“Jesse. Don’t get nervous. I didn’t tell my dad because he’s hardly ever there, and when I do come in, I stay in my room. I’ll tell him when you get here that you’re going to help out with the bills and some of the handiwork that needs done.”
“Handiwork,” Jesse snarled. “Worm. I wouldn’t know which end of a hammer to hit the nail with, for shit’s sake. What have you done, man?”
“Don’t worry. He works all the time—he’s not gonna be focused on us,” Worm tried, but he wasn’t able to disguise the hurt in his voice. “He doesn’t have shit to say to me unless he’s coming down on me for getting in trouble.”
“Well, not anymore because I’ll be around to make sure you keep your nose clean and finish your diploma,” Jesse said. He tried to focus on something positive and not frighten himself with all the negative thoughts that were trying to consume him.
“Right!” Worm said with more enthusiasm. “Wait until I show him I got my GED. He’ll have no choice but to acknowledge that shit because he’ll no longer be able to call me a lazy-ass dropout.”
“I’m really sorry about you and your dad’s relationship, Worm. But you know he loves you, right? He just doesn’t want you running with those bad crowds anymore.” Jesse pinched the wrinkled skin between his brows. “You’ve been arrested twice already. If my mom knew that I was headed towards…”
“I know. I know. I’m sorry.” Worm sighed. “That’s why I’m glad you’re coming, bro. When he sees me hanging out with a college grad, he’ll love it.”
“If you say so.”
“I do,” Worm agreed. “Just enjoy the long ten-hour bus ride, and I’ll be waiting for you at the station. My house isn’t too far from there. Cool?”
Jesse rubbed at the pounding near his left temple. “Yeah, cool.”
“Can’t wait to see you again, bro. It took you way too long to finish school.”
“Most colleges are four years, dipshit.”
“Whatever, brainiac. You should’ve done it in two, then.”
Jesse disconnected the call with a smile curving his lips. Everyone was quiet as the bus made its way down the long stretch of dark highway. Jesse thought of this as the next phase in his life—adulthood—and decided to embrace it instead of running in the opposite direction.
This could be the start of an amazing new year.
Mason
“Good evening, officers.” The sound of Erlene’s cheerful voice and the sweet smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls greeted them when they walked inside the busy bakery at the corner of Decatur and Edgewood Avenue. “Officer Clark, hello.”
“Erlene, what’s it going to take to get you to call me Joshua, huh?” Mason’s partner said on his way into the store. He stood a few inches from the counter and smiled down at the five-foot petite lady with stars flashing in his eyes.
Mason couldn’t believe his big, tough sergeant turned into a big sap anytime he spoke to the older woman. Erlene was more mature than Clark, with her silver hair and deep laugh lines around her hazel eyes. But she had the bubbliest personality and the prettiest smile he’d ever seen. And she loved to turn it on full beam when his partner walked in. Sure, she was polite to him as well, but she never offered Mason extra icing on his cinnamon roll or doodled hearts with the caramel drizzle on his apple tart.
Erlene’s cheeks turned a soft pink as she carefully tucked a few tendrils of hair behind her ear. “I suppose it’s just habit, Officer. Or maybe… maybe it’s the uniform.”
“Hmm,” Clark rumbled, still staring and smiling.
After a few long moments of awkwardness and a customer clearing her throat behind them, Mason subtly elbowed his partner in his side. “We better get going.”
“Um, yeah, right.” Clark snapped out of whatever daze he’d been in and started to survey the new additions to the display case. “I’ll have the usual cruller, and those over there look good.”
“I, um. I remember you mentioned liking lemon pastries and not being able to get them in the supermarket in the winter. So, I made some mini lemon bundts, with iced frosting and toasted marshmallow shavings.” Erlene wrung her fingers in her purple apron. “A little of your spring mixed with my winter.”
Mason gaped, and Erlene seemed to realize how that sounded now that it was out of her mouth and flushed an even darker shade of rose. Clark’s chest literally expanded beneath his bulletproof vest as he politely asked for a dozen.
“A whole dozen,” Mason hissed close to Clark’s shoulder. “That’s overkill, Sarge.”
“Shut up. I’ll do an extra half hour on the elliptical in the morning,” Clark said out of the corner of his mouth while Erlene turned to fill his order, adding a large coffee with a splash of vanilla syrup and two Splendas, just how Clark liked it.