Suzie’s House 138: A Small Explosion

“Right.” Gene repeated to himself as the door closed on Mrs. Hammacker and Mr. Banks “Right. I’ll just… wander around like a ghost until you’re good and ready to talk to me. Yeeeeah.”

He went down the hall to Ben’s bedroom, feeling like raw hamburger. He was so messed up about how Mrs. Hammacker yelled at him, that he forgot about Ben and Lisa until he got there.

There they were, shoulder to shoulder, leaning over Ben’s desk. She laughed the way some girls do when they like a guy but are afraid to say so. Gene backed up fast, but not fast enough.

“Hey, Gene. Did you hear my mom yell?” Ben turned and looked at him.

“Mrs. Hammacker?” It felt funny calling Ben’s mom by that, but he couldn’t bring himself to call her Suzie and saying ‘your mom’ all the time wasn’t much better. “Um.. Yeah.”

“What was she yelling about?”

“Nothing.” Gene totally did not want to go there. He backed up another step, but Ben came marching across the room to grab his arm and drag him back in the room.

“Nothing? What do you mean nothing? Mom hardly ever yells. It’s got to be about something. You were right there, weren’t you? So, what did she say?”

Lisa came along a step or two behind Ben, looking all concerned. He hated the pity in her eyes.
“She was yelling at me,” Gene snapped at both of them. “She got mad because I asked if I could have Drew’s room.”

“But… but he’d not…. I can’t believe you did that!” Ben looked like he’d been hit in the face with a wet fish.

“What’s wrong with taking his room, anyway? He said himself he wasn’t ever going to want it again.”

Ben’s jaw dropped. It would have been funny if he didn’t look like he might cry too.

“That’s what he said,” Gene said, backing up. “He wouldn’t ever be coming back, so I could have it.”

“That’s a lie! Take it back.” Ben made a grab for him, fist cocked.

Gene didn’t let him get too close. At least this was something Gene understood, something he was good at. He kept half a step away, dodging easy. Ben ended up thrashing air.

“You jerk! Even if it’s true, you can’t have his room. You can’t take Drew’s place.”

“I’m not trying to. I’m trying to get a place of my own.”

“Stop.” Lisa grabbed Ben’s arm. Ben’s fists went down like someone cut his strings.

Gene went to the side of the bed. He dropped to his knees, and took out his backpack. Everything he cared about was already inside, because he didn’t have a dresser drawer or a desk or anything to put them in.

“What are you doing? Where are you going?” Ben tried to get in his way, but Gene shoved past him.

“Home.”

Furious, Gene stomped out of the room. Anything had to be better than this. Even going back to his father.

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