That October Night

Chapter 24

CHANGE IS NORMAL, RIGHT?

Because my parents weren't gone for long and when they came back they changed. They looked and acted younger.

"Not so long anymore," Raymond whispered to me.

"Why are you here? Don't you have to be at school or something?"

But he was right. Mom's strawberry blonde hair was now edgy grey and cut in a short stylish sort of way. The back was to her neck and the front reached just about her chin.

"Work work work work work work. Me haffi get to work work work work work work." That was my dad singing. His hair was now neatly cut. The sleeve of his shirt was rolled up to his elbows, his tie loose around his neck.

Chris patted dad's back with jocular laughter that followed after. "Dad were you singing-"

"Yes, that song by Rihanna, and what's his name again? That dude that raps like he'd sleep with a girl and cry about it afterward?"

"Drake?" I answered, laughing. Chris glanced at me with a sigh. He was still upset with me, but it was more him being worried and scared that something had happened to me.

Dad whipped around at the sound of my voice. "Pumpkin!" His hug was lung-crushing as he lifted me off the ground.

I eyed dad suspiciously, my eyes slanting. "What do you know about that song?"

"Ever heard an annoyingly catchy song that sticks in your head despite the fact that you hate it? This is one of them. I heard it on the bus, in my sleep, at the meeting, even to work work work work." Dad dragged his hand over his face, falling to his knees.

"I'm going crazy," he dramatically screamed.

Mom tapped dad's nose, helping him up. "You need food." Her smile begged dad not to disappoint her. Dad shifted his weight from one leg to the other, obviously intimated by the way she was looking at him.

He knew he was wrong.

We all were.

It was time she knew the truth, but who was ballsy enough to tell her?

"Sorry, babe. I won't have time for breakfast. I'll grab a cup of coffee on my way to work." He rolled his sleeves down and buttoned his shirt all the way up. The whole time he avoided her gaze.

Mom curled her hot pink lip at dad. "Just ten minutes?"

Dad kissed her forehead. "Ten minutes too long, babe."

Defeated, mom huffed and kissed him on the lips. She reached up to fix his collar and tie properly, hungrily staring at his lips.

"What? I've got lipstick on my lips again huh?"

Her eyes shifted to his eyes. "As long as it's mine, it doesn't matter."

"I love you too," he said between their kiss, squeezing her butt.

"Get a room," Chris gagged, already making his way out the house.

I shivered, pulling Raymond along with me. "Seriously, guys. This PDA is getting outta hand."

"Hey! I needed some tips from old man Mitchell," Raymond groaned, trying to look back.

"Go to school kids," Dad called out, his laughter mixing in with mom.

Only when we arrived at school Malik had a black eye, broken nose, and a busted lip.

"You've really been a punching bag lately, huh?"