A Tangled Web We Weave (Completed)

8. When the Dog Bites

Hudson

"You have got to be kidding me. I knew you were stupid, but from right in front of my kitchen window? Really?" Elena looked at the stolen flowers in my right hand. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't see you steal them?" 

"Yes?"

"Stupid and a thief. What the hell?"

"Listen, it's not a big deal, take them-"

She shook her head. "I think you forget your clothes are more expensive than my sister's apartment. Why didn't you just buy them? What, did your parents forget your weekly allowance?"

"I don't have-"

"You're kinda a piece of crap."

I held them out to her. "Here, just take them back." The daisies drooped in my hand as if complaining as well.

She shook her head, oh-so condescending. "Please, go ahead and keep them. I'll just come with you. To make sure the girl is pretty enough to warrant petty flower theft."

I chuckled once, starting to shake my head. "It's not what you th-"

"Oh, c'mon, Hudson. It'll be fun." She grabbed her jacket from off the porch and jogged over to where I was. "Lead the way."

I opened my mouth to argue with her further, but decided against it. We weren't far from where I was going anyway.

Walking in silence, I could feel her judgemental eyes on the back of my head, but I was trying to figure out how to break it to her that we were on our way to the-

We strolled past Cal's house, the elementary school, the kid in my grade who was known for what he did at the last track meet, and the playground. The leaves swirling on the ground were making the sounds my vape used to do after I had been going for a while. Her untied shoelaces skidded against the cement as we came up to the wrought iron fence and I could sense her surprise.

"Hudson-" She broke off of whatever she was going to say, just following me through the gate. We walked down rows and rows until we stopped at the pair three down from the right, four rows from the end.

The large black tombstone read "Connor Michael Sinclair" and "Barbara Davis Sinclair". Under their birthdates and death dates read, "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves memory no one can steal". I knelt down and ignoring the open-mouthed stare behind me, I set the flowers by the stone. "Hi, Mom. What's up, Dad. Sorry I haven't been here for a while. School has been hectic, with school and football and trying to stay out of trouble. Well, sort of trying. I see good ol' Al finally mowed. I was gonna talk to him about it if it didn't happen soon. Oh," I turned, looking at her.

"This is Ellie. You always told me to bring you home a girl like Mom, Dad." I felt my nose start to sting a little like it usually does when I'm trying to hold back my tears. "I just never thought you wouldn't be here to tell her in person that if I treat her wrong, she has permission to slap me." I smiled a little. "I love you guys. I'm working on finding him, Mom. I'll make you proud, Dad, like you wanted me to when you were alive." I swiped away the tears forming in my eyes and stood, walking quickly away from the graves.

I made it outside of the black fence before I felt her hand on my arm. "Hudson, why didn't you say som-"

"Would you have believed me?" I countered, taking the black lighter out of my pocket.

She smiled through the pain written on her face. "Probably not. But what was I supposed to think? Stealing flowers-"

"You could've asked."

"I didn't think there was another option. No one ever told me about them," she continued, scrunching her delicate eyebrows together.

"You been asking around about me?"

"No, just heard gossip."

"Ooo, tea." After an awkward silence, I smiled. "I guarantee that she was pretty enough to warrant flower theft, by the way," I interrupted, fiddling with the little spinner thing on the lighter.

She grimaced. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you were justified. My dad would've liked you. My mom hated him at first as well."

"If you don't mind me asking," she said, tucking her curly black hair behind her ear. "What happened to them?"

I flicked the lighter open and snapped it closed again. "That's a story for a not so pretty day."

"We're already in a cemetery. How much more depressing can we get?"

"They died."

"Yes. And?"

I shook my head. "And the rest is none of your damn business."

Nodding, she took my left hand in her right one. "I don't like you, Hudson, but today I think I hate you a little less."