The New Guy

9. Conflict in the Home

I pull up in front of Ma's shop and honk. The shop isn't too busy but I can see her mom inside setting out napkin dispensers. She sees me and a huge smile lights up on her face and she waves aggressively. God she is so pleasant. I wave back and she continues getting the shop ready as Brylee comes out from the kitchen with two breakfast sandwiches and coffee. Her mom kisses her forehead and she runs out the door.

"Hey bestie I got you your favorite! Dad finally got the lavender syrup in stock." I beam and grab at the coffee like a child. I hold the warm coffee close to my chest and inhale the sweet aroma. Yesss lavender macchiato... oh how I've missed you!

"Mmmm yes! Thank you love!" She hands me a sandwich and we head to school.

***

The last bell of the day rings so the kids in my art class pack up and leave. I put away all my tools and put my sculpture in my cubby.

"Sammy would you mind helping me real quick?" I turn and see my art teacher, Ms. Lovelock trying to carry a complex sculpture to the back of the class. I run over and steady it as she places it on the back table.

"Thank you dear. I was sure I was going to drop that. I would of been devastated if that had happened." She wipes her arm on her forehead and smiles at me tenderly.

"No problem Stacy." I love this woman. She's like a sister I never had. I turn to get my stuff and see that Brylee is standing in the doorway looking green.

"Hey are you ok?" I throw my backpack over my shoulder and walk up to her. "You look like you're going to throw up." She looks at me concerned. What's going on? She grabs my arm and leads me outside the school. A huge crowd is gathered in the parking lot around an ambulance and some police cars and she points to it.

"Someone hit a kid. People are saying it was a parent under the influence of something." She covers her mouth and closes her eyes. I look out to the crowd and see them lift the kid into the ambulance on the stretcher. Oh my god... he's in bad shape. I cover my mouth but can't look away.

"Oh my god that poor kid... I hope he's ok. Do you know who he is?" I turn to brylee and she's still covering her mouth with her eyes closed and shakes her head.

"His names Kyle Hilton. His dad hit him because he wanted to go to his moms." I turn and see Ethan standing next to me.

"Oh my god are you serious?!" I look at him in awe. "How do you know?" He looks at me, fighting back tears.

"I watched it happen." My jaw drops and Brylee pushes past me and hugs Ethan, bursting into tears. He hugs her back, still fighting his own. I cover my mouth and look back into the crowd as the ambulance pulls out of the parking lot with its lights and sirens blaring. Oh my god... how can someone do that to their own kid?

"Wait have the police talked to you?" I turn back to Ethan and he nods.

"I told them everything already." I look at him. He looks terrified.

"Are you ok?" I ask him softly. He looks at the ground and a tear falls down his cheek. He quickly wipes it away and looks at me.

"That guy didn't look like he had a shred of humanity in him. He looked rabid..." He trailed off and dropped his head onto Brylee's shoulder. "How could someone choose to do a drug that turns you into that?" His voice cracks and I see Brylee hug him tighter. I've never seen him like this... I can't believe he watched that happen.

"Hey let's go get some doughnuts or something. Take our minds off this." I suggest and they both nod, still hugging each other. I spot my car and head toward it. The crowd is dissipating now and the cops have left. I see Jes walking out of the parking lot towards the football feild. Is he walking home? It's like 6 miles to our houses from here.