Page 68 of Taking Care of You
The urgency in her voice makes me climb over Ethan and hurry out of the room to the guest room. I shove my legs into the first pair of pants that I see. I leave Ethan’s shirt on and find my coat, since the temperature has finally dropped.
I turn around to wake Ethan, but he’s standing behind me. He grabs my arm to steady me and gives me a quizzical look. I shrug.
“Crys, what is it? What’s going on?” I hear yelling in the background but can’t make out what it is.
“Just come, Koby. Hurry.”
I don’t need to hear more. I hang up and look at Ethan. “I need you to take me home. Now.”
He doesn’t hesitate, he simply hurries to his room. I wait by the front door, fidgeting from one foot to the other, antsy and ready to leave. I don’t know what I’m going to find when I get there, but my heart is pounding.
When he’s ready, we hurry to his car. He pulls out quickly, but not recklessly, which I greatly appreciate, even though I want him to drive faster. My knee is bouncing and I’m rubbingmy hands together repeatedly. I feel like I’m going to jump out of my skin.
Although my parents aren’t the best, I don’t want anything to happen to them. I still love them. Even my mother. She could still change, still somehow be the mother I want her to be. If something happened to her, I’d never have that.
And my father. I barely know him, but I want the chance to try to mend our relationship.
Sweat beads on my forehead as we turn onto my street. I don’t see any ambulances or cop cars, so I breathe a quick sigh of relief. Then I see why Crystal sounded the way she did.
Scattered across my lawn is all of my stuff, and I meaneverything.My bed, dresser, clothes, television, books, posters. Everything. And my mom is on the porch, throwing more of my stuff onto the lawn, hollering about God knows what.
Ethan stops the car and has an angry look on his face, jaw clenched. Slowly, I get out and approach the house and my mother.
When she spots me, she tries to walk down the steps, but it wobbles, and as drunk as she is, she might break her neck. She’s not too drunk to realize it’s a bad idea, so she stops and leans against one of the beams on the porch. Her eyes are narrowed and she looks furious, but I’m not sure why. It’s not like I’ve been in her way since I haven’t been home.
I look around at the lawn, and if I wasn’t so hurt and embarrassed, I would wonder how she managed to get my bed outside with her current state of intoxication.
Everything is strewn about, clothes in muddy spots on the lawn, and school books I didn’t take with me ripped in pieces over the grass, some of the pages blowing down the street.
My mother starts in on me as soon as I bend down to pick up some of my things. “You fucking whore! Been wasting time withsome man that ain’t gonna do nothing but use you for your hole and your mouth. No one wants you. Fucking faggot.”
I wince and tears well in my eyes. I push them back with sheer force of will and find a gym bag on the ground I’m sure belongs to my father and stuff some things in it, trying my best to ignore my mother.
She doesn’t like that. “I should have done this years ago. No need to have a filthy queer in my house. You’re no son of mine. No son of mine would like to take dick. You’re not home anyway, running the streets, being a slut. So get your shit and get the fuck out!”
My lip trembles as I grab my belongings from the front yard. Ethan is looking around, probably trying to figure out where to start.
I don’t have much, so I grab whatever will fit in the duffle bag and stuff it inside as quickly as I can. Crystal helps, and so does Isaiah, who I didn’t notice until I saw him moving from the corner of my eye.
I don’t notice I’m crying until Ethan takes the duffle bag from my hands and rubs my cheek. I feel the moisture spread under his thumb, which causes broken sobs to escape my mouth.
I should have expected this. It was only a matter of time before she tossed me out on my ass. I figured I had more time, though.
“I have…nowhere to go…” I say on ragged breaths.
Ethan pulls me to him and puts my head on his chest. “Shh...” He rubs my back and tries to calm me down.
My mother is having absolutely none of that.
“So this must be the reason you’re out whoring in the streets.” I turn around to look at her, not wanting her to sneak up and try to strike me or Ethan.
She pushes off the beam she’s leaning against and tries to make her way down the steps again. It wobbles, so she stops. “Heyour pimp?” she asks, not worried that she’s super fucking drunk and will damn near hurt herself trying to get to me. “He watch you blow strange men for money?”
I jerk in his arms, seeing the evil grin on her face, like she’s taking pleasure from my pain. I hear a gasp beside me and see Crystal standing just behind us, a hand over her mouth. She knew the type of shit my mother’s said, but I’m sure even that’s too much for her. I’m used to it. Doesn’t make it hurt any less, though.
Fed up with keeping quiet, I guess, Ethan grits out, “You should be ashamed of how you’re treating your only child. You don’t deserve him. You don’t deserveanythinggood.”
My mother—no,Barbara, since I’m not her son anymore—looks momentarily stunned, like she didn’t think anyone would call her on her shit. She doesn’t get a chance to respond as Ethan pulls me away with my full duffle bag over his other shoulder. “Come on, Koby. We’ll figure it out.”
