Suzie’s House 140: Apology Accepted

So now what? Gene had lots of power when he stormed out of Mrs. H’s house, but once off the porch he lost a lot of it. He didn’t know what to do with himself.

The thought of going “home” didn’t sit too good. Didn’t he already decide he was never going back? With the foster parent thing an all, it maybe wasn’t even legal. Besides, it seemed like changing his mind made him into a wuss. The beating he could expect from his dad didn’t bother him so much. It was what that little voice in the back of his own head would say. Stuff like he wasn’t a real man and never would be. Coward. Stupid. And why’d he do it? Because he got yelled at when he asked to have a room of his own?

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

He said all that to himself, but he still turned toward his dad’s house when he got out on the street. His feet dragged. His head ran twice as fast as usual, but only went in circles.

It wasn’t just Mrs. H’s house that he didn’t belong. It was the whole city.

There was a sign over on John Nolan Drive that said “population 200,000” plus a bit. Gene had seen it a time or two. He wasn’t really sure what the difference was between 200,000 and 20,000, but surely with a place this big there’d be somewhere he belonged.

He couldn’t think of a single one. For once, he actually kind of missed school. Summer vacation sucked.

Sp maybe he half expected the fast stomp of feet behind him. Maybe he was hoping for it, ‘cause he wasn’t surprised at all when Ben came whipping around in front of him. But the underpants on his head… that was surprising.

“Don’t,” Ben was breathing hard. He put a hand on Gene’s shoulder and leaned against him to stop him. It didn’t really take all that much. “Don’t go.”

“That’s it? All you got to say? Don’t go?” Gene wasn’t about to make it easy on him. He nodded at Lisa, who was a step or two behind Ben.

“All right. I admit it. Right here in front of everyone.” Ben gestured toward the underwear on his head.

“You’re… a pantywaist?” Gene guessed, having no idea what Ben was trying to say with the underwear thing.

“No. An ass. I’m an ass. And I’m sorry.”

“Hah! Hah,” Gene tried to make it sound like he didn’t believe Ben, but it came out more like laughter. He tried to shove past, only not real hard.

“I’m serious here.” Ben gave him a little shove back. “I was wrong. You should have Drew’s room. And, maybe, I shouldn’t have swung at you.”

“You’re just lucky I didn’t fight back.”

“I know. I know. You could beat the sh*t out of me if you wanted. I lost my head.”

“Yeah. You did that.” Gene said it while grinning and looking at the underwear. He was kind of seeing the point of it now. Too bad there wasn’t any school tomorrow so he could tell everybody about it. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it.

“Tell you what, as soon as we get back, I’ll go tell mom to let you have Drew’s room. I’ll make her do it.”

“Really?” Now there was a real apology. There was something that could make life worth living again. Even if she said no again, at least he had Ben in his corner. She’d have to admit there was a problem. He grinned. “All right. I’ll do it.”

They turned toward Mrs. H’s house and took a couple of steps. Then Gene glanced at Lisa, who’d been watching the whole thing and was grinning like she’d got what she wanted.

“Lisa put you up to this?” Gene asked Ben.

“Would I do this for Lisa? No, never mind that. Would Lisa think to ask it?”

He had a point there. Underwear wasn’t Lisa’s style. “No. Guess not.”

“You think I WANT to look stupid here in front of everyone? I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t mean it.”

Gene nodded. Took a couple more steps. Then couldn’t keep from saying it.

“Nice skid marks.”

Ben whipped the underwear off his head like it was radioactive. Heh, heh.

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