Me And The Boys

Alana

It had been a week and we still haven't decided. Benny canceled reading. Suprising, but I'm gonna go today I grabbed my big book of Shakespeare.

I walked to his house and knocked on the door. His mom answered.

"Hi Alana. What brings you here?" She asked.

"I just came to ask Benny something. Is he home?" I asked.

"Um, yeah. He's in his room. Come on in." She said.

I walked in and went into his room. He was watching baseball.

"Hey, Lysander." I said.

"Hermia. What's up?" He said.

"You're gonna read Shakespeare with me." I said showing him the huge book.

"Is it that long?" He asked. I laughed.

"No. This is a collection of his plays." I said.

"Oh. Then come on. I'll read with you." He sighed. We went into the living room and sat down next to each other.

"Alana. Is Benny gonna read?" His mom asked. I chuckled.

"Yes Mrs. Rodriguez. I'm teaching how." I said. He pushed me off the couch and laughed.

"Hey!" He said. I threw a pillow at him.

"Okay, okay. Let's just read the book." He said. I sat next to him and put the book down.

"If though lovest me?" He said.

"Yup. That's how people talked in the sixteenth century. Plus it's thou." I corrected.

"Same thing." I laughed and we finished the book.

"That was-"

"Beautiful."

"Tragic."

"You mean beautiful?" I said.

"That's what I said. I just pronounced it wrong." He said. I smiled.

Then someone else knocked on the door. Lydia came it.

"Benny we need to choo-" She started then saw me.

"What are you guys doing?" She asked.

"Reading Shakespeare." I said.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because his comedies are amazing." I said.

"That was a comedy?" He said raising his eyebrow.

"Yes." I said.

"Right. Anyway, I was saying we need to Choose." She said then sat down next to Benny.

"How?" He asked. I shrugged and went to a new play. Anthony and Cleopatra.

I started reading it. "How can you read at a time like this?" Lydia said.

"Well, I'm reading Anthony and Cleopatra. Maybe it'll help us choose somehow." I said.

"What's it about?" Benny asked. I think I got him hooked on Shakespeare.

"Not sure. Haven't read it yet." I said turning the page.

"Okay. Anyway, once your done. We need to Choose." Lydia said. I rolled my eyes and closed the book.

"Go on." I said.

"That's all I got." She said.

"Then let's just go hang out somewhere." I said.

"Sandlot?" Benny suggested.

"Sure." I sighed and set my book on the floor. We went to the Sandlot.

After a couple hours of playing Yeah Yeah and I went home. We saw Ma crying on the couch.

"What's wrong?" We asked.

"Your father's been in a car wreck. He. He. He d-died." She said. It felt like a time had stopped. Like, if time had started again, it wouldn't matter. My dad wasn't with me.

"He didn't! Stop messing with me mom!" I yelled.

"Sweetie he did."

"He didn't! He can't!" I said then fell to my knees and broke down. Alan hugged me as he cried.

"How did it happen?" I asked.

"A huge truck backed I to him. The guy was James Mason." She said.

"What are we gonna do?" Alan asked.

"I'll take extra shifts at Vincent's." She said.

"I'll start a babysitting service." I suggested.

"Are we gonna have a funeral?" He asked.

"I think it'll be good closure. Yes." She said.

"I can't be here. It's too much. He left this morning. Can we go somewhere else?" I asked with a shaky breath.

"Okay. Get in the car." She said. We got in the car. Alan and I still crying.

We stopped at the diner. We sat down and ordered. As I ate I couldn't help but have grief stricken thoughts. He just left the house this morning. If I had known he wouldn't have come home I would never have let him go.

I would have hugged him longer. Said I love you. Does he know that? What if he thinks I don't love him! Alana. Calm down. I can't! He's gone and he's never coming back! And there's nothing I can do but cry.

I love you dad. I hope you can hear it. I mean you're all the way up there.

After dinner I just went to bed crying myself to sleep. That night I slept with his high school Letterman jacket.