Page 13 of Something New

My lips twitch at the shock in his voice. “He had a hip replacement. His hips work fine.”

“I was at the senior's gone wild party.” Drew smiles. “He gave us a shot of rum he smuggled in.”

“Can I go wild with Grandpa and have a shot too?” Axel asks, fidgeting with his seat belt.

“No,” we all say at once.

He throws his body back, arms folded mumbling, “Everyone gets to party but me.”

I turn my head to Drew. “He did not. I’ve hardly ever seen him take a drink when he lived with us. You expect me to believe he let you two impressionable delinquents drink with him?”

“You don’t know everything about Grandpa,” Ryan says.

Drew scoffs. “He probably knows you’re a Debby downer. Fun only happens on your say so and it’s usually mediocre fun at best.” He smirks at me. “That’s why he does the real fun shit with us. Sometimes he’s chill as fu—“ I clear my throat loudly and he stops himself and looks behind him at Axel. “He’s fun, you know.”

“I called Mom. She’s coming to visit,” Axel says, as natural as ever. As if it’s a normal occurrence for her to do visits.

“What?” The three of us freeze in motion and say in disbelief. His eyes dart around at us, lips pressed together tight.

“What the hell, Axel.” Drew shifts to get a better look at Axel behind him.

I put my hand on Drew’s leg to stop him from saying something that will make Axel shut down and stop talking, but glance back at him. Sometimes it’s hard for him to control his emotions and understand certain things, thanks to dear old mom. Her occasional drinking and smoking habit coupled with the abandonment issue she left him with. “Why would you do that, Axel? When?”

He looks away, out the window. “I was scared when you didn’t answer your phone. I saw it in Drew’s phone.”

“How did you even know which number was hers?” Drew asks him.

“Cunt. That’s your other name for her.”

Ryan turns his head and laughs. And Drew nods. “Yeah…he’s not wrong.”

Christ. I shake my head, trying my hardest not to laugh, and oh shit! I slam on the brakes as I run the red light, and miss the tail light of a car in front of us. The guy rightfully yells out his window, “Watch where you’re fucking going!”

“Hey!” I yell back. “Take it easy, I’m sorry!”

Really sorry when I hear,Whoop-Whoop. “Pull over.” Just fucking great. This is all I need. I should have called in a sick day for everyone and stayed in bed.

“Hoo, are we going to jail!” Axel bounces in his seat excitedly. “That would be cool to tell my friends. We’re going to get to ride in a police car.”

Wish I could see a bright side. No such luck for me. I pull over and look in the rearview mirror at Axel. “No one’s going to jail. At least I hope not today.”

“Speak for yourself.” Drew smirks.

Ryan smirks back at him. “If we’re lucky. Too many minutes left in the day for you, Drew. I’ll give you two minutes after he walks over here when you open your mouth.”

Drew flips him the middle finger while I pull out my information. “Language.” I push his hand down. He just rolls his eyes. “ You guys know the drill, keep your mouths shut, Drew.” Which gets me another eye roll. “Hands where he can see them at all times and don’t move. I’ll do all the talking.”

“Why do we have a drill? There isn’t a fire.” Axel scrunches up his face.

“We’re driving while black,” Drew says. “We don’t feel like being shot today because we’re not white.”

“Is he going to shoot us?” Axel's voice pitches high.

“Drew, shut up,” Ryan yells at him. “No one’s getting shot, Axel.”

“But you and Drew have a white dad. You should tell the cop.”

“Our sperm donor father is white. Doesn’t count with us. A lighter shade, but we are as black as you and Lex.” He turns his head to Axel and gives him a reassuring smile. Like the ones he used to give before all his angsty brooding. “We’ll be fine. No one’s getting hurt. Later I’ll explain it all to you.”

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