Page 40 of Finding Delaware

Raised voices draw me out of the memory, and I blink into my sketchbook. My neck is sore, fingers cramped where they held the colored pencil in a white-knuckle grip.

Jesus. How long have I been sitting here like this?

Another string of angry voices comes from behind my door, this time much closer, and I frown as I turn in my seat, listening.

Maisie’s shrill shout hits my ears. “I will not live under the same roof as another drug addict!”

What the hell?

“It’s fucking weed, Maisie, not heroin,” Taylor snaps in reply, and my breath catches.

Oh shit.

More words are exchanged between them, drowned out by the dread now pounding in my ears, and when I hear Dadbellowing loudly, I’m off my seat and out the door in the blink of an eye.

“You will not talk to my wife that way!” Dad is shouting into Taylor’s open door, face red, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look this mad. Maisie is beside him, equally as enraged.

“I will not have this in my home, and if you continue to act this way, you will leave.”

I stiffen, confused about what the fuck is happening and wondering how the hell I’m supposed to stop it.

“I don’t want to fucking be here anyway,” Taylor shouts back, shoving past my dad into the hallway. He doesn’t even look at me as he passes, so I catch him on the arm when he reaches the stairs.

“What happened?”

I don’t know why I ask. It’s pretty fucking obvious his mom smelled the marijuana just like I did and came looking.

“Get off me.” He rips his arm from my grip, speech as slurred as it was yesterday, and I’m frozen on the stairs in bewilderment as I hear the front door slam shut. It echoes loudly through the quiet house, making me realize their party must have ended while I was lost in my head. Had it struck midnight already?

“Dad, what’s going on?”

“Go to bed, Huckslee.” Dad is leading Maisie down the stairs, and I can’t help but notice that he looks more upset about what just happened than she does. There’s an odd glint in her eye, something close to relief. It sets me on edge.

I follow them down into the living room. “Did you just kick Taylor out?”

Maisie answers, her thin lips pursed, “he needs to understand that there are consequences for his actions.”

“I’ll not have drug use or abusive language in this house.” Dad takes off his glasses to scrub a hand down his face. “We gave him multiple chances.”

“What? When?”

They’ve caught him smoking before?

Why didn’t I know about it?

Dad gives me a weary sigh. “It’s late, Huck. Go to bed.”

“But...” I feel so completely lost right now and unsure how to feel. “What about Taylor?”

He stares at me for a long moment. “Give him the night to sober up. I’ll call him in the morning and see if he’s ready to have an adult conversation without slinging insults.”

My blood boils instantly. “Heinsultedyou?!”

“Go to bed, son.”

There’s a finality in his voice that has me spinning on my heel and heading back toward my room, head swimming.

When I reach my room, I open Taylor’s texts to send a message.

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