Chapter 14
I Told You So
...2 days later
Drake put down the phone. Dina wasn't answering. It's been two days. She was always
the type to let you know if she'd be somewhere or if she were running a little late so you
wouldn't worry. He had the classifieds section open in the San Diego Union-Tribune. He
couldn't let his mother continue to live this way. Working at her office job by day and
trying to make ends meet at the IHOP by night was not appropriate. If the house had to
be sold so be it. But Drake was happy when a few hours ago that pending buyer fell
through. It meant they could stay here just a little while longer. If he had to wash dishes
again he wasn't above it. There was something else he needed to do as he brushed the
papers off his lap. Before going upstairs he decided to try his luck with his cell. He
sighed a little bit of relief when he heard the voice, but realized it was just the voice mail.
He didn't want to leave a cold sounding message, but he guessed it was better than
nothing.
"Hey, Dina. It's Drake. I thought I'd have heard from you by now. Call me. And thanks for
the other day."
"Message deleted."
Mindy whispered to herself as she let go of the phone button. That was another close
call. She was almost successful in disabling the voice mail feature but it came back on.
Dina was in the shower as she turned the ringer off and slipped her partners phone in
her backpack.
"Did I hear the phone ring?" Dina came in their bedroom wearing a long blue terry robe
and drying her hair with a towel.
They like many others never used their regular land line phone it was just there for
emergency purposes only. And Mindy had that ringer turned off just incase Drake tried
calling that number.
"Yeah. It was my phone. My friend Tricia from school called. Sit down on the bed—I'll dry
your hair."
"Damn. I was hoping it'd be Drake. Why hasn't he called?"
Dina tried to pretend that the worry was not in her voice, but it was. It always was in
these kinds of circumstances.
Mindy gently squeezed the towel to get the excess water out of Dina's hair.
"You look incredibly sexy..."
"Mindy! It's the afternoon."
"So?" She let the towel fall onto the floor as she slid the robe to expose Dina's bare
shoulders.
"You know that's my weak spot." It was definitely one of her favorite new features to use
shimmery powder on.
"Shall I get ellen out of the drawer?"
"We'll see. Let's see who get under the covers first!"
"No fair. You're naked under that robe!" She took off her shoes and threw them against
the wall. Resisting the urge to douse her hands in antibacterial hand solution she ran to
her side of the bed.
She wasn't going to say "I told you so"—not yet.
Early eveningAudrey had only thirty five minutes to shower and change. She was trying to make
something for the kid's to eat. Megan's school called and she was in trouble again. She
was too tired to deal with it and too worn out to open up the box on the prepackaged
noodles and sauce mix.
Drake walked in carrying a legal sized white envelope.
"Hi, Mom."
"Damn it," Audrey shouted not realizing her son was in the room when she threw the
frozen hamburger that she forgot to thaw out in the sink.
"Mom..."
"Oh Drake. I didn't see you there. Listen, here's some money," she pulled some
crumbled bills out of her pocket, "Can you order a pizza?"
"Mom! Can you sit down for a minute?"
"Drake, I'd like to take a shower before work."
"Just for a minute."
Audrey sighed. What in the hell happened to her family?
It used to be picture perfect like those sitcom families that you see on television.
"Okay, son. I'm sorry I yelled at you."
"It's all right. This is for you."
Audrey lifted the flap from the unsealed envelope and watched the crisp new money fall
onto the table. There had to be a few thousand here.
"Where did you---"
"Not important. I called your boss Vince and went in and filled an application to be a bus
boy/dishwasher. He said I could start in a few days when the new pay period starts. And
I hope you'll quit or at least just work on the weekends."
"Drake," Audrey stood up, "I love you. You're a great son."
She gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.
"I love you too, Mom. And we'll get through this, I promise."
How about that? The former unaccepting kid giving his mom the encouraging word.
"I know we will."
She smiled as she walked away.
It was a few hours later when Drake knocked on Megan's bedroom door. She had a
bumper sticker tacked on that said, "ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK".
