Green Eyed Boy Part 15
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Neil had burst in with tickets and it was just what we needed. It did not take long for the five of us to pile into Logans truck. Neil, Pete, and I crammed in the back when we discovered Gabe's legs were just too long for the space, so he had to call shotgun. At the theatre we were being typical guys cutting up and teasing one another. Logan always seemed in his element around other people where I knew I could sit quietly and watch comfortably for hours. He was teasing Neil about the movie when we heard the yell. "It is them! Hey dog boys!" The voice was familiar enough I turned to look and felt the furrow in my brow when I tried to remember where I had seen this short lady before. Logan however was on the ball of course and whooped. "Miss Mache! You ladies here to see the heroes too?" There was a shy woman just behind Sheila. Pale blond, nearly platinum white hair and wearing some sort of odd shirt I certainly did not recognize. Neil however perked up. "Hey! That's Elizabeth from Frost zone, right?" Sheila's sister nodded and next thing we knew the pair were off to one side raving about some video game. Sheila just shook her head and laughed. "That's Cathy, my sister hates seeing movies alone, so I offered to go with her. I hope you two are keeping out of trouble?" "Yes ma'am" I had to smile; Sheila was likable even if I hated being called `dog boy' across the theatre. Gabe and Pete just looked at us in confusion. "Dog boy? Do I want to know?" "Miss Sheila Mache is a park ranger, we got harassed a week or so ago by some brats and... well, scared them off and they called her on us." I felt my cheeks go red admitting it. It really had been a stupid, spur of the moment, idea. I was honestly shocked it worked. More so that Sheila remembered Logan and I. Sheila had a contagious laugh that had Pete and Gabe cracking up with her response. "Just Sheila, I'm off duty. And just a ranger not a officer anyhow despite what some of my contemporaries think they are... and You, you drove them off by playing a video of guard dogs on your phone and making those boys think they were getting chased. How the hell that worked I have no idea." "Neither do I but I am really glad it did." Logan beamed as if it were his idea and he was the proudest man ever for coming up with it. The ladies joined us for the movie and none of us were terribly surprised when Neil chose to sit beside Cathy, we all left the movie in high spirits, even if our wallets were far lighter than before. Neil pausing a moment and Cathy shyly squeaked. "Is... Is it alright if we take Neil back to campus later? There's a sci-fi convention this weekend..." "Hey, he's a grown ass man. As long as he's home in time ... Oh wait, this week is fall break! As long as he's back in time for classes by the twelfth we're good!" Pete threw that in, and Neil just smiled. The three of them headed off after Neil promised to text us if he was running too late. I was rather glad of it; I knew he did not have to, but we had sort of become our own little family and I did worry about him. I hoped Cathy was not just a rebound as well, having a feeling that Sheila was not one to be crossed if someone hurt her sister. Gabe and Pete just looked at each other than to me and Logan. "What now guys?" Logan got a thoughtful look and I glanced at my phone which was still booting up from being turned off during the movie. A text from mom had come through. "Logan? Guys? Mind if we go see mom? I want to check on her while we're in town. I'm worried she's drinking again now that Harris went back to Kinston." Harris had to return as he did live next to us... not us, next to Daniel. I could not really bring myself to call him dad anymore. He had not really been one to start with after all. Pete however had a dawning look of confusion. "Hey? When your mom showed up the other night with that guy? How did she know where you were? Which dorm room I mean?" I had not thought of that and Gabriel's expression said he had not either. Logan started to look tensed up. "If someone at the campus told them... that's a major violation right there. You are not a minor and they are not paying your bills. Pat. Something stinks there. I didn't even think about that. Yea, if you want, Gabe, Pete, we'll take you back to the dorm and go see Miss Aberg." Gabe just grumbled. "If it weren't fall break I would be having a word with the front office. I may just see if anyone's on anyhow. Someone broke protocol. Yea let's head back to the dorms. Charles is supposed to be calling me today about those coins of yours anyhow." I was grateful Gabe had remembered them and fished out the key, I had replaced the lockbox with a working one, handing the key to it to Gabe. I did trust him as much as I did Logan. It did not take long for us to drop Pete and Gabe back off. Torrand was a college town and not a very big one. It had once been a tourist town until roadwork had nearly choked it off. These days most of the buildings were worn and tired. Their past lives hidden under fading paint and sun bleached or rusting signs. We easily passed the theatre again, which had once been a playhouse modified for film use, then old tobacco barns and a shutdown elementary school with its boarded over windows. There was another school in Weaverville down the road that the local kids went to instead these days. Torrand had its own grocers though and of course the golden arches among a smattering of other popular stores that just looked tired. I watched the landscape go by from the