He answered immediately.
“What up, ’Zona! What’s the haps, kid?”
Oh, thank God. I stretched out my legs. “Hey, is Royal with you?”
“Uh, no.” He sounded disappointed for a second, but only a second. “No, I’m not with him.”
“What do you mean you’re not with him? You’re not with the other guys and the team?”
He said no again, sounding like he was getting up. “Dad got me out of today’s game. And I wasn’t at school yesterday for the same reason. Didn’t you notice?”
A chuckle followed the question, but it was a bit dry, and since I hadn’t noticed, I pressed my face to my hand. “I hadn’t. I’m sorry. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Dad just said he wanted to hang out. He got us tickets to a concert last night, and we stayed overnight. He took off work and everything for it.”
Well, that was nice for him, but not nice for me. “That’s great, Ramses.”
“Yeah, it is. Everything okay with you? You sound kinda out of breath or something.”
Probably because I was walking now, in the middle of the ’burbs in a pair of shorts, hoodie, and flip-flops. Distracted, I started waving my thumb like a loon. Like someone would actually give me a ride around here.
“’Zona?”
I said nothing, and when I whined he said my name for real this time.
“December, you okay?” he repeated. “What’s going on?”
“We’re moving,” I cried, not able to hold it in. I squeezed my eyes. “My dad’s going crazy, Ramses. He’s making us move. Freaking out and saying we’re going to Chicago.”
“The fuck?”
“Right? I left. Just walked out. Told him I wasn’t going.”
“Okay, okay. Well, where are you? I’ll come pick you up.”
I waved what he said off. “You’re not about to leave where you are with your dad to come get me.”
“It’s not a problem. We just got back, early this morning actually. We just got in from breakfast. Tell me where you are. We’ll get this figured out.”
Seventeen
December
I swear to God I was the worst. I was the worst because I called my friend like a blubbering idiot, then proceeded to do the same on his couch for the better part of several hours. Several hours turned into all day, and not only did Ramses feed me, he let me gripe about my dad. I spilled everything, and around the third cup of hot cocoa, even Ramses looked exhausted.
Striding in from the hall, Ramses gave me that third cup in his living room, darkness settling in around his mansion. I’d literally been there all day and heard nothing from Royal. I’d called him several times.
“I don’t need to bother you anymore,” I said, tossing my phone on his couch. “As soon as he calls back…”
“It’s not a problem.” Ramses had his own cup of cocoa, setting it down on an end table. He looked so nice today, something I hadn’t really noticed due to my own self-involved blubbering. His dark polo and dress pants were really fancy. Catching me looking at them, he grinned. “We went golfing this morning. Hadn’t done that since I was a kid.”
“It sounds like your dad is really trying.” I folded my legs underneath me, damn if I’d spilled cocoa on this nice sofa. I guess I’d just add it to my list of bullshit I was unleashing on my friend.
Ramses threw long arms behind his neck, crossing his legs. He shrugged. “Seems to be. Anyway, I said the same about yours once upon a time, and it sounds like he’s let a screw go loose since then.”
The understatement of the year. I shook my head. “I don’t know what is up with him. He’s been acting crazy. You know he gave me mace? I think he wanted me to use it on Royal. Gave it to me basically right in front of him.”
Chuckling, Ramses leaned forward. He braced his hands. “That’s kind of funny, but can you blame him? This town is fucking crazy.”