Tranquil Falls

Caught in a Lie

"Did Mr. Collins speak to you today? I called him, but he didn't answer," Mom said as I walked in the door after school. She was heading out for her shift. Ever since I got back from the hospital, Mom and Dad had their schedules rearranged so that one of them was always home.

I nodded, dropping my backpack on the floor and kicking off my shoes. "Yeah. He paired me up with some new girl. Some psychological exercise he thought would be beneficial for me or some shit."

"Good," she replied as she grabbed her keys off the rack. "Listen. Your dad is going to be late, remember, because Gabby has dance?"

I nodded and walked down the hall towards the kitchen. "Got it. I have to head to Brody's anyways to work on a project. I just came to grab some things."

"Brody?" Mom asked. She now followed me into the kitchen. "Can't he come over here to do it?"

"No," I told her as I grabbed a water out of the fridge and an apple off the counter. "He's baby-sitting his little brother, so I have to go to him."

"He can bring his brother here."

"Mom. Relax. I'm going there. I'll just spend the night so you won't have to freak out about me being alone or trying to sneak off somewhere that I shouldn't be," I told her. She braced her hands on the counter, her eyebrows mashed together as they always were when she was worried. "I'm fine, Mom. I haven't had an incident in almost three months. I'm taking my meds. I just spoke with Collins today. I can handle a night at Brody's."

"I'll be checking in," she said finally with a sigh. "If you don't answer, I'm going to send the police after you."

I nodded. "Understood."

"And make sure that your location is turned on," she said as she headed towards the door. "You turned it off last night."

I closed my eyes. "Will do," I muttered as the door slammed.

I stood in the silent kitchen and took a deep breath. So close yet so far.

x.x.x

"You know, your family wouldn't be so paranoid if you didn't keep taking off in the night," Brody told me as he racked up the pool balls. I sat on the futon against the wall. "You could be alone with Emma right now."

I shrugged, picking at a thread on my pants. "I don't know if I want that. I'm not really in the mood. At least not for her."

He paused and looked at me. "You haven't been in the mood for a lot of things since Taylor died," he said before he turned and put the rack on the hook. "I get it. It was awful and I can't imagine what you are going through." I frowned. He got it, but couldn't imagine it? "Listen, man. You can't keep living your life like he's going to come back because he's not. You are alive. He's not. You get a chance to keep going."

I sat back and ran a hand through my hair before locking my fingers behind my head. I arched an eyebrow at him. He sighed and turned his attention to chalking his stick. I stared at him, waiting for him to keep going.

"I'm just saying, Gatlin, that you were given the opportunity that he wasn't," he said softly. "You were found in time. He wasn't."

"And you think I have survivor's guilt or some shit?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "It was two separate incidents, Brody. Plus, I already see two shrinks. I don't need you to be psychoanalyzing me, too."

He sighed, putting the pool stick down. "I'm just saying, man, that we miss you. I miss you."

"I'm still here."

"Yeah," he said as he walked over and sat down next to me. "I know you are. I guess...I don't know what I guess."

I dropped my hands to my lap and stared at the old picture of us from elementary school. We were at a youth basketball camp, the first time that we had met each other. He was a dorky kid who loved the game, and I was a dorky kid whose dad had forced him into playing. We'd been best friends ever since.