Been sitting on this for a while. Long overdue. Here are the last chapters of this little story. I hope you like it. :)
I'm working on English in my room when I hear my parents slam their bedroom door. They yell. The walls are kind of thin in this house, so I hear things I don't want to, including the fighting.
"That's not the point, Ezra! What are you even doing alone with her? You know she wants you."
"We're just working together, Lori. That's it!"
This is the fourth argument I listened to from my parents. Dad's been working with a lady named Chelsea. He gets home late and misses dinner. Mama not's happy about it. I even heard her say he smelled like her perfume once. I close my textbook and peek into Jenny's room. She's laying on her bed reading a comic. Her headphones are on.
"Trying to block it out?" I say, sitting on her bed.
She removes them. "Yup. Think it'll last long?"
I shrug. "I hope not."
It's not a good feeling knowing my parents hate each other right now.
"I'm going to Crane's. You want to come?"
"No, I'll stay here. Enjoy your boyfriend." She smirks.
I snatch her comic.
"Hey! Give that back."
"He's not my boyfriend." I toss it back to her.
"So you say."
"Whatever, Jen." I stand to leave.
She teases me about that all the time. Crane's my best friend. That's it.
"See you later, sis. Oh, and tell Crane I'll need Volume 2 soon. I'll tell the 'rents you went to get a comic for me if they ask where you are."
"Okay. Thanks." I pause in the doorway. "If it gets too much, then come to the treehouse."
"I'll be okay. Thanks though."
I smile at her before heading downstairs. Though Jenny's taller than me now and acts really brave, I still want to protect my sister from bad things. If Jenny needs an escape, she can come next door. Sometimes, I feel like I spend too much time with Crane than I do her. I make sure to always invite her, so she feels included.
"Love you," I say.
"Love you, too."
I leave her room.
I ring Crane's doorbell. His mama answers with a smile.
"Hey, Abbie. Looking for dear old Ichabod?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"He's in his treehouse. Head on back."
"Thank you."
Mrs. Karen thinks me and Crane like each other. She's always smiling at us when we're together, and her voice gets squeaky. It's weird. Her and Mr. Crane just got divorced, so maybe seeing us together gives her some happiness. Crane said she cries a lot and tries to hide it from him. He can always tell by her voice and her eyes that she's been crying.
I climb up the ladder to find him reading. Him and Jenny are trading comic series.
"Hello, Abbie."
"Hi, Crane."
"What are you doing here?"
"My parents."
"Ah."
"Yeah."
"Would you like to read?"
I shake my head and sit in a chair beside him.
"Jenny said she'll need Volume 2." I grab one of his Rubik's Cubes. He's good at these.
"It's located on the shelf. You can take it with you when you leave."
"Thanks." I try to match the red with the red.
"I hope my parents don't split up."
"I hope they don't either." He puts down his comic book. "It is the most unpleasant experience."
Crane's dad cheated on his mama with a neighbor, and she threw him out. It was Crane's 12th birthday, too. Mine is next month, and I hope my parents stay and watch me blow out all my candles and open all my presents. I wouldn't know what to do if they separated. It's scary to think about. I've only known them together. They made each other happy and always kissed and hugged. My dad liked surprising my mama with chocolate and rare seashells because she loves the ocean. And mama liked to buy vinyl records for dad's Motown collection. Music is just his thing. They love each other. And if they love us, they'll stay together.
"You think my parents can fix things? I mean he can get a new job, right? The woman won't work there. And then mama will be happy. They don't have to be mad at each other." I put the Cube on the table, giving up.
Crane looks at me with sad eyes. "I don't think it's that simple, Abbie. My dad loved my mum, but he wasn't happy. I'm angry at him for what he did to her. I don't like how he handled it, but he's happy now, I assume."
"Yeah, but they're still your parents."
"I agree." He pauses. "I certainly miss them together. They always had the strangest inside jokes and would laugh about them. I wish I could see them together again."
"I'm sorry, Ichabod."
"It's not your fault."
"Will my parents be okay? They'll be okay, right?"
He shrugs. "I don't know, Abbie."
He holds my hand, and I lean my head on his shoulder, reading the comic with him. We sit in the quiet until Mrs. Karen says my mama called for me to come home.