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“You’re worrying me, Jesse. What were they doing exactly?”
“Playing with a gun.”
“A gun!” I cry, horrified that teenagers would have a weapon. “When I was sixteen, we were dancing in clubs and having fun. We weren’t in quasi-abandoned houses, waving around assault weapons.”
“My friend, the one who was driving that day at the drive-through, he brought us out here. Said his cousin likes to party in that house. I don’t know who it belongs to, but they were smoking some funny shit, and it wasn’t weed.”
“If you did any of the drugs, you have to tell me. I won’t be upset. I need to know what you put in your body.”
“Nothing, I swear. I drank a little. I sat in the corner and figured I’d wait it out. Then, the gun made an appearance. He was waving it around like an idiot. Some guy showed him how to load it, and they were laughing while pointing it at our heads. I didn’t like what was going on. I told them I had to go home, but he knew I’d lied to my parents, said that I was sleeping out. He knew no one cared where I was.”
“Don’t your parents have one of those apps on your phone where they track your every move?”
He lets go of my hand and places it on his lap. “I disabled it. My mom doesn’t care. Dad can’t say anything when I’m with my mom because I’m her responsibility.”
I nod as I realize Rob never would have allowed Jesse to sleep out. This was definitely Christine allowing her son to sleep out because she didn’t want to fight with him, and it appears to have backfired.
“You know better than to hang out with those losers, Jesse. What didn’t you learn when they helped you lie to me? Your uncle even told you they were no good.”
“I know they’re messed up, okay? They’re the only friends I have.”
“You were talking to some decent kids at the carnival.”
“These guys, they’re what I know. My friend has a car, and that’s unlimited freedom. We can go anywhere we want. Do anything we want.”
“Be as dangerous as you want,” I add. “You were scared tonight. So much so that you hid behind a dumpster. When are you finally going to learn that crew is bad news? You’re a great kid, Jesse. You’ve forgotten your worth, and trust me, it’s more than what those guys are. Ditch them now. They offer you nothing but trouble when you have so much to give to this world.”
“That’s not true.”
His defeatist attitude is disheartening.
“You’re handsome and smart. You know more about current events than any teenager I’ve ever met. You’re a hard worker and a great brother. Your sense of humor is awesome, and you’re so very good, Jesse. Inside and out. If you would just get over this horrible teenage angst that you carry, you’d get out of your own way and see just how amazing you are.”
He twists his fingers around each other, looking down at his lap, and gives a small nod. “I think it’s time I find new friends.”
My shoulders fall as I sigh in relief.
“Where am I taking you?” I ask him as we drive through Castleton.
“Can you take me back to your place?”
“Mine?”
“I can’t go home. It’s two o’clock in the morning. Mom will be pissed I woke her up and then know something is up. Mike will pretend to be the authoritarian and grill me for hours. He’s always comparing me to his own perfect son. I’m the loser of the family, and Mike lets me know every day. I can’t go back there.”
“What about your dad’s house?”
“Absolutely not. Are you serious?”
“I have to tell him what happened tonight. I can’t lie to him.”
“What was the point of me calling you? I should have just called him or my uncle, and they would have been here faster. I called you because I needed a friend.”
Damn, this kid knows where to hit me with the emotions.
I nod my head. I know he’s right. Rob will lose his mind if we show up at his house this late. Jesse will be in a world of trouble, and while I know Rob will eventually see Jesse did the right thing in calling me, Jesse will never trust me again.
That’s a huge part of the equation.
