Page 4 of Creepy
“No one wants Creepy.No one wanted Creepy before.Who in the hell would want to live in this town now?”
“It’s not just Creepy.”
I gave him an evil glare.
“You may be off the map for the time being, but even I can’t control my own people forever...Now if you came with me.”
“Not happening.I promised I wouldn’t leave.”Before he could get the next word out, I added, “My word means something.”
That shut him up.
We rode the next ten minutes to my house in silence.He didn’t even turn on the static-like I did.I drummed my fingers on the door. The window down, I took in the scenery.Fall was by far my favorite season, but it was nearly ninety-five degrees in Louisiana in September.In normal times, festivals would be starting, tamale, gumbo, beignet, meat pie.Most festivals were food-based.I missed pumpkin patches, haunted houses, and corn mazes, too.Typically, by the first of October, it being cooler, I’d take a trip north to Homer, to the lake to see the best orange and red foliage the state had to offer.Leaning back, I relaxed.The cooled air hitting my face, I imagined myself out in the middle of Lake Claiborne, lily pads floating by.
2
The asphalt changingto gravel broke me from my daydream.Dillon had turned off Jules Pike and onto my drive.He parked the truck in the right spot, around back, beside my Papa’s old Buick.Shutting off the engine, he said, “I understand you staying with your Papa, at the time, him being infected during the evacuation and all.But your promise means nothing now.You’re a Stayer, like it or not.There aren’t many of us.Even less of your kind, around here anyway.”
He was still on about me leaving Creepy while I’d been way out on Lake Claiborne in a canoe.My kind...It took me a second to process.“You never know, a big harem of women may come your way soon, migrating east to find some dick.”
“Speaking of dick?”Dillon grabbed the bulge in his pants.
I rolled my eyes and hopped out of the truck, slamming the door behind me.“You’re a big dick alright.”
He ignored my words and gave my home a once over.“I don’t understand why you still keep up the yard.And you still live here.I’ve let you stay in Creepy and you could have any house you want.Like that one at the end of the lane.”
“It’s haunted,” I said automatically, in all seriousness.
And it was just like a man to take credit for a woman’s work.He’d let me...I stayed here.I’d survived staying here.I’d buried my father in the backyard by myself.I beat the virus, nursing myself back to health all alone.If anyone else who stayed in Creepy had lived, I’d have welcomed them.“This is my home, Dillon.I’m not ashamed of it,” I said as a slight to him.
He’d grown up having it all.Lived in the lap of luxury in Alexandria until two years ago, when it finally came out his ultra-conservative father who’d often rallied against the homosexual community was gay himself.Not to mention cheating on his wife of thirty years with my Papa, of all people.The gossip started with a few tweets from an obscure story in a local paper.But when the story hit the 24-hour news cycle, Dillon suddenly accused me of not telling him.He accused me of keeping my Papa’s secret.
For some reason, I became the enemy in Dillon’s eyes.Yes, his father had been cheating on his mother with my Papa for years.I knew.Everyone who knew them was aware.Dillon’s mom saw it herself.We all definitely didn’t say a word.After all, this was the south.With Dennis Hebert being the Senior Senator from Louisiana, we didn’t dare say a word.And my Papa claimed politics was all an act anyhow.In love himself, he didn’t give a damn what Mr.Hebert said or did to keep his powerful position, even if it was contrary to the life he lived.The Senator kept money flowing into the Pelican State and people turned their heads at his hypocrisy.Tale as old as time.
Dillon should’ve known their secret, too.Maybe he’d been in denial.Our fathers being business partners before lovers, we’d grown up together, Dillon and I.He’d been like an older brother to me before we became lovers ourselves.It sounded strange, but it wasn’t.It’d felt natural falling in love with someone I knew so well.Always, I’d been a lot closer to my Papa than Dillon had been to his.Hell, Dillon was closer to my Papa.None of that mattered.Or maybe it did.
I never loved my Papa any less when I found out who he chose to love.After my parents’ horrible divorce, I was happy Papa could love again.Dillon on the other hand had been ashamed of his father.So much so, he up and left Louisiana.He also left his fiancée at the time, little ole me.
