17 again.

14

Cole

Someone rang the fire alarm at school today, so I'm back home before 10 am, silently thanking whoever it was.  I wasn't looking forward to seeing Fin today. It's Wednesday now, two whole days have passed, and he still won't speak to me.

First thing I notice when I get home is the scent of Jasmine and lavender incense as well as chocolate chip cookies. Grandma must be home

Sure enough the moment I enter the living room she's there. Her tarot cards are spread out on the coffee table and she seems to be giving Benji a reading, he's stuck at home thanks to chicken pox. She's always been into mysticism and magic.

"Grandma Patty, I had no idea you were coming over." I say as I enter the room.

"Neither did I, but I got a very interesting phone call from your mother and I had to come claim my winnings."

"She told you?"

"Yep."

"And you came all the way from Florida to see me?"

"Yes. Well that and to give you a reading." She turned back to Benji, taking the card he picked. "Oh, Benjamin, it looks like you're going to find something interesting soon." Benji clapped, and scuttled off to find mum and tell her. "Your turn Cole."

I set a cross from her, humouring her even though I didn't believe in all this magic stuff.

"Clear your mind and think of a questions you need answering. Make sure its not too open ended and it shouldn't begin with 'Will I...'. The future isn't set in stone."

I close my eyes then listen to her shuffle the deck and spread them out on the coffee table again. "Are you thinking of your question?" I nodded.

Why won't Fin talk to me?

"Good now pick three cards." I did as she asked, grabbing the first ones I could get with my eyes closed. "Open your eyes and let me see."

I handed her the card and she frowned at it. Did I pick a bad one?

"What's wrong?"

She turned the cards to face me. Their acrylic paint was chipped and worn down from age but I could still see the pictures clearly. One was a tower, Patty was holding it upside down, the other looked like an angle blowing a trumpet, it was also upside down, and the last looked like a priest, it to was upside down.

"What do they mean?"

"The first one, fear, specifically fear of change and disaster." She set that card down on the coffee table. "The second, self doubt, fear of one's own subconscious and what lies within." She set that one down to, holding up the last one. "Lastly, fear of challenging the status quo, especially religious authorities."

🎵🎸🎵

Things started getting chaotic when dad arrived. He was here to get his last few boxes but was very clearly drunk, so naturally he decided to pick a fight with mum.

Unfortunately, they were fighting about me.

"Jerard, you must be insane if you think I'm sending my son off to some random church camp in the south just because of your backwards crap."

"Our son, Jemimah. Our son, don't forget that."

"After you gave him a black eye? Do you really believe any sane judge is going to give you even partial custody? If you're lucky you'll get visitation rights." She sighed, smoothening out the wrinkles of her pencil skirt. "He'll be eighteen in a few months anyway. I barely have any control over him now. Just let the boy live his life. Is it really that bad?"

"You're too soft on the boy, that's why he's like this. If you'd let me raise him like a man he wouldn't be like this." My father grumbled, clenching and unclenching his fists. I moved further into the kitchen, trying to position myself in a place to protect my mother if the need arises. "You let him cook and clean like a fucking girl, no wonder he's a goddamned fag like your brother now."

"Don't, don't you dare come into my house and call my son that and don't you dare talk ill of my brother." Her voice got louder with ever word. "If my brother was still alive I would've had enough self respect not to marry you! He would have talked some sense into me. And if me taking the time to actually parent our son made him girly then how the fuck did he kick your ass."

My father had no words, he was to used to my mother letting him think he was incharge. I was shocked too, I don't think I've ever heard her raise her voice so loudly before.

"Now get the fuck out of my house you drunk bum."

Dad scurries of like a frightened animal. As soon as he's gone mum's shoulders droop and she sighs deeply as all the tension in the room leaves with him.

"Cole, thanks for not getting involved." She said after a few minutes of silence. How did she even know I was here? "I needed to do that by myself, so he knows he can't just push me around anymore."

"Anyway, what do you want for lunch, I've got the day of so I might as well treat you guys to a meal that isn't McDonald's."