passenger seat now and wondered if this was what happened to all small towns? They either faded away or boomed like Asheville and Charlotte. Logans hand brushing my knee drew my attention back and I just smiled at him. "Copping a feel when you're supposed to be driving a stick Loggey?" "You are never going to let that go are you? But no, what's on your mind Pat? You seem lost?" "Just thinking about mom, about Torrand... about after college. I only have two more years of a four-year degree left. I know you just started, and I don't want to go too far from you Logan. I'm scared for mom too. She drinks so much, and she's never been alone." Logan was quiet a long moment. It made me worry and my attention was not so much on the landscape anymore as on my thoughts about it all. What if Daniel came up? What if whoever had told mom where my dorm room was, would tell him where my friends and I were too? What if he found out which one of Harris's rentals mom was staying at and hurt her? Or went after Abs? It was all rolling in my head as Logan pulled off into a small shopping center parking lot and turned off the truck. He took my shoulder and turned me to face him, cupping my chin and rubbing the stubble I had neglected the last few days to shave. "Patrick. Get your ass out of there. That's a dark path Pat. It's full of what if's that have not happened yet. You're panicking over things that haven't happened. I know some might... and best we can do is protect ourselves against those `might's', but I don't want to live behind a locked door peering out windows the rest of our lives. We're going to see your mom. Then we're going to talk to her about a restraining order on Daniel and making sure everything's in yours and her names on Monday." "Restraining orders are just pieces of paper Logan... and you are scary when you read my mind." I glowered at him a little, but it did not last. I knew damned well he was just worried about me. Hell, I was worried about me. I was so use to second guessing everything and being ready to be screamed at or threatened over the smallest thing that I knew full and well I was jumping at shadows. Logan shrugged and cranked the truck back up. "Restraining orders are a paper trail, he who says something first tends to be believed first. I just hope he hasn't tried to do something already in that regard." "Yea, he may get mom in trouble, turns out she used his credit card to fly from Asheville Regional to Kinston jetport the night Harris and she moved them up here." "Oh, yea, she may have to pay that back in good faith through a divorce attorney or something. I know, sounds bullshit but I could be wrong. Really only things I know about divorces come from a friend of mine in high school who went through one." Logan glanced sidelong at me while driving and I just gave him a smile before realizing mom did not know we were on the way. I pulled out my cell and gave her a quick ring. "Meredith speaking?" "Hey mom, Logan and I are in the area. Are you home? We wanted to swing by and see how you are?" "Oh Patrick, I'm glad to hear from you today. Sure sweetie. Abbigail is here with Garrick. It's perfect timing!" "we'll be there in ten then mom, tell them to wait for us. Bye." "I'll see you soon Patrick. I do love you; you know." "I... I know mom." I had to hang up. It was still hard to hear that. Knowing she had been absent mentally the last ten plus years of my life. It had not felt like love when she stood silently in a corner while dad... Daniel, had screamed at ten-year-old me two inches from my face, calling me faggot, whores son, worthless... all because I had eaten the last slice of my own birthday cake, he had taken every gift I had received and returned all of them to the stores and those he could not had been thrown in the fireplace and burned. It had not felt like love when she turned her back and staggered drunkenly out of the house when I was thirteen and laying on the floor from a sucker punch to the gut for coming home two minutes past my seven pm curfews. One of the few times Daniel had ever actually hit me. His prime method of torture was threats, screaming and manipulation. Anytime I had a friend I soon lost them because of him, and mother never stopped him... at least that I knew of. I knew I was getting angry and felt the white-hot tears building again. I hated how easily I cried. Men were not supposed to cry, we're supposed to be the strong ones. Maybe I should have stood up to him more, or obeyed him better, maybe he was hurting mom more than I knew. After all things were bad enough Ab's had run away from home before she was nineteen. Something he nor mom had ever reported. She had come back with Garrick, who always looked like he was three bowls to the wind on something but somehow had enough money to put the down payment on Conch's shop and was willing to pay for Abs to attend community college and learn to handle her dream job, fixing motorcycles and antique cars. High or not he seemed a decent guy. It took me a moment to realize that Logan was turning into a driveway. The house was a small one-story building that had seen better days like most of torrand. Fading paint, bare trees. The front porch had bowed planks and one pillar had a metal cage around it to help support the load. It was a nice cottage in its day I suppose. Even had mom not told me Abs was here the pair of motorcycles out front would have. A sweet silver trimmed blue Harley shovelhead sat alongside a battered red tanked cycle of no name. Abs had built the Monster herself out of various junkyard parts and supposedly that