Page 4 of One More Round

Me:Really. There isn't anything on the calendar. No one mentioned anything to me about being late tonight.

Simon:Want me to come over?

Me:I do, but you know my mom would flip out if she gets home and you're here.

Simon:That's still so fucking stupid. Todd is such a dick for telling them he caught us in your bed.

A couple of weeks ago, Simon and I were working on our homework in my room. I had been on the bed, and he on the floor, lying on my beanbag chair. Out of nowhere Todd threw the door open and yelled: "What the fuck are you two doing?"

A startled scream escaped me, and Simon cursed as we looked up at Todd in the doorway.

"Seriously, Todd. What does it look like we are doing?!" I yelled back.

He had a look of pure evil in his eyes. A look I knew well. He was having an episode. At least, that's what my mom called them. We had to tread lightly when he was like this because we never knew what he was going to do. Simon saw the look too, and quickly moved, quiet as possible, to the bed next to me.

Todd slid his nasty look toward Simon, and a mean smile crossed his face.

"Hmm. I wonder what Mom and Dad would do if I told them I found you two doing the dirty. I came home, minding my own business and heard some noises and, lo and behold, I find the two of you in here. Together. It would be totally inappropriate," he schemed.

My mouth dropped, Simon stood to block me. "Back off, Todd. Don't be an ass."

I calmed myself and attempted to reason with him.

"Todd, we were doing homework."

He turned to leave my room, but with a nasty smirk he leveled one last stare at me. "Wouldn’t it be a shame to lose your only friend, Gia?"

He whistled a tune as he walked back down the hall. That night when Mom got home, he told her that he’d caught us having sex and that he didn’t feel comfortable with my relationship with Simon. Through tears, I pleaded with them and promised them that what Todd said had happened was not true. That Simon was my best friend and we could be trusted.

Ultimately, they believed me, but they didn't like the idea of Simon and me in the house together, unsupervised. They didn't want Todd to feel uncomfortable in his own home. From then on, Simon was no longer allowed in our house unchaperoned, and we had to stay in either the kitchen or living room.

I'm still so upset with all of them. But Todd has been doing this kind of stuff to me all our lives. He doesn't want me to be happy. I don't know why he thinks Icouldpossibly be happy when I live with him.

Me:I know.

Simon:God, it just still pisses me off so much.

Me::-(

Simon:My mom is making meatloaf. Do you want to come eat with us?

Me:Yeah, I'll be over in a few.

Simon's mom makes the best meatloaf, and even if she were a horrible cook, I would still enjoy being over at Simon's for dinner rather than my own house. His house is a drama-free zone, unlike my own.

I pack up my bookbag with the rest of my homework and head to the kitchen. As I leave a note on the counter for my mom, I try calling her again.

The phone keeps ringing, and I resign myself to leaving her a message. Just as the voicemail tone beeps, the front door swings open.

"Mom! Where have you been! I've been trying to get a hold of you for like an hour!" I gush.

She breezes in. Tosses her purse on the table. There is noticeably something wrong.

"Mom. You're scaring me. Is Dad OK?" I ask, panic starting to rise in my voice.

"Yes, yes, sweetie. I have news. I need you to sit down."

My heart is racing, and I'm on the edge of tears. I sit down on the couch and look up at her anxiously.

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