The Oddities of Grand Marquis - Book 2: Bully Breeds🪼 ✔️

Fifth

I dialed the number in my phone and waited.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mrs. Taylor."

"Hey, Mars. What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I just wanted to call and see how you guys were doing. How's Lynx Mystique?"

"As well as it can be. It's not as homey as Grand Marquis but... I mean... nothing's actually homey anymore... um... Bruns is at work right now."

"Oh, so he did find a job? I know he was looking last time and was having a problem due to his experience and stuff."

"Yeah, he runs a group of guys at a small company here. He likes it a little better. Better pay and he has more freedom and he can use his engineering degree to the full. He likes the challenge." She said with a sad laugh. "How are things with you?"

"I shot aliens in a simulator thing today with my mom... I'm... not doing that well."

"I'm sorry, sweetie... Honestly, I haven't been any better. I haven't been trying to get a job because I'm just not okay. I just get into these moods that takes me so long to get out of and I feel that if I get a job that whoever wants to employ me won't understand."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Taylor, I know it must be so hard for you guys... I wish I could do something for you."

"I don't think you can bring Max back to life, but if you can, now's the time." She said with a sad laugh, trying to make a joke.

"If I find a way, you'd be the first to know. To be honest, I thought that Mr. Taylor would have been the one to have the problem, not you."

"Bruns... Bruns has his own vices. They're personal so..."

"I understand. I've been having dreams about Max and Kasai... I just... I just want it to end."

"I know. I wish the nightmare was over and that it was like it was before. That he's just missing and that he'll eventually come home... but he won't. He's not missing, he's dead."

"I keep trying to remind myself of that too. But um, if you ever get really mad and just want to kill something or whatever, my mom has the alien simulator at that weird Western paintball adventure place or something. Just tell them my mom's name and they'll let you in. I mean, you'll have to pay a fee but..."

Mrs. Taylor laughed. "I will keep that in mind and mention it to Bruns. Don't worry your parents too much now. I'm sure they won't like you talking to me."

"I don't think they'll mind me talking to you but I think they won't like that I'm bothering you in a general and Max-related sense. I'll talk to you later though, okay?"

"It's always nice to hear from you, hun."

I hung up and sighed, looking at the ceiling. I hope Mr. Taylor was doing okay. Mrs. Taylor can hold her own, even if she's grieving, but Mr. Taylor was like me when he got upset. I'm much worse than he is but he's not that far behind. That's why when Max did stuff that made his parents mad, I could tell when his dad was about to blow a gasket. But Mr. Taylor was better at holding it in for a long time before he blew up, unlike me; but because of that, it also meant that while he stewed, he just gained momentum. I hope Mrs. Taylor told him about that simulator because I think he needed it...

Since I was technically grounded again, I had nothing else to do so I just stared at the ceiling, wondering about Kasai. I wonder what that dream was all about and why he was there... Was he being taken care of? Did he still know about us? Pfft, of course not. He was an infant; he would never know us ...