Page 35 of Releasing 10
“Don’t I?”
“No, you don’t,” I said, trying to persuade and narrowly avoiding a furiously thrown basketball as it flew past my head at top speed and crashed loudly against the wheely bins behind me.
“How do you feel about running away?” Gibs asked then, retrieving the ball before aiming at my head once more. “I think we could do it.”
“I’m not running away with you again.” This time I caught the basketball he flung at my head. “The last time we tried that, you pissed in my sleeping bag.” I threw the ball back at him as hard as I could. “With me in it.”
“It was an accident,” he bit out, launching the ball at my head again. “Let it go.”
“I will,” I snapped back, slapping the ball away from my face before it connected. “When you stop throwing the ball at my head.”
“I’m mad!”
“Iknow.”
“I hate that asshole!”
“Iknow.”
“I don’t want to live with her!”
“Iknow.”
“I want to be with my dad!”
“Iknow.”
Chest heaving from temper, Gibs glared at me through tear-filled, gray eyes for what felt like forever before exhaling a ragged breath. “I just want everything to go back to normal, Hugh.”
“I know, Gibs.” I sighed heavily. “Me, too.”
“It’s not going to, is it?”
“No, Gibs.” I slowly shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
Looking thoroughly defeated, Gibs walked to the edge of the footpath at the end of my driveway and sank down. Hooking his arms around his knees, he stared across the street at his house.
I didn’t know what to say to make him feel better and I hated it. Because Iwantedto help. I wanted to make it all better for him. I wanted to bring his dad home and put his family back together again.
But I couldn’t.
All I could do was sit beside him and keep him company.
“Sorry for trying to take your head off,” Gibs said once he had finally calmed down.
“It’s grand.”
“Do you still want me to come to your party Monday?”
“Of course.”
“And go trick-or-treating when our friends leave?”
“Yes, Gibs.”
“And I’m still sleeping over afterward?”
“Yep.”
