Page 52 of Escape Velocity
“Excuse me? Do you think it’s okay to talk to my son that way?” Mason’s mom says, crossing her arms.
Mr. Brown snorts. “I’m calling it like I see it.”
His mom scoffs. “You can’t talk to my son that way. Not after what he’s done for your wife.”
“He hasn’t doneanything. He’s just a loose cannon trying to come between our family. He’s always here, messing around!”
His mom shakes her head and holds her hand open to him. “Mason, come on, let’s get out of here.”
“But I wanted to swing?—”
“Now, Mason.”
Mason sighs and takes his mom’s hand.
His mom points a finger at Mr. Brown. “Don’t ever talk to my son that way again. I hope for all of your sakes that your wife gets better.”
“I’ll do whatever the hell I want. Callum won’t have to be held back by your son anymore. Good riddance.”
Mason watches as Mr. Brown beckons to Callum to follow him down a different path outof the clearing.
“Mason’s my friend, Dad!”
“Not anymore. You’re never seeing him again.”
“No!” Callum cries and begins to whimper.
Mr. Brown notices and grabs Callum’s arm with a death grip.
“You are not going to cry. Boys do not cry. Only sissies do!” Mr. Brown says sternly to Callum, before glancing at Mason.
“Just like him,” he says as he juts his chin over at Mason.
Mason’s lip quivers as Mr. Brown’s eyes bore into him like he’s not even worth anything.
“Mason—I’m so sorry,” Callum cries, swiping at his eyes, but his dad grabs his arm harder and drags him away from the clearing.
“Callum!” Mason cries, something in his chest hollowing and breaking at the same time.
“I’ll see you at school!” Callum cries at Mason before disappearing behind the tree line.
“Come on, honey,” his mom says quietly.
Mason whimpers.
School. They would still see each other at school, and Mr. Brown can’t take that away from them.
He can try to separate them and keep Callum from crying, but he can’t take that love out of them. He can’t keep them apart forever.
“Wait—I forgot my bag, Mom.”
His mom sighs and releases him.
He runs back to the clearing and looks up into the trees.
Callum sees the beauty in the world just like Mason does. Birds fly by and the trees seem to protect him.
Mason looks around, watching as the kingdom theybuilt for themselves begins to crumble around him. There will be no more swing pushes or play sword fighting.
