Page 28 of A Forgotten Mistake

“You don’t even have an umbrella. Please? I just have to grab a few things and will have you to school much sooner than if you walked,” Gabriel says, which means my leisurely pace of getting ready is chucked right out the window.

The kid seems a bit nervous. “Oh, uh… thanks… but… I’m not allowed.”

I push the door open a fraction more. “You can tell your dad you can’t catch ‘the gay.’”

Cole looks horrified and embarrassed. “NO! No… that’s not… That’s not it. I’m just… you know… I… okay… yeah, if you can drive me, that’d be amazing. Thank you.”

Feeling much more refreshed after bullying the teenager so that my Gabriel would be happy, I head back to get dressed and ready. Then I decide that I’ll just make Robinson get me a coffee. I mean… he owes me his life, after all.

When I come out, I find that Gabriel isn’t just volunteering to take the kid to school, he’s over here trying to drown him in cookies and candy and anything he could ever desire. He might as well offer up the house while he’s at it so hehasto move in with me.

“Liam, you ready? Oh! I never introduced you two. Liam, this is Cole. Cole, this is Liam.”

“You might as well take everything he offers you or he’ll start ugly crying,” I say.

Cole, who’d been trying to assure Gabriel that he didn’t need more, hesitates and takes it all. God, I love people who are easy to manipulate.

“T-Thank you,” he says.

Gabriel gives me a look, then tells Cole, “I wouldn’t have cried. Liam’s main enjoyment in life is harassing people.” I really see no issue with this as we head out to the car.

I get into the driver’s seat as the other two climb in before I start toward the local high school.

“What grade are you in now?” Gabriel asks.

“I’m a senior.”

“Ooh, nice. Almost done with school. You have a college in mind?”

“I don’t know… my dad thinks that going to college is a waste of time.”

“Did you tell him that talking to him is the real waste of time?” I ask.

Cole hesitates. “Um… I don’t?—”

“Ignore Liam, he thinks he’s funny even when he’s not,” Gabriel says.

I raise an eyebrow. “I am minorly offended by that. I’m hilarious, thank you very much.”

“You two are cops, right?”

“Specifically homicide,” Gabriel responds.

“That’s neat… I have to do a career day thing… can I come and follow you around for a couple of hours?”

“Of course! We’d love to have you, wouldn’t we, Liam?”

“Love is a strong word,” I say before Gabriel gives me a look. “Absolutelydelightedis more like it.”

Cole laughs. “I think you’re funny.”

“Hear that, Gabriel? He thinks I’m funny.”

“It’s because he doesn’t know you well enough yet,” Gabriel teases.

“I have to do it sometime in the next week… I’ve put off doing it because I couldn’t think of what to do,” Cole says.

“Yeah, let me give you my number and we’ll get a time figured out.”

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