Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 105734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105734 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 352(@300wpm)
I stick it out for another two days before I’m climbing the walls. They have an upside-down schedule that involves watching television until early evening and then partying all night long. But even when they are lucid, they don’t talk about anything real. Their conversational topics stick to friends that they know, women, and drugs. I’d be happy to talk about women, but the other two don’t interest me. And there’s really only one woman in particular. I’m not fond of discussing boobs in general.
Before they hijack me for another round of drinks at Sully’s, I take my leave. I’m not sure what I expected, but their reaction is typical. Raj gives me another complicated hand slap, and Mark mutters something unintelligible before going back to his room.
I haven’t spoken to the guy in the kitchen, but I wave at him as I leave. To his credit, Brandon gets off the couch and walks me to my car.
“Thanks for letting me stay,” I begin. I feel like I can’t walk away in good conscience without letting him know what a mistake I think he’s making. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Positive,” Brandon responds.
“Because I could get you another place to live or a…detox program,” I pause, knowing that I’ve probably crossed the line.
But Brandon doesn’t seem offended. He treats my offer the same way he treats everything I say. He shrugs and shakes his head, like he’s turning down an extra French fry. “I’m good.”
I get back in my car and drive away, stopping for gas before I hit the highway. That whole tangent did nothing to make me feel better. In fact, I’m even more confused now than ever. Not only am I worried about Sofia, but now I’m legitimately worried about Brandon, and I don’t know what to say to Marlena if she asks. She thinks he’s actually still in school, but from what I saw, academics were the furthest thing from Brandon’s mind. He may still be enrolled in college, but he’s obviously not going to class.
I stop for a bite to eat before I go home. There’s no place left I can hide out; I have to face the music. I’m worried about what my father will say. He hasn’t called or texted since I’ve been gone. I worry about what he thinks I’ve been up to. The last time I spoke with him, I hinted that I was going to seek revenge against Sofia. What if my father thinks that’s where I’ve been all this time? What if he thinks I killed her?
I arrive home around one in the afternoon. I count all the cars in the garage except Uncle Gio’s. He’s probably out doing the rounds. There’s another car that I don’t recognize, but I’m not concerned. There are always people visiting, and I’m not expecting today to be any different.
I walk inside, nodding to the guards. In the kitchen, I find Marlena and my father. They’re doing one of their over-the-top sappy lovers’ exchanges. She has a tub of yogurt in her hands and she’s feeding it to him like he’s a baby. It’s almost enough to make me gag, but I have to be mature about it. I’m happy they found each other, even though I won’t be joining them in la-la land anytime soon. My hopes for such a loving relationship have been trashed, along with everything I thought I knew about my former girlfriend.
“Frankie,” Dad says, looking up. He wipes yogurt off his bottom lip with a napkin and looks almost embarrassed.
“Hello, Frankie,” Marlena says, setting the tub of yogurt down. “How was your time away?”
“Fine,” I report.
“Glad to have you back,” Dad says. I’m sidetracked for a moment because I believe him. He isn’t asking where I’ve gone or accusing me of anything. He’s simply stating a fact: he missed me.
“Thanks,” I respond honestly. “I’m gonna go take a shower.”
I decide not to tell Marlena anything about Brandon. There’s nothing I can say that won’t cause her to panic. Eventually, maybe I’ll sit her down and explain my concerns, but not now. Right now, I want to take a shower in a bathroom that doesn’t smell like piss and lie down in a real bed.
I climb the stairs wearily, tugging my shirt off before I reach my bedroom door. It feels good to get out of the same clothes I’ve been wearing for three days. I didn’t pack for my trip, and all I had was the shirt on my back. It didn’t matter at the time because Brandon and his roommates didn’t change clothes either. It was just one big, stinking pigsty that they live in and I’m glad to be rid of it.
Turning on the water, I have an epiphany as the water rains down on my head. I went to visit Brandon because the universe was trying to tell me something. Just like I need to forget what Brandon is up to, I also need to forget about Sofia.