Scott's Pill

Visiting What Seems To Be Hell

We woke up and go ready to head over to his parents house. I start the shower, and go start the coffee so it's ready by the time we get out the shower.

We stand to get out of the car. Not even at the door and you hear his parents bickering.

"What are they fighting over this fucking time?" Scott says, already not having it. I shrug.

We go up to the door and knock. "This'll take a while," he rolls his eyes. I give Scott a half smile and ask if he'd likes cigarette while we wait.

"Hand me a lighter?" I hand him the lighter. "Thanks babe."

We stand there waiting for a few minutes. He puts out his cigarette and I put out mine. His mom opens the door and you see she's irritated. His dad standing behind her, smiles and gestures us in.

"So how have you been Elena?" I ask her as Scott and I sit down on the leather couch.

It reeks of what seems to be dinner.

"Good, good." She eyeballs her husband. I awkwardly say, "Well.. That's good.."

"And yourself?"

I nod. "Pretty good." My eyes follow her gestures. She doesn't know what to say. It tends to get awkward when we meet here. After it gets awkward, it gets irritating. Scott gets irritated first, his mom gets defensive as she feels she has done something wrong, she yells at her husband, and it starts all over again.

It's been getting better though.

His mom, Elena, now takes pills to calm herself down, but not usually until we are about to leave 20 minutes before 2pm.

It's a pattern and I find we need to change that.

I've talked to Scott about taking his parents to dinner for a change but it never happens.

"So what's for dinner Elena?" I ask.

"Just homemade chicken noodle soup. Smells good right?"

I look at her husband and back at her. He's hopelessly smiling and you can read it in his face, 'don't you dare say otherwise.'

"Yea... I meant to call you last night and ask if you'd like us to take you to dinner tonight."

"Who am I kidding. It smells horrible!" She enters the kitchen and you hear her slamming stuff around.

Her husband, Todd, rolls his eyes, "Fuck."

"Damn.. I didn't mean it like that." I whisper to myself.

"No it's okay baby, I'll go talk to them." Scott's says getting up. I sit there with a bit of guilt. 'Oops.'