Suga Babies

Dade

I walked home from soccer practice, even though I had a car. Dad told me that when he was my age, he didn't have a car and had to walk. But I like walking. Even if I am exhausted, it helps clear my mind. Especially since that Friday, the day after Cat had threatened my mom, I had gotten into this huge fight with her before school. The coach had caught us screaming at each other on the baseball field and we got ISS (or in-school suspension). Mom and Dad are gonna be pissed. But you don't threaten my mom and get away with it. It doesn't work that way.

But the coach still let me practice, told me to clear my mind. Which is what I did. I ran faster, kicked harder and defended better than ever before. No one said a thing to me all practice and I suppose, that was best, since I had been getting more and more pissed about my whole situation since it'd happened.

The chilled autumn air seemed to cool my thoughts as well and I grew less and less angered as I walked home. But I thought of the things my parents would say and how I'd explain it to them. How do you explain that the person they want you to marry is really the person you despise above all others? How do you explain that the friendship they think you have is just a show you put on to hide the fact that you'd rather eat nails that be around that person? How do you tell your parents that you've been lying to them since you knew what a lie was?

I sighed and stopped for a minute to pull my iPod out of the pocket in my bag, turning it on and pushing the earbuds into my ears, turning the song all the way up. It was the greatest Bob Dylan song ever, Rainy Day Women #12&35.

I took the long way home but I passed by the broken down spa and decided home would have to wait. I slipped through a hole in the fence and walked through the garden to the pond where I sat down in the slight dip in the terrain. I saw Cat sitting across the garden under the willow with a sad almost broken look on her face. I nodded to her and sat down, laying down and looking up at the crimson and orange sky.

This was our agreement. We can both be here, but we can't talk to one another and have to sit on opposite ends of the garden. It's the only place where we're neutral. This place is magical. It's got powers of peace that no one would understand without being here.

Hours passed in a matter of minutes, and the chilly air grew colder, causing my body to grow cold as well. I pushed myself off the ground to discover that Cat was gone. I shrugged and walked the rest of the way home to find Mom and Dad in the living room, having that pissed look in their eyes.

"Your coach called and told us that you and Lily got in a fight and you both got ISS. I hope you have a damned good reason, young man." Dad said. I sighed and cursed myself for drifting away to my dreamland instead of coming up with some excuse.

"It was just a fight. Friends get them sometimes you know." I said softly. They looked at one another with this all knowing look that passed between them.

"What was it about? Maybe we can help." Mom said softly.

"No, thanks though. I'd rather just work it out with Lily." I almost choked just saying her name.

"Okay, son." Dad nods and I head upstairs, carrying my bookbag and listening to The Spill Canvas' Aim Snap Fall as I took the stairs, finally reaching my room and collapsing on the bed. I stayed there for about an hour before picking up my phone and dialing Cat's phone number. She picked up with a rough hello.

"Hey... it's Dade. Do your parents know?"

"About ISS? Yes. They're pissed."

"I told mine that we'd work it out and it was just a fight."

"Yeah, something like that." she replied.

"Okay... so next Thursday?" I asked tiredly.

"We'll be best friends, like always."

"Okay."

"Bye."

I clicked off and tossed my phone aside. I dug in my nightstand, pulling out my prescription. I sighed and popped three extra pills than necessary and let the fuzzy high feeling take me over.