The Red Hot Tamales

Todd

I buried my head in my hands, cheek burning from where Dad hit me. I sat on an upraised root from the willow, balancing and trying to sort out what had happened at my house just moments before. Or at least, it seemed like moments. It'd been like, a hour at least. It scared me. And I didn't want to leave Ardith there with Dad being all psycho. But I was the screw up. I got the bad grades. I talked back. I convinced myself I was nothing.

I needed to talk to someone. I got up and searched in my pockets for the phone that Copper had bought me before all this nonsense and drama. She put me on her plan and made sure I always had what I needed. I miss Copper.

I hit speed dial 2 and it automatically dialed Copper's cell. I knew what she was hearing then, the Fox And The Hound theme. It was her ringtone for me and my ringtone for her.

"Todd."

"Hey Copper.... I didn't know who else to call, but I shouldn't have called you... I just."

"Of course you should have called me Todd. Now whats wrong. You sound very upset."

"I ran away from home."

There was a pause and I knew Copper was reeling with this news.

"You WHAT? You ran away from home? Todd, where are you?"

Figured that would happen.

"Where do you think? The willow." I replied. She chuckled and we hung up. I sat back down and waited, playing with a flower I'd picked on the way here. I couldn't sit anymore, I stood up and stretched. I didn't want to go home. I didn't want to stay here. I couldn't go to Copper's, or Dehlia's. Being homeless, it pretty much sucks. I looked up when I heard the sound of bare feet hitting the stone path. Copper, wearing a silk nightgown that looked amazing on her, ran straight into me and I instinctively wrapped my arms around her.

"Oh Todd, I missed you. Now what happened?" she pulled back and stared up at me, a slightly puzzled look on her face. I don't know how fast someone can change but I have changed since all this happened. I've accepted my fate as poor. I stopped caring about my grades. It's hard to explain what was going on with Dehlia. But I spend a lot more time with her and less time caring about anything else.

"I missed you too Copper. I don't know what happened. First I was being hit on by Ardie's friend, then mom and dad came in and talked to me about my grades. We got in a fight and then dad slapped me." I explained briefly. Her jaw fell. Yeah, that was MY response. And I'm the one it happened to.

"Oh Todd, I am so sorry. What can I do to help? Have you told Dehlia?"

Oh shit!

"I... haven't... I haven't told her yet." I muttered, kicking the dirt around with my Converse.

"You mean you haven't even told your girlfriend that you ran from home? Why?"

"Well... No." I couldn't look at her, because I hadn't thought of Dehlia first.

"Todd, you should have told her first."

"Why? Your my best friend."

"Yes, but she is your girlfriend Todd!! You can't keep that stuff from her."

"Kind of like how you kept how you love me from me?" I spat angrily. What did she know?

"That is different. I told you then because that was when I realized that I loved you. You could have told me that you didn't like me back instead of running away and then date Dehlia. Why did you run Todd?"

Dammit, are those tears? She can't cry. I'll never win if she cries.

"I didn't date Dehlia just because you told my you loved me... I like her. A lot." I said. And I did. I wasn't lying. I just left out that I loved her back. Because she didn't need to know.

"Well you couldn't tell me that you didn't like me that way before you dated her, hell before you ran from the hotel? God, sometimes you act like a pig-headed male Todd Oliver Sherman!" she screamed.

"I couldn't tell you that Copper." A wave of fatigue washed over me and I was ready to drop. It was either the lack of sleep, the screaming or all the running I've been doing lately.

"Why? Why couldn't you tell me? Why Todd?" Small iridescent tears slid down Cooper Ludlow's cheeks.

"Because..." I trailed off and stepped closer to her.

"Why, Todd?" she asked again. I looked up at her from under my bangs and a plan of sorts formed in my head.

"Because.... well... Because..."

I pulled her close and took a deep breath before kissing her. She was frozen in place, shocked for a few moments before her lips started working against mine. I let her go and cursed myself. What the hell was I thinking? And I ran.

"Todd!" Copper yelled from where she stood as I dashed away, heading anywhere but home, Dehlia's or back to that park. I finally stopped at the 24 hour supermarket and just walked around before leaving and sitting on the bench beside the door. I started to fall asleep, a single tear slipping from my closed eye.

How do I manage to screw everything in my life up?

Maybe it's best that Ardith and I never see each other. I might rub off on her. And I want a future for my little sister.

What do I tell Dehlia?

Poor Dell. Not only am I in love with Copper, now I'm kissing her. That's gotta be way worse than cheating.

So, I'm best friend-less. Homeless. Possibly girlfriend-less. That's just great.