The Last Summer

Chapter 21

Jason's car finally pulls up after dinner around nine thirty. The time isn't the time that bothers me about this. It's the fact that I can hear the music playing clearly from the inside of this house and he almost started driving on the sidewalk.

"Hannah, he's home!" I exclaim.

She looks up from the TV. "That's good. You haven't left that window except for food and the bathroom."

I laugh a little nervously. "If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, call nine one one."

It's her turn to laugh now. "Will do."

I snatch my jacket and dart out of her room. I run down the stairs so fast I'm surprised I landed on two feet when reaching the floor. I slip on my flip flops and remember it's summer, so I toss my jacket back on the stairs. I never said I was neat.

I burst out the door and dash down the driveway. I notice I probably look desperate, so I walk the rest of the way. Jason stumbles out of the car when it's still in the middle of the street.

What the crap....?

I walk up to him. "Hey."

He looks at me with bloodshot eyes. "Well hello there."

I give him a weird look because of his response. "What were you doing?"

He giggles. That's weird. He never giggles. "Now why would I tell you?" He taps a finger on my nose.

"Your car is in the middle of the road."

He glances at it. "Eh. Not my problem anymore."

That's weird. The normal Jason would dash to his car and pull it in the driveway. "Jason?"

He gapes at me. "How do you know my name? You're not my father!"

Oh my gosh. "Jason, are you drunk?"

He giggles again and sways to the side. I put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. That causes him to glare at me.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

I retract my hand. "Woah. Since when were you bipolar?" I joke.

He walks towards me. "I am not bipolar."

I back up. "Jason, why are you drunk?"

He full on breaks out laughing. "Because I can be."

"Because you can be....?" I say. For some reason, this infuriates me. My mom is in jail for being an alcohol addict and he goes out and gets so freakin drunk he probably doesn't even know my name.

"Jason? What's my name?"

He laughs. "Anything you want."

Oh my gosh. He doesn't know my name.

He. Doesn't. Know. My. Name.

He went out and got drunk by himself. He drove home himself. He forgot my name. He got drunk while my mom is in jail for being drunk.

These thoughts keep repeating in my head, infuriating me more. "You know my mom is in jail for being drunk, right?"

His eyes widen. "Now I know who you are! M... M........ Morgan!"

"Who's Morgan?" I ask.

"You are! I'm glad you're not Macy. She's be super mad at me right now."

The fact that he knows I'd be furious makes me madder. "I am Macy."

He squints his eyes before cursing under his breath. "Hey Macy...."

"You got drunk while my mom is in jail exactly for that purpose? You didn't even know my name!" I'm yelling at this point.

"To be fair..." he sways to one side, "....my friend did spike my soda."

"With what?!"

He giggles. "Alcohol, silly."

I just look at him. "When you were drunk at that party, I didn't really mind because at least you knew my name. But your eyes are bloodshot and your car is in the middle of the road. You're like my mother right now."

He glares at me. "I can do what I want. I am a free citizen," *giggle* "of the American country."

My hands clench into fists. "My mom was also a free person. That was easily taken away from her because of a stupid choice to drink so much she hurt me! You can't go around doing things like this! You could hurt someone!"

His body physically tensed. "I would stop talking if I were you."

"Why? It's not like you'll hit me!"

Jason's fists clenched, but quickly unclenched. He stepped forward. "I don't think you want to turn out like your dad, now do you?"

I gaped at him. His words left me speechless. He doesn't even look like he regrets his words. I can't believe he said that.

"Cat got your tongue?" he says. Next thing I know, he's leaning over laughing his head off.

He thinks this is funny?!

"Why'd you say that?!" I scream.

"Well, it's true," he giggles. "If you mess with me, it's like your dad messing with your mom, and look what happened to him." He keeps on laughing at this.

I take one step back. "You're not Jason."

Jason laughs even harder. "No, I'm Pabuelo!"

I didn't realize I was still walking back until my feet hit the road. Jason seems to notice this too. "Well, bye Morgan!" He stumbles over to his front door, walking inside.

I swallow down the sobs trying to break free and walk back to Hannah's. I touch my face and feel tear streaks. I didn't even know I was crying.

When I get on Hannah's driveway, I just lay down on it, waiting for Hannah. Knowing her, she was probably watching this the whole time.

Not much to my surprise, Hannah bursts out the front door a few seconds later. When she sees me, she lies down next to me. We don't even have to say anything to know what the other is thinking.

"Want to talk about it?" she asks after a few minutes of silence.

I slowly shake my head. "I'll tell you later."

We just lay there, looking up at the stars. I make out the Big Dipper, but I'm pretty sure I'm wrong. I'm horrible at constellations.

"He was drunk. Not just a little drowsy. Drunk like my mom," I begin.

"You don't have to tell me," Hannah says.

"No, I want to. I need to."

She nods, so I continue. "He thought I was someone named Morgan. He didn't even know it was me. I got mad because my mom is in jail for being like that. He said that I should stop talking to him like that and I asked why. He said 'I don't think you want to turn out like your dad.'"

She sits up at this. "Is it okay if I go and slap some sense into that drunk idiot? He can't talk to you like that!"

"Please," I say. "That would make me feel a lot better."

Hannah laughs and lies back down. We look up at the stars in silence until her mom comes out and tells us to get inside. We stand up and go in for the night.