Safe

-7- Too Good To Be True

Holt Jacobs

"Holt!" Mrs. Lincoln calls my name.

I close the book I've been reading and jump from my bed, my heart pounding. I remind myself that it's Mrs. Lincoln.

"Someone's at the door for you." She tells me from where she's standing at the base of the stairs, a smile on her face.

I have no idea who it could be. I don't have people over. I've never been allowed before.

Jogging down the stairs, I poke my head around the corner, Drew's standing in the foyer, hanging his coat up on the coat rack like he lives here.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know..." I start to apologize to Mrs. Lincoln for Drew showing up on her doorstep.

"Holt." She gives me a warm smile. "You're allowed to have friends over. This is your house." She looks over to Drew, who's haphazardly kicked his shoes off. "Would you like to stay for dinner Drew?"

His face lights up. "Yeah, thanks Mrs. Lincoln."

"Call me Kendra honey." Mrs. Lincoln calls over her shoulder as she disappears into the kitchen.

"Hey." Drew says, meeting me at the foot of the stairs. "What were you doing?"

I'm alarmed and panicky feeling. A little dazed and my answer comes without thinking. "Reading."

He laughs. "Boring. Where's your room? This way?"

He points up the stairs, already heading up them even though I don't answer. I'm not exactly sure what's going on, if this is normal so I follow him.

"Your room?" He asks.

I nod my head, watching as he walks in and surveys it. His head bobs as he looks around.

"Where's your stuff?"

I shrug, I don't have stuff. He looks me over once before throwing himself onto the bed, the book I was reading bouncing in the air before it slips off the edge and hits the ground. I go to it instantly, plucking it carefully from where it landed and checking it over. The very corner of the hard cover is crinkled from its impact and an uneasy pit opens up in my stomach begging for my thoughts to carry me to the basement. I've made a mistake. I've damaged someone else's property because I wasn't being careful. I wasn't be watchful. My eyes dart to the doorway, wondering if it would be better if I told now or later.

"So what do you do for fun?" Drew asks, beckoning my attention from where he's leisurely sprawled.

I press my fingers into the damaged corner of the book trying to straighten it out as best I can.

"I-I don't."

Drew's eyebrows raise at my response as he pushes himself up onto his elbows. "We gotta change that dude."

And before I can say anything else he's off the bed and out the door, feet pounding into the stairs as he makes his way down.

I start to panic. I can feel it crawl it's way up my spine, infiltrating my body until that's all there is. My body follows Drew on its own accord, the book still clutched in my hand, my breathing restricted. When I finally catch up to him he's in the kitchen talking to Mrs. Lincoln.

"No way!" Drew shouts. "That's dope. Can we?"

"Of course, though I have to admit I have no idea how to set it up." Mrs. Lincoln tells him.

"We can figure it out." He flashes a smile.

Mrs. Lincoln laughs, "I bet you can. Here it's just in the closet in the hallway."

Drew follows her out of the kitchen and I'm on Drew's heels trying to figure out what's going on. What has he said to Mrs. Lincoln. Doesn't he know there are rules? That I have rules. That I'm still not sure how much I can trust Mrs. Lincoln.

The closet doors creak and rattle as Mrs. Lincoln throws them open, standing on her toes as she reaches for the top shelf.

"Ah here it is." She strains as she manages to pull a box from the shelf. "Everything should be in there. I hope."

She smiles at me from around Drew but it doesn't console me at all. Every second that passes is another second I'm waiting for something to go wrong. For this to not be real.

"Living room is all yours boys. Have fun." She hands the box off to Drew who turns to me with a massive grin on his face.

"Dude. This is awesome." He tells me, leaving Mrs. Lincoln and I in the hallway as he carries the box to the living room.

My chest is tight, my mind desperately trying to warp my thoughts. I stare at the ground, the wood floor, trying to ground myself.

"Honey, are you okay?"

I'm not sure what makes me do it but I shake my head no, unable to find words.

"What's wrong?" She steps closer, her hands stretching out toward me before she stops, drawing them back in.

"I-I-I'm sorry ma'am." My fingers tighten around the book I've forgotten is in my hand. "I didn't..I.."

"Holt." I watch her hand reach out and land on my shoulder, I jump beneath it. "I'm glad you have a friend over. You've done nothing wrong."

I lift the book, turning my gaze away. "Your book fell off the bed."

I'm waiting for her to take the book. I'm waiting to get yelled at, reprimanded in some way because I let her book get damaged.

But none of those things happen. "It's your book. Things like that happen Holt. It's okay."  She gently pushes the book back toward me. "Now go play that old game, Drew's so excited."

I nod my head but I can't seem to get my feet to move. I'm not used to this. And the uncertainty of everything makes me uneasy. I look over at Mrs. Lincoln, she's just watching me with concern.

"A-are you sure?" I ask.

Her smile is warm, tone gentle as she says "yes Holt, I'm very sure".

Nodding my head, I force myself out of the hallway first and head to the living room with a little more prompting from Mrs. Lincoln. Drew's on the couch, the console already hooked up and on the screen.

"Dude." He says. "This is awesome, my cousin had one of these when I was really young."

"What is it?" I've never actually played a video game. Some of the houses I lived in, the kids had them, but I never asked to play and they had never offered.

Drew looks at me, his mouth open in shock. "Have you been living under a rock your entire life?"

I don't say anything.

"It's an N64 man." He says like its completely obvious. "Grab a controller. Oh but be careful, the console is a little touchy."

I do as he says, carefully selecting a gray controller and untangling it's cord from the rest to plug it in.

A moment later, I'm back on the couch beside Drew, staring at a screen full of characters. Drew's talking a mile a minute, I've stopped listening, stuck in this moment wondering if this is how life is supposed to be. Playing video games on a couch while a friend is over with no threat of getting my ass beat for not following all his rules.

This has to be too good to be true.

                              ————————

I think this book might end up longer than Home. Not sure but it sure feels that way right now.