Ok, time to confess. I totally ditched Gower after I got off the bus at the station. He was acting weird and was starting to creep me out pretty bad. So I ditched him. I hopped onto another city bus that is going to Seattle while he was in the bathroom.
When I walk into my mom's apartment, stupid Kade Milano is sitting there, playing cards with his buddies. He's this stupid guy that my mom chose to marry. He smells like gorgonzola cheese and is constantly stinking up the house with his cheap cigars. He treats my mom like total garbage. Which is not right because she is probably the sweetest lady ever.
"Peter, where is the green you owe me?" He jumps up from the table, dropping his hand of cards so everyone can see.
"What green?" I dropped my bag on the floor.
"You know, from when you bought those Pokemon cards." He sticks his grubby hand out, it has black gunk under the nails.
"That was like three years ago." I step back.
"I need gas money." He clenches my shirt in his fist. Whispering this.
"Kade, lay off the kid," one of his friends says.
"Go to your room! I don't want to hear you for the rest of the night!" He shoves me into the hallway. I run into my room and slam the door as hard as I can. Gosh I hate him.
Shortly after that, I hear the front door opening and then Kade shouting something. Something that sounded like, "It's bout dang time Alley. Did you get the beers?" I run out of my room, throwing my mom into a giant hug. I missed her while I was at Macey.
"Pherse. Oh I've missed you," she says to me.
"Where are the beers?" Kade shouts.
"They're in the bag," mom mumbles.
"Well, it ain't just gonna teleport to my hand!" His face is red as a beet.
"Get it yourself!" I scream. I've hardly ever talked back to Kade in my life. But his shouting at my mom is what set me off.
"What is that Peter?" He gets up from the table, cupping his hand around his ear.
"I said get your beer yourself. You're like forty five and can't get your own dang beer!" I spit.
"Ok, ok." He puts his hand to his belt, and unbuckled it. Sliding it off. He raises it behind his head, bringing it down. It connects with my shoulder. I scream.
"No! Stop!" Mom shouts, stepping between us. But Kade pushes her. Now that is what set me off too. For some reason, the can of grape soda fell off onto the floor, landing right in front of Kade's feet. And when he stepped forward, he slipped and landed backwards on the table. His fat self breaking it.
"Come on Pherse, let's go." Mom grabs my hand, and we walk out of the front door. We get in Kade's vintage 1978 Trans Am.
"I hate him mom! Why would you have married a guy like that?" I ask.
"You'll understand one day Pherse." She reaches for her phone that is ringing. "Oh, hello Mr. Schumer!"
My heart drops into my toes. I'm sure he's going to tell her about my bad grades.
"Oh! he did? Ok we will head up there right away! Thank you." She hangs up the phone.
"What was that?" I ask.
"He says you left your backpack in your dorm." She looks at me. But I'm 100% sure I carried it into the apartment.
"Why did dad leave?" I ask. We hardly ever talk about my dad; I dislike him sort of also. He left me and mom in the dust when he left. But I'd take anyone over stinky Kade. I was too young to remember him, but when I think about him, or even talk about him, I feel a warm, distant glow.
"I've told you before. He is too busy to be tied down to one person, to one home, to, to, one family." Her eyes are dreamy looking. "But I'm sure of one thing, he loved you, and he loved me. That is all that matters."
We speed down the road, and of all people, we pass Gower walking down the road. And mom, being the person she is, stops, asking if he wants a ride.
"What were you walking down the road for?" I ask when he gets in.
"I felt like taking a walk," he replies nervously. The last time I checked, Gower lived in Seattle also, and that is like 15 miles away from here. "Thanks Alley." That's pretty weird, I've never even mentioned my mom to Gower.
We start driving again. And after awhile, the sun starts setting, the warm glow setting into the night. But then mom passes the turnoff to the school. And when I ask her about it, she just speeds up.
"So, uh, Gower. How do you know my mom's name?" I question him. Really confused.
I look back at him, and he screams, "Alley! Look out!" And the next thing I know, Kade's Trans Am gets throw off the road into a ditch. I slam my head into the headrest, and feel my arm get cut on a piece of glass. Mom opens the door and jumps out. I look back at Gower, and he is sprawled out, upside down, a trickle of blood on his eyebrow. I grab his shirt and start pull him out. But his pants get stuck on a piece of metal, pulling them off. His legs are that of a goat, not crippled at all.
em off. His legs are that of a goat, not crippled at all.