Lessons from a Rude Boy

Secrets Don't Make Friends

Hand in hand in hand we walked back to Mason’s house, Colby swinging between us giggling each time we lifted him off the ground. 

            “Higher,” he squealed, jumping off the ground, I laughed with him as he swung. The house came into view an unfamiliar car in the drive.

            “Look Mason,” Colby let go of our hands, “daddy is home,” he took off running before Mason could reply. I looked over at him, gone was the smiling boy from just a few minutes ago and in his place was a scowling teen standing stiff next to me.

            “You okay Mason?” I asked, he didn’t answer, just stared at the door Colby had just disappeared through.

            “I need to take you home now,” he said, instead of answering my question, but his eyes never left the car sitting in the drive.

            “Mason?” my voice sounded weak to me as my hand went to his shoulder.

            “Come on Addison,” he stepped out from under my hand.

            Once again silence enveloped us as he drove me home, his knuckles were white against the steering wheel and the muscle in his jaw was ticking away. He didn’t spare me a glance as he pulled up in front of my house, didn’t answer when I said good bye, he just stared ahead.

            Inside I sunk down on my bed, thoughts all centered around Mason. I had home work to finish, a speech to prepare, and a practice test to take, but my mind was busy trying to solve the puzzle that was my new friend.

            “Well his parents just went through a messy divorce,” Izzy offered as an explanation when I called her. It was something I had never done before, called Izzy to talk about boys.

            “Really?” my brow creased as I tried to think back, trying to remember if I had heard anything about it.

            “Yea,” she sighed sadly. “They split up last year after twenty five years of marriage.”

            “Wow,” was all I could muster in reply. That’s why Colby has abandonment issues, because his dad left.

            “The divorce was final like two months ago,” she continued. “He tried to drag it out, brining the kids into it, but Mason said he wanted to stay with his mother and there was no way the judge was going to give him custody of Colby.”

            “Why did they split up?”

            “He cheated,” her voice was hesitant.

            “And who do you know all of this,” I shook my head slowly, trying to settle my racing thoughts.

            “This was around the same time Alex and Mason stopped hanging out,” again her voice was resistant, like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to tell me. “I asked Alex about it,” was the way she ended her explanation and I have known her long enough to know that there was more she was not sharing.

            “That is so sad,” I said instead of asking exactly what she knew. There was no point pressing her for more information if she was uncomfortable giving it. Maybe she was thinking of Mason’s feelings about me finding this all out second hand. Yes, I grasped on to the idea, that must be it.

            “Yea,” she sighed loudly, apparently relieved that I had stopped questioning her.

            “Twenty five years,” I rolled onto my back to stare at the ceiling. “That is longer than my parents have been together,” I mused.      

            “Yep,” her voice was tight now.

            “Well thanks for telling me,” I changed the subject yet again.

            “No problem,” she laughed softly, but it was fake. “Now I have homework to pretend to do.”

            That I laughed at, “And I have actual homework to do.”

            “See you in the morning,” she yawned.

            “Tomorrow,” I chimed before hanging up.

            The test booklet sat in front of me only half done, my thoughts kept circling back around to Iz and Mason. Izzy had never kept anything from me before, well not that I know of…

            My pencil hit the desk repeatedly as I tried to turn my mind back to the task at hand, but then a memory flashed through.

            “Addi,” Izzy’s voice was soft as she sat across from me on my bed. “I need to ask you something.”

            “Shoot,” I grinned.

            “If I knew something that you didn’t and it had the potential to hurt you,” her eyes were serious as my smile started to fade, “would you want me to tell you?”

            “What?” I shook my head, trying to understand her words.

            “Let’s say I had this secret, but telling you would only hurt you,” she took my hand in hers, “would you want me to tell you?” her eyes pleaded with me, but I didn’t know what answer she wanted me to give.

            “No,” I breathed, she slumped forward a bit. “I would rather not know.”

            “Okay,” she smiled sadly, “I just want you to remember you said that okay?”

            “Alright,” I nodded before going back to the book in my lap.

            What was Izzy keeping from me?