Page 73 of Honey Pot

“I meant it.” He nodded to the door, tempering his expression.

“That’s it?” I laughed and nodded, just fighting to keep the tears at bay. “I thought maybe now that I wasn’t an embarrassment to you, maybe you’d start treating me like a son again, but I was wrong. You never cared.”

“Get out, Cael,” Dad barked. “And I swear if you screw up this piece on the team…”

“You’ll what?” I looked back at him from the doorframe, “Make me run laps? Bench me for the season? Disown me? You made it clear a long time ago we weren’t family anymore. You’ll have to come up with a better punishment.”

I left the office, not bothering with the door, but heard it slam from the hallway as I sunk against the bricks and tried to compose myself. Everything he said made sense and pissed me off all the same. I shoved off the wall and stripped from my shirt before slamming into the empty workout room.

“Where are they…” I dug around in Silas’s spare desk. “Got you….” I tugged out a pair of headphones that had been there for years and shoved them into my ears, playing my music as loud as it would go. I needed to silence the world. Too many voices were screaming at me, and I couldn’t figure out exactly what I needed to do.

Maybe it was me that needed a visit from Mama.

CODY

2016

Sunday was quieter than usual.Clementine hadn’t come over to keep Dad busy with baseball, so he was grumbling outside, helping Mama with a project as I weeded the garden for her. She kept looking over at me like she had something to tell me, but always went back to bossing Dad around instead.

When I was good and done with all the weeds I chucked them in the compost and wiped my hands on my jeans. “I’m going to go shower for dinner.”

“Alright, Honeybug,” Mama smiled at me softly, cupping my face in her hand as I passed by to excuse myself. The T.V. wasn’t even on inside as I walked through the living room to the single bathroom in our house.

I checked my phone to see if Clementine had called from their house to bug me, but there were no missed calls, so I stripped my dirty garden clothes and climbed into the shower. The warm water did nothing to distract my thoughts from her.Where the hell was she?She always spent Sundays at our house.

When the water turned cold, I got out, running my fingers through my hair before changing into clean clothes and sitting on the edge of my bed. I stared at the wall covered in shitty horror movie posters and sighed. I couldn’t imagine she had anything better to do… Mama hadn’t said anything about the Matthews’ plans.

Maybe she was sick? Or slept in?

No, Clementine had never slept in a day in her life.

I clicked on the TV and pulled out my summer school binder to try and get some of my homework done to the soundtrack of Halloween 2. As the sunstarted to drop in the sky through my window, I turned on my laptop and continued to work, having the frustrating realization that the school work was actually keeping me well distracted as I started another movie.

“Cael?” Mama knocked on the door and opened it a crack. "Dinner is ready, Honeybug. Wash your hands.”

I nodded, closed my binder, and stretched out on the bed before standing up and doing what I was told. When Mrs. Matthews' laughter floated down the hallway, I picked up my sluggish pace and wandered into the kitchen to find only four of them. Mr. Matthews helped my Dad set the table as Mama set down a tray of her lasagna in the middle.

I helped her with the pitcher of iced tea and took my seat, staring across the table at Clementine’s empty spot with confusion. “Where’s Clem?” I finally asked, as Dad started to dish out salad onto his plate.

“She went to the movies.” Mrs. Matthews smiled at me and handed the salad bowl in my direction.

“She didn’t tell me she was going to the movies…” I said, taking the bowl slowly as Mr. Matthews chuckled.

“Clementine doesn’t have to run everything by you, Cael,” Mama said, scooping me a massive piece of steaming-hot lasagna. “She probably went with some friends.”

“I’m her friend.” It came out much angrier than I had wanted it to, but it was true. Where was Clementine if she wasn’t with me?

“It was a nice boy,” Mrs. Matthews said. “He came right down to the house to meet us before he took her out. What was his name again?”

“Kiefer,” I answered before Mr. Matthews could.

Clementine had been lost in that hockey asshole's eyes for weeks, ever since he’d transferred into her class. When she told me he invited her to that end-of-the-year party, I told her not to go. Mainly because the other sports teams weren’t allowed. It was hockey guys only, and those guys only ever had one thing on their minds.

“They went to the movies?” I asked, looking at her parents, who both nodded.

“The afternoon show,” Mr. Matthews confirmed.

“It’s seven. Shouldn’t she be home by now?” I grumbled and picked at my salad.

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