was what had impressed old man Conch and Garrick as well. I could believe it considering she had gifted me with my own home-made bike though hers looked like it had been ridden through hell and back again. Logan had cut the ignition at this point and was waiting on me patiently. I knew we could not just sit in his truck in front of the house all day and finally started to get out. Logans voice breaking my silence. "You'll be okay Patrick, If I have anything to say about it, so will she. Abs? I've talked to her; I'm not worried about her. Damn woman's scary." That made me crack a smile and I shot him a bit of a look for it. "Thanks Logan. Come on. Let's see what the latest news is." I had hardly knocked on the door when it flew open and Mom grabbed me, yanking me and Logan both into the house by our shoulders and hugging the both of us until I had to push her to get a breath. "Mom! What's going on? Are you alright?" "Nice to see you too Mrs. Aberg." Logan backstepped once freed but just gave a surprised smile. The inside of the house was not surprisingly meticulous. The walls were white, no pictures hung on them. The couch was brown leather without a single sign of wear to it though I recognized it as one from our old home. The carpet had a criss cross pattern to it from multiple vacuum runs and the kitchen, that was open to the living room, had glistening marble counter tops. The outside of the house had been lived in, inviting and warm... the inside was sterile, and the smell of bleach and cleaners made my head swim. It reminded me too much of childhood and the laminate floor bleached and scrubbed of its printed pattern. Abs stepped in off the back porch and saved me from bolting out the door. Grubby t-shirt of a donkey being pulled by a stick figure rat proclaiming `I'm a" above it. Her jeans had oil smudges and work boots reminded me of Logans riding boots. Of all things though she had a little black and white cat perched on her shoulder nuzzling up against her. "Mom, I got Pepper out from under the porch for ya. Hey twerp! Logan! Good to see you, I'd say welcome to the family but ya know the wolf." Abs was not some supermodel skinny thing. She was five feet nine and made of muscle from lugging engine parts around and with a stocky waist to show it and arms like steel bands. Arms that damn near broke my ribs as she hugged me. "Ouch, Hey sis. Please don't chase Logan off. Glad to see you too, where's Garrick?" "She's not going to chase me off. At least not until the chiefs done. Which one of those beauties out there is yours Ab?" Logan offered his hand, but she smacked it away and hugged him. When the hell did my family get so touchy? I had to wonder if I had just walked into the twilight zone or something. Abs laughed at mine and Logans expressions while thumbing at the hall beside the kitchen. "He went to the head. His allergies are killing him. I keep telling him we should move but he loves the mountains even if they always make him look like hes going to keel over. Mom tell you yet?" "We literally just walked in the door. Tell us what?" I did wonder a moment if I had judged Garrick too hastily if allergies were what made him look so bloodshot every time I saw him. Garrick's deep voice came from the back hallway as he emerged. At six feet nine he was scrawny and lanky. Like a teenager who never really filled out. Had I not known he worked the shop alongside her, I would never believe he could handle heavy machines like Abs could. "Tell you me an Ab are getting married. We're heading to the justice of the peace Monday morning. Just street clothes, signed and done. Then we'll both be Conchs. We want the three of you to join us as witnesses. Trying to talk Miss Meredith into taking the name too, dump Aberg permanent like." He drawled a bit and I could understand both sides. On one hand it was a lot of paperwork and there was a lot of history in our name... on the other hand it would make it harder for Daniel to find mom and be a real sign that she wasn't going to go back. "I can see why you should Mom, but it is your choice. Have you heard from Harry lately? I know you said he drove back to Kinston." Mom just went quiet and shook her head. Pepper hopped up onto the kitchen counter and mom grabbed her, holding the kitten like a baby and stroking its head as the purr filled the small house. "No, I haven't yet. I am worried about Harry but I'm sure he can take care of himself. I filed... I filed a restraining order and separation order Friday. Would you believe they said I have to be separated a full year in order to file a divorce? How does that make any sense?" She drifted to the couch and sat down rather hard. I swear she looked as if she had grown ten years older since I had last seen her. I wanted to console her, but we had never been the touching, hugging types in my family. Even Abs just stood off in a corner slightly, shifting her weight from foot to foot and giving me a look under her coal black bangs. She did not know what to do either as mom whispered. "I'm scared. I've never been alone. I've never lived on my own before. I've always been told what to do, where to go, what to wear..." Thank god for Logan, he gave us a pointed look and then to the couch, leaning in to whisper to me. "Go." My feet were led as I headed to her and sat on her right side, Abs on her left and we both leaned in and hugged her. Idly playing with Peppers fuzzy ears, the most tolerant kitten in the world just purring and batting at moms tear dampened nose. I felt the couch move as Logan sat beside me and Garrick quietly went to