"What do you want?" She used her remote control to open the door.
"Pizza's here."
"I'm not hungry."
"You have to eat."
He didn't want to sound like a parent. But she was his sister and he was worried about
her and the path she was going down.
"Thanks bunches for the concern, Drake," she said sarcastically, "But I'm fine." She just
got her left eyebrow pierced. It hurt like hell, but there was something comforting about
the pain at the same time.
"Megan, is there anything you'd like to talk about?"
"NO! Now get the fuck out of my room."
He noticed she was holding a lime green post-it note, he couldn't help but pull it out of
her hands.
"Hey! Give me that!" She stood up and while trying to take it out of his hands it ripped.
"Who is Shauna and why are you seeing her tonight at eight?"
"A friend from school and none of your beesguts."
"Are you?"
Not that there was anything wrong with it.
"No. And stop trying to define me with some label. I used to think you were cool, but now
you're nothing but a poser."
Drake knew when it was time to walk away and this was one of those times.
"If you want any pizza, it's in the oven." Drake closed the door behind him not saying
another word.
Megan sat back at her desk and took out the once cheerful family picture from the
center drawer. It was taken at the amusement park and they all looked so cheerful.
Drake mentioned to the stranger who took the photo to shoot it while his hair was
perfect, Josh spilled slushie on his orange and white striped t-shirt, Megan rolled her
eyes over the boobatude, and Audrey had her arms around Walter both of them smiling.
Proud of their family.
It was NEVER going to be like that again.
She silently cried as she held the photo to her chest.
Next dayMindy had a bad feeling in her stomach. It was so bad that she had to take off the day
from school. Dina was at the pharmacy buying her some over the counter medication.
She was just on the verge of admitting out loud that Drake was no good and Mindy
wanted to be here when it happened. The doorbell rang and she forced herself out of
bed to answer it.
Did she forget her key again?
The pain in her stomach went from the top of her priority list to the back burner when she
saw Drake standing there.
"Where's Dina?"
"She's not home. Why don't you come in for yourself and see? I don't need you thinking
I'm lying to your face, Drake."
"Mindy, fuck off. You're such an annoyance. Dina deserves better than you."
"You don't know what Dina deserves. Now if you excuse me, I have to go to the
bathroom and throw up."
"Thanks for the nightmares."
Mindy took her cell phone out of her robe pocket and put the sink water on full blast.
"...what? I'm on my way home!"
"Please, Dina. For me? It'll make me happy."
"But the old bookstore you like is 15 miles away! I have to finish a necklace order."
"I know how. I promise when you get home it'll be done."
"Okay, I'll do it, but only because I love you, Mindy."
"I love you, too."
And it really wasn't a lie she did have to throw up. Now there was only one thing left to
do.
Drake noticed the green Gamesphere unit was unplugged and put behind the TV.
"Are you sure you don't want to go upstairs and spy?"
"Knock it off, Mindy. But I do have to use the bathroom...not looking forward to it after
you puked your guts in it."
"Be my guest."
Drake Parker's heart broke into a thousand pieces. The towel he used to dry his hands
after washing them fell to the floor.
The bottle of Tiffany Sheer was in the trash.
"Oh, Drake, this is nice."
He couldn't say he didn't have it coming. He treated Dina like crap and maybe she just
couldn't forgive and forget after all? Drake wiped his eyes incase there were any tears
forming and swiftly walked down the stairs, passed Mindy, and out the door. She never
saw a car speed off so fast.
"Goodbye, Drake. Don't forget to write." She curled her lips upward in a satisfactory
smile.
It was a victory. Now she had to go back upstairs and put the perfume back on Dina's
bedroom vanity.
Now the only thing left to do was to get Dina to change her mind about moving out of
state.
Where they could start their lives without anyone's interference.
Oh Dina, I told you so.
He's just no good.
He's poison.
She was certain that Drake Parker would not be a problem in their relationship
anymore.
Mindy went in kitchen to finish the necklace order that Dina was working on.
After all she promised that she would.