ended her
afternoon with Drake by sticking out her tongue at him.
Was that a yes?
When the Lexus was gone the unopened bottle of fruit punch that Emme slapped away
rolled back to his feet. She was indeed a scared girl and Drake guessed that it was
only partly because of her cancer.
He bent down to pick it up. It wasn't squished and nothing leaked out so it could go
back into the refrigerator.
Drake was perfect mix of yin and yang. It wasn't going to keep going on like this not if
he had anything to say about it.
He remembered his cell phone was in the back pocket of these jeans and dialed a
number from his hot list.
"Voice mail? What can you be doing in your room that is so important? Meet me in the
garage."
Today is the last day you run away from me, Emme Jessica, Miss Priss, E.J.
whatever name you want to go by Watson.
Today is the last day that you run away from me.
"Alright, Boob! What do you need that is so important?"
Wow. Megan came down the stairs and into the garage in less than three minutes flat.
Drake was impressed.
He supposed there was a benefit to having cancer after all.
"Megan, I need you to do me a really big favor…"