Page 66 of Hot for the Hockey Player
He rolled his gray-blue eyes, which reminded me of the sky in an oncoming storm.“She just says that these years don’t matter.That none of what the kids at school say matter in the big picture.That I just need to graduate, and I’ll be fine.”He lifted his gaze to me.“That’sfouryears away, Mav.I can’t dofourmore years.”
There was something more to his hopelessness than what I witnessed on Friday.“What else are the kids saying?”
The kettle roared to life, boiling water for some tea.My mother always made me tea when I’d come in after practicing outside for hours.Peppermint tea with a little bit of honey was a nostalgic bit of comfort I brought with me no matter where I went.
“Did Mom ever tell you why we left Idaho?”
I softly shook my head.“No.I assumed it was because she and your father separated, and she wanted a new life for you kids.”
“We were in a fucking cult.”It was the first time I’d ever heard him swear, and it caught me off guard.Like most kids, I’m sure he did it at school and around his peers, but I knew for a fact that Gabrielle wouldn’t tolerate that language at home.He was worked up though, so I let it slide.“My dad was a pedophile who molested his nieces.Danica’s husband did too.My dad’s brother, Wilson, had three daughters.He, my dad, and Danica’s husband, Rufus, all molested the girls.They were six, four, and two.”
Holy shit.
Whatever information about Gabrielle’s past I was expecting, it wasn’t that.Not by a long shot.
“My mom turned them in.Then she divorced my dad, changed our last name, and we moved to Washington.”
“Your mom is incredibly strong and brave.”
“They were all in the cult.Raina, Danica, Naomi, my mom.Raina’s dead husband’s brother came looking for Marco earlier this year.Said he needed an heir since his son died.Then he kidnapped Marco.And while Marco’s name was removed from the news articles, Raina’s wasn’t.And you know journalists—”
“They can be ruthless and relentless,” I finished.
He nodded.“They started digging and found out that our whole family was part of the cult.”
The kettle beeped, and I walked back into the kitchen to pour the water over the tea bags.Damon unglued his feet from the welcome mat, removed his shoes, and followed me.
Ah.Now it was all starting to make sense.“And your classmates got wind of things and started teasing you that your family was in a cult.”
He nodded again.“Thank god Mom changed our last name.But I was able to do some digging on my own, and that’s how I found out Dad’s in prison and what for.When I told Mom about it, she said a little bit more, that the girls were my cousins and how old they were.Then she said we shouldn’t talk about it anymore.”
“But the kids at school are harassing you?”
He lifted one shoulder.
I squeezed a little bit of honey into each mug, then passed him one.“What are they saying, Damon?”
“They don’t know about my dad.But they’re asking when my family is going to kill ourselves because all cults have suicide pacts.Stupid shit like that.”
“Have you gone to the principal?She seemed like someone who wouldn’t tolerate this kind of behavior.”
“And risk being labeled a snitch?”Horror filled his gaze.“I’m already an outcast.”
“Have you talked to your mom about homeschooling?If school is really that big of a problem for you, if it’s impacting your mental health, maybe it’s something to consider.”
He gingerly sipped his tea and shook his head.“I don’t know if she’d go for it.”
“Worst case scenario, she says no.But if you don’t ask, you don’t know.Right?”I sipped my tea as well and while it was still really hot, that little bit of sweet peppermint flavor transported me right back to my parents’ home, and the kitchen nook where my mother would sit and run her fingers softly through my sweaty hair as I sipped tea and warmed up.
He didn’t seem convinced.
“We can finish our tea, but I am going to have to take you home, you know.You can’t stay here.Your mom will start to worry.”
Another dramatic teenage eye roll.
You could not pay me to return to my teenage years.The emotions, the hormones, the limited scope of perspective.Our worlds are so small at that age, our knowledge and experience so limited that it’s no wonder something that I viewed as trivial to Damon—now—feels like the end of his life to him.
We stood there in silence in my little cabin kitchen and finished our tea.
