Page 73 of The Breaking Pointe
doning whatever it is we are doing.
That’s the best way for me to explain it in respectful terms instead of detailing her on the many occasions we’ve been seeing each other.
Sounds like dating to me, but I’m wondering what it sounds like to him when neither of us have mentioned establishing a goddamned thing.
“And you never told me about Noelle, because?”His mom eyeballs him. He wipes his mouth, glancing at us both.
“I haven’t really had the time?” he asks with an innocent smile.
“Well, I guess I should be grateful that tonight he found the time,” she teases him, smiling at me before taking a bite of her chicken.
The front door jingles open as hard footsteps enter the house, silencing all three of us. Colton nearly drops his fork and loses his head to peek at who it is, while his mother waits
patiently for the person to waltz in the room.
The sound of their footsteps makes it to our location and in enters a tall, teenage boy with a haircut similar to Justin Bieber. His arm holds a skateboard and a hoodie, while his demeanor holds a sense of sadness and anger that you could feel protruding from his very aura.
“Steven,” Janice says, sounding relieved. “Sit, dear, have a plate of food.”
Her tenderness makes me smile.
“I don’t want whatever he brought,” Steven snaps back, swinging the refrigerator door open to grab a can of soda.
Taken back by his response, I chew my food slower, readying myself for where this is going.
“Well, honey, you could’ve called me. I would’ve made you something. You’ve been out all day—I know you have to be just a little hungry?” she asks, keeping calm. “You’ve been so off lately…” she adds, “If there’s something you wanted to talk about—or maybe you need advice, if it’s friends,” she rambles, “Or a relationship…” she slows down, almost whispering out the last part.
“Can you stop bitching for like five minutes?”he snaps again, targeting his words at Janice, and Janice only.
Colton pushes himself up from his seat, his personality morphing into a brand new one and overturning the good vibe completely. It’s all the way tense, now.
“Excuse me?”he says.“Are you missing a few screws? What’s the matter with you? You do not talk to her like that.” He raises his voice, halting me and Janice in place.
“Oh my God—both of you shut up already!” Steven yells louder, slamming the fridge shut and storming back down thehallway,stompinghardenoughupthestairsthatwecan
all hear his every step.
Colton immediately grips his temples, rubbing them, searching for relaxation again.
Slowly, I forward my gaze to Janice again, who is already looking at me with concern.
“Why don’t I get dessert out?I made a pie.Do you like pie?”she asks, hurrying to save the day with something positive.
Inodquickly,hopingtoappeaseher.“Ilovepie.”
She eases past Cole, gliding a hand along his arm as she does. “Colton, have more food, honey. It’ll make you feel better. Maybe some pie, too. Just breathe, please. He just needs a moment.”
“The way he talks to you is not okay, Mom. I can’t stand it,” he grits out.
Reaching up to grab his hand, it makes his head snap to look at me.
“I’m so sorry,” he says to me.
“No, it’s okay. Like your mom said, maybe he just needs a moment. He’s a kid with a lot of feelings. Maybe he needs to process them?”
I suggest what I think could be Steven’s struggle.If I am correct about their mom being sick, I can imagine he’s probably freaking out on the inside. Not that it justifies his behavior.
Colton forces out a puff of air and shakes his head. “Well… now I need to process mine,” he mumbles, walking to the side door and stepping out onto the porch, closing it behind him.
