TEENS

Chapter 9

"Thomas?" I dropped my bags on the glass table in the foyer and entered into the living room. The house was freezing and when I walked over to check the thermometer. It was at 30 degrees and I thought of Thomas, climbing up onto a chair to mess with high objects - such as the meter.

"Lyle!" he said, running toward me with arms outstretched and wide. I pulled him up and spun him around as he giggled. "You're home!"

"Sorry, I'm late, kiddo." I said, ruffling his black hair that fell over his eyes.

"It's okay. I sang songs to Mommie while I waited," he said. "She's still in bed, Lyle."

"Well, let's go say hi,"

I slowly opened the door to my mother's room, cradling my six-year-old brother in my arms. He closed his eyes and laid his head on my shoulder as we entered the room. Mom's back was to us, her bathrobe falling off her shoulders and revealing her pale skin. I cringed as I saw the red circles and blue bruises that covered her back.

Her face was worse. As I walked around the bed, I thought I had braced myself. I was so wrong. My mother's lips were light, light pink and her eyes were swollen, falling deeply into their sockets. Her hair fell around her face in tangled, thin wisps, rather than the luscious curls she used to have. Thomas made a whimpering sound and I placed him on the chair behind me.

I turned back and knelt beneath my mom. "Hi Mom,"

She opened her eyes slowly and gave me a weak smile. "Lyle,"

"How are you?" I asked, laying a hand on her arm.

She looked me right in the eye and lied, saying, "Great,"

I sighed. "Mom, you're sick,"

"Lyle, we're not talking about this again,"

"Why won't you just go to the hospital?"

"Because I will be fine," she said, her voice soft, yet firm. "God will come through,"

"Really? Will He? Because He hasn't shown up in a while," I said. "When will you cut that God stuff and get the real help you need?"

"Lyle, we are not discussing this," she said, reaching forward to brush hair out of my face. "Go in the kitchen and make your brother some dinner. Or you can order. There's money in my purse,"

"That's the money for your imminent hospital bill," I muttered.

"Lyle, stop it!" She barely raised her voice, but it did so much. She inhaled sharply and her face slowly got red. Thomas ran and jumped on the bed, placing his hands on the sides of her face, tears already streaking his face.

"Thomas, get off," I said, pulling him by his waist.

"Mommie?" he asked, searching her face. "Mommie, are you okay?"

"Thomas," I said, wrestling him off the bed. "Let go,"

He finally released our mother and fell back into my arms. Mom slowly regained herself and looked up at us, her expression pained and ashamed. I bent forward and kissed her on the forehead. She tried not to wince, but I felt her body jerk.

My mother was dying.

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"Lyle," Paulina waved and ran over toward me. I was in no mood to talk and I didn't feel like hiding it. I pretended to be engaged with my locker, moving stuff around. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing," I said, my tone harsh.

Paulina raised her hands in surrender. "Whoa, what'd I do?"

"Look, I just don't want to talk." I slammed my locker. "Nothing personal,"

I didn't wait for her to respond. I stormed down the hallway, through the double doors, and onto the football field. I dropped my bags and binders and buried my fist in the wet grass. When I pulled it out, it was covered in dirt and mud. I didn't care. Each time I felt a tear coming on, I bit my tongue and punched the grass beneath me. I couldn't control my mother's sickness, but I could control my tears.

I know people were watching me, but it didn't matter. They called me "Goth girl" for a reason. When I felt a hand on my back, I was ready to scream at Paulina. But when I turned my head, I saw the last person I expected to be there. No, it wasn't Jemma.

Wren smiled at me, holding my binders and bag in his hands. "Hey, watcha doing?"

I looked down at my muddy hands. "Nothing,"

He laughed and nodded toward the building. "Class is starting. You should get back in there,"

"I don't want to go back,"

"Neither do I, but we both have to be strong, right?"

I nodded and remained silent. Wren bent down and helped me up before flicking his brown hair out of his face. When we got the top of the stairs, he handed me my binders and began to walk away. Then, midway, he turned around.

"Have you talked to Kari lately?"

"Yeah, sure." I gave him an odd look. "Why is it that you're so against her doing the project with us? And who says you can dictate what she does anyways?"

"Laurel didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Wren nodded and then began to shake his head. "No, nothing. It's just, Kari wouldn't fit in with you all,"

"Wouldn't fit in? Dude, she fits in fine with us. Sure, she doesn't talk, but her presence is really nice to have around and--"

"Wait, what? Are you saying Kari has been working with you guys?"

Did I just put my foot in my mouth? "Um, yeah, yesterday and at lunch and--"

Wren put a hand up to stop me and then stormed down the hallway. I'm pretty sure I had just put both feet in my mouth as I watched Wren push past everyone who came in his way. For some reason, I felt like I had just done something really, really bad; it was more than just lies Kari was telling.

She was hiding something big.