it's sunday, a week after the party, and guess who showed up drunk at my house at five in the afternoon? jackson. every single weekend he abuses alcohol. he showed up stumbling over the porch steps and then threw up in my kitchen, thank goodness my brother, logan, left for his daily jog while jackson performed his little stunt.
i allow him to crash on the couch while i remain in the backyard garden. i decide to take my doodling book with me while i listen to The Killers on my portable speaker.
after some time alone, i go inside to get something to eat. once in my kitchen, i notice jackson is already gone along with a bottle of wine from our fridge. what a surprise, that's not the first time jackson has stolen my dad's liquor. later i'm left having to lie to my dad about it, telling him how i have no idea where it's gone.
i angrily shut the fridge, no longer feeling hungry. instead i go back outside to continue drawing.
"brinley?"
i whip around to see the small honey boy smiling down at me. he's wearing the same coat from the party. he takes out my CD from his pocket and hands it to me. how did he get in here? how did he find out where i live? that's a bit creepy.
"how'd you get in here?" i ask.
"oh, um, i heard the music coming from back here so i came in through the side gate."
"and how did you know where i live?" i continue to speculate. he nervously laughs, scratching the back of his neck.
"well i was on my way home when i realized you and i were heading in the same direction. i saw your car stop at this house." he fidgets with the buttons along his coat.
"you better not be stalking me, montgomery," i say while turning the music down.
"i'm not, i swear." he chuckles.
"is this all you came for?" i raise the CD. he shakes his head, switching his weight to his left leg. he shoves his hands in his pockets and raises his shoulders. his face falls to the floor, his foot kicking the small stones on the ground.
"i was wondering if you'd like to go to the place where you took me last week?" he scrunches his face in the cutest of manners.
"you mean Cassie's Cafe?"
"that's the one." he smiles.
"i don't know, i'm pretty busy right now," i joke, pointing down to my drawings.
"i promise i'll make it worth your while," he responds, eyes closed and gently smiling.
"alright, you've confirmed me, let's go." i turn off the stereo and follow dylan to the driveway where he has his car parked. he opens the passenger door for me like a gentleman.
the inside of his car smells like a forest: pine, moss, and dew. i enjoy the aroma because it's as if i'm actually there. it's comforting. he drives towards Cassie's with my direction. once there, we both order a milkshake.
"wow, this is huge," dylan says referring to the serving size. the cups are rather large and i remember when i came here as a child, i never found the courage to order the milkshake my brother always had. i love coming here. everyone is always in a genuine positive mood, and the retro appeal makes me feel like i'm in a different time period.
"at least it's not a waste of money," i say. he laughs, sipping on it and shutting his eyes to savor the taste.
"oh my goodness. this is the best milkshake i've ever had."
"isn't it?" i say. "i used to come in here every friday with my brother. those were the days when my dad would work overtime and we got to do whatever we wanted for the entire day."
