CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE: Cooper
“There you are,” he said, rounding the corner into the kitchen. He abruptly sucked air in when he saw Druzella. “Oopsie,” he said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
For some reason Mom slid the library book under an oversized notepad she used when Druzella visited. The three of us stared at one another while Cooper’s eyes bounced between us.
“Hi,” I said, standing and pulling him in for a hug. “I was just yakking with Mom and her friend.”
“Should I come back later?” he asked. “We actually do have food at our house, but it’s just not as good as your guys’ though.”
“Leftover meatloaf is in the fridge, Cooper,” Mom said. “Make yourself a sandwich.”
I had a better idea to get Coop out of the house. “You know what?” I asked, tweaking his arm. “I’m craving McDonalds fries. How about we go get some and a burger?”
“Excellent choice,” Coop pointed out. “No slamming your meatloaf, Mrs. H.,” he wisely added.
I grabbed Mom’s keys from the decorative bowl on the kitchen counter where she dumped them in and dangled them in the air to get her permission to use her car. Mom nodded and reached for her purse that was hanging on her chair.
“I’m set with money, Mom, but thanks. Let’s go, Coop.”
“Did I interrupt something?” Coop inquired again. “Because I feel like I did.”
I yanked on his arm so we could leave. “Just a bunch of Mom’s mumbo-jumbo stuff, Coop. If anything, you saved me.”
Both her and Druzella gave me the stink eye.
“I only have an hour,” Coop stated, as we headed out. “I promised Dad I’d go to the lumber yard with him later.”
I gave the ladies a quick glance and handed Coop the car keys. “Can you go start the car and start the AC? I’ll grab a clean T-shirt and be right out.”
I waited until I heard the door shut behind him. “Donotgo anywhere, you two,” I said. “We need to finish this when I get back.”
“Is this a joke, Michael?” Mom asked. “I have time for you but if this is a silly prank or something like that, I’d rather not.”
“I know you’re totally thinking that, Mom, but I’m serious about what I said. I can’t just ask Coop to leave and not have him freak out that something is wrong. Especially since a lot of what I want to discuss is about him.”
Druzella waved me off. “Go,” she shooed. “I’ll catch your mom up the best I can.”
Coop was sitting in the car jamming to “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis when I hopped into the driver’s seat. “I love this song so frikkin much,” he announced. “The lyrics are about same-sex love, and I for one think it’s amazing for a rapper to sing about that.”
“Yeah, I agree,” I said. “The chick who wrote the chorus is from Seattle. I believe her name is Mary Lambert. Did I ever tell you I saw her at a poetry slam once?”
“You did? When was that?” he asked. “I think I’d remember something like that.”
I’d just royally fucked up. Cooper had died before that happened which caused me to attend the University of Washington instead of WSU with him. I’d seen Mary Lambert on Capitol Hill in Seattle with Jennifer after we began freshman year.
I had what I thought was a perfect cover for my mistake and I doubted he’d verify the timing. “Jennifer made me go listen with her. Remember when I toured UW with her to get her off my back about not at least giving her choice of college a chance?”
“Oh, yeah,” he replied. “But wasn’t that before this huge hit?”
I didn’t know that answer. “Yeah. I’m sure it was. Doesn’t matter, Coop,” I said. “But I do love the song. Crank it up.” He did as I asked and I let out my breath, hoping I hadn’t sounded confused about dates and shit. “What does your dad need at the lumber yard?” I asked, hollering over the music and swiftly changing the topic.
Coop lowered the volume. “He wants to price lumber for a new deck.”
“Why do you need to go if he’s just pricing the shit?” I asked.
“You know my dad. If he likes the prices he’ll buy today and he needs the cheap labor to load up the truck,” he explained. “Oh my God!” he exclaimed. “I love this part.” Up went the volume as Coop sang along.
I breathed a sigh of relief and drove us to McDonalds.