the other side of Abigail. I managed to find my voice, repeating what Logans told me so many times now. "I won't let him hurt you anymore mom. Just stay here with us. He won't hurt you again." "Not if I have something to say about it he won't." Abs whispered but her tone dripped with venom. I felt there was more I did not know going on behind that statement and Garrick rubbed Abs back. Logan broke the tension easily. "You can wear whatever you want now, Paint the walls whatever colors you want, hang pictures of your kids, your cats, have thirty cats if you want to. Wait this is a rental right? Have pictures of thirty cats then. Get Harry to take you to Biltmore all dolled up for Christmas too. Speaking of, all of you are invited to the farm for Christmas. I won't take no for an answer, unless, you have plans with Garrick's family of course Abs?" Garrick laughed suddenly and looked at his soon to be wife, my sister, in a way that I had only ever seen Logan look at me. He smiled as he spoke. "No, my grandad raised me and hes been gone six years. Ab's the only one I've got." "Bullshit, you have us too." I had to add that. Moms head snapping up. "Patrick Damian Aberg! You are not too big for me to wash your mouth out with soap." Logan stared a moment and burst out laughing. "She's going to be just fine!" ~~~~Logan~~~~ It was later while Meredith, Abs and Pat tried... keyword there, to cook a late lunch. I slipped out the side door and headed for my truck. Garrick stepping out behind me and lighting a cigarette. "Running off?" "Nah, I've got my toolbox in the truck. That board next to your foot is going to get someone hurt." Harris had enough on his plate without a lawsuit from some solicitor taking a tumble. I did not have any scrap wood, or I would just replace the bent section entirely. Garrick puffed a thick cloud of noxious smoke and eyed the porch. "I saw an old shed out back, had some lumber next to it. While they're catching up, we can shoot the breeze. Don't worry, I won't give you any grief. Abs told me about you and her brother. Thanks man. To hear her tell, you've saved him." I had to laugh at that, setting the hammer and box of nails on the porch though he finally seemed to catch my disgusted look at the cigarette and put it out. "I saved him? She did tell you that he found me laying in a ditch, right? Not the other way around. I don't want to save him... I want to protect him, but he doesn't need saving. It's hard to explain. And thanks for putting that out. My mom passed of the big C a few years ago and those things make me queasy." "Shit, yea they are a bad habit. I've been trying to quite since I was thirteen. Buying the damned things off the neighbors back then. As for you and Pat. I don't get it... But if it makes you two happy, not my place. You seem like a good kid." Garrick had to be at least seven or more years older than I was, but I was not a kid, I refrained from saying as much however as we headed around to the backyard where a small shed was leaning badly to one side. A stack of old lumber piled on the other. It took us a bit to find the right board and then another hour just working. I had a handsaw in the toolbox and soon both of us were hot, sweaty and had sawed a hole in the porch and nailed down the new one. It did not match completely but it was flat and solid, from joist to joist. We stopped at the doorway of the house as we realized we were both covered in sawdust and had mud on our shoes. "Hey Abs, need a towel or something out here superwoman?" Garrick yelled and I just raised a brow at his `superwoman' comment. Pat and Abs both came to the door but surprisingly Meredith just waved us in. "Just get in here boys. Thank you so much for that. Harrys been meaning to fix it but with everything going on he hasn't had time. Lunch is ready... and you know what? You are right Logan. I can do what I want in this house and if I want my boys to track in a bit of wood and dirt that's just fine." She was rather vehement about it and I could only smile. We all filed into the hallway, there were two very small bedrooms in this house, but one had been converted to a dining room at some point, the table nearly filled the entire room. Abs opened the window and poked Garrick in the chest. "No kisses for you tonight. You smoked again." "Aww babe..." "Nope. That's the deal. Speaking of deals. Your pop came and got your bike yesterday Logan. Meant to say something earlier." "Sweet!" I may have whooped a little and Pat stared at me before a grin broke out on his face. I wanted to kiss him but against my better judgement, in front of his mom and brother in law, sister, I opted not to. "Come spring Pat and I will have to go riding together. I've already had one spill this fall. I don't care for another on ice. Still can't believe my grans is next door to you. I don't see her often these days." "She's great, some of the old folks come over time to time and watch us work on the bikes. I love listening to their stories though sometimes I have to chase them back to the retirement community so we can work. " It was not much of a retirement community really. More like an old apartment building that only housed able bodied folks fifty-five and up. Soon as you needed help and could not live alone though you had to move out. Dad and I were lucky, his mom was still very active. "We'll have to go visit her soon." Patrick volunteered that and surprised me. I felt my heart jump hearing him say that. The fact he had so much utter shit happen to him and still found room to love not just me, but my family too, was a wonder.