Page 28 of Half Notes and Highlights
“No,” his mom scolded. “I want to know what has Wolf so upset.”
“You can talk to us, son,” Ethan’s dad told Wolf. “We’ll help you if we can, but we need to know what’s wrong.”
Wolf’s eyes were still trained on Ethan, filled with uncertainty but also wanting to confide in people who might understand. Ethan knew his parents could help, so he nodded for Wolf to continue.
“They . . . they saw me . . . with . . . with Bobby,” Wolf said, sheepishly, barely looking up from the floor.
“Who’s Bobby?” Ethan’s dad asked, but his mom figured it out right away.
She hugged Wolf to her chest. “It’s OK. Everything’s going to be OK. Come inside. Why are we still standing by the door?” She walked to the table with both arms around Wolf, as if he’d collapse if she let go of him, while she and Ethan’s dad had some kind of mental conversation with their eyes.
Ethan followed along, worried about what was going to happen to his friend, because Wolf’s parents weren’t very open minded and had a lot of issues with people who liked the same sex.
They all sat at the dining room table—Wolf between Ethan’s parents, and Ethan across from his friend.
“What did your parents say?” Ethan’s mom asked, and the question started the tears streaming down Wolf’s face again.
Ethan’s mom frowned and brushed Wolf’s long hair out of his eyes. “I know it’s—” She leaned closer and looked at Wolf’s face. “Who did that? Was it your father? Did your father do that to you?”
Both Ethan and his dad looked closer, and they saw the red bruise swelling at Wolf’s temple.
“That bastard,” Wolf’s dad muttered through clenched teeth.
It wasn’t the first time Ethan saw a bruise on Wolf, but it was the first time anyone else had.
Ethan’s mom immediately got a zippered plastic bag filled with ice and a bottle of water for Wolf, but the kind gesture only made Wolf cry again.
Watching his friend’s pain brought a tightness in Ethan’s throat and tears brimmed on his lower lids.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Wolf sobbed. “They don’t want me there anymore. They locked me out. I banged on the door for 15 minutes. They wouldn’t open it. They threw my backpack out the window and some of my clothes.”
“What?” Ethan’s mom curled her lip and furrowed her brow. “This is too much.” She stood up and waved her hands around. “I can’t believe Rachel would allow this.”
“She . . . she’s the one who told me to leave,” Wolf sobbed. “After my dad . . .” he didn’t finish his sentence, but he placed the ice on his bruised temple.
“That’s it.” Ethan’s mom picked up her phone and walked into the kitchen. “Rachel. Are you out of your mind? Wolf’s here—”
They could all hear Wolf’s mother’s raised voice coming through the other end of the phone.
“How can you say that? He’s your son!” Ethan’s mom shouted. “That’s ridiculous! You can’t mean that!”
Another pause and more yelling from Wolf’s mom, and then Ethan’s mom let her have it. “You are a horrible, horrible mother! You’re heartless! How could you treat your own son like this? You should be ashamed! He’s just a boy! You’re such a bitch!” And then she slammed the phone down on the counter so hard the glass probably cracked.
Everyone was quiet at the table, sitting on eggshells, unused to hearing a yelling match between the two moms.
Ethan’s mom stood in the kitchen facing the sink with her head down. She was wiping away tears and trying not to let anyone notice, but they all saw her.
Wolf started crying again and buried his face in his folded arms on top of the table.
“It’s OK,” Wolf’s dad said, placing a hand on Wolf’s back. “You can stay here. For as long as you need. For as long as you want.”He lifted his eyes to Ethan. “You can share Ethan’s room. Right, son?”
Ethan nodded. “I have the blow-up mattress he can sleep on.”
“Just until we buy him his own bed,” Ethan’s mom added, trying to display a smile but looking so sad.
Ethan couldn’t take it anymore and ran around the table and did the only thing he could do. He hugged his best friend. Wolf immediately began bawling again, and Ethan, who had been seriously shellshocked by the entire incident, openly cried and hugged his friend tighter.
Now
