Cold Summer

I stood there frozen as Noah continued to walk towards me his face completely blank even as he stopped right in front of me and said, “We need to talk.”

I gulped trying to make the gurgling in my stomach stop as I said, “Like I told you before I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“I really don’t care if you think it’s a fucking good idea or not!” His voice was now angry his face turning into a mask that looked nothing like the Noah Clark everyone knew and loved.

I cringed and backed up into the wall as he glowered at me.

He took a step forward and said quietly the anger in his voice making it sound un real. “You know we could have done this the easy way but you ran off and told all your friends – “

“Noah?” Lori’s voice rang out. Noah took a step back from me his face turning back into Noah Clark.

“Hey Lor.” He said sweetly not even second glancing at me as I made my way around him.

My body shaking like a leaf in the wind.

I ignored the look Lori gave me as I passed her and tried even harder to not hear what she asked well I walked away, “What where you talking to a whore like her for?”

“Don’t be like that Lor, it’s not her fault.”

I hated him. And as much as I wanted to hate Lori all I could do was feel sorry for her.

I was packed and ready to go, even thou I wasn’t leaving for three more days.

My mother shocked her head at me mumbling under her breath, “Why you’re so eager to go live with that asshole is beyond me.”

I did the daughter like thing, ignored her.

I had one conversation on the phone with my father in those three days.

“How’s school?”

“School’s out Dad.”

“Oh…Sorry stupid question…Where’s your mother?”

“She’s at Dave’s house.”

“That’s an even stupider question.”

“Couldn’t agree more.”

A minute of silence as my father probably realizes that I am in fact old enough to know a stupid question when I hear one.

“Are you sure you want to come stay for the summer?”

He was wrong that was the stupidest question.

“Not a doubt in my mind.”

My dad came and picked me up. As soon as he came in the drive way my mother stomped - literally - stomped all the way up the porch and then into the house. It wasn’t as dramatic as she probably thought since she had mascara and eye linear running down her face from crying so much on my shoulder repeating,

“Don’t go.” And then occasional saying, “And remember to sleep, eat and drink…Remember because god knows your father won’t.”

And then before she left she said, “Come home when you can’t put up with him anymore.”

Through this I had patted her on the back and reassured her there was nothing to worry about. I waved to her as I got in the car, she was watching from the living room window. She waved back and mouthed, anytime. I nodded.

“I see she hasn’t changed, just as dramatic.” He said not even trying to cover up his conclusion with a mumble. I grimaced not exactly the best way to start a relationship with your daughter who has lived with her mother since she was six. He seemed to realize this and quickly said, “Not that, that’s a bad thing.”

I didn’t say anything I just stared out the window as we drove out of this hell hole.

After that there was no talking the car was silent for whole three hour drive to Kingston Thorn. Kingston Thorn my eyebrows pulled together as I read the sign. There was no graffiti, erasing marks, or sign showing old age. The town’s name was in fact Kingston Thorn.

I was coming to the realization that this town was even smaller then my own. At least we had a superstore and Tim Hortans. Kingston Thorn had a small corner store, dinner, bank, salon and a hardware store. That was it all lined up side by side.

We soon came up to building that resembled four houses put together in a square it was two stories high. And had Kingston Thorn elementary, middle and high school sign above the front doors. At least at Anthem we had a separate school for each. And here I thought I was getting away from the small town life. When in fact I had just been introduced to what a real small town looked like.

The house wasn’t far away from the ‘main part of town’. And as he turned into the drive way I looked up farther down the road trying to determine what was past his house. But all I saw was trees and fields and then more fields.

His house had bachelor pad written all over it. And I was even more correct when I walked in the door to find two guys sitting on the coach watching a foot ball game both holding a beer in one hand and hand full of popcorn in the other.

Both there heads turned to the noise. One was older, my dad’s age probably well the other looked about twenty. And they both looked exactly alike both had light brown hair, and dark gray eyes. The older aged man had a beard well the other had slight stubble.

“This is John and his son Matt.” Dad explained smiling shyly at me. “And this is my daughter Alex.”

“Hi.” I said sheepishly, Matt nodded to me well John got up from his seat and hugged me. I was completely startled and stiff as he hugged me.

“Well I haven’t seen you since you were a little baby, remember Matt?” John said looking at his son expectantly as he released me.

Matt shrugged and returned his attention to the TV screen. John’s attention turned back to me and big smile on his face. “You wouldn’t remember me you where I about three or four and Matt over there was about seven.”

I nodded blankly he was right I had no memory of him or Matt. But he soon changed that because the image he provide me would haunt my mind for years to come.

“You two used to run around naked together.”