The Baths of Times Square

Chapter 11 - Willie

"So, how about telling me three things about yourself." I look over at Bexley. She is playing with the hem of her skirt, not saying anything. She looks like a small, defenseless chick without it'd mama. 

"Um, okay. I grew up with a pretty weird family, I spend a lot of time alone, and I never had many friends."

She ticks them off with her fingers, then looks at me shyly. "Okay, that's cool. How about we start with the first one; your family." I gesture to her. At first she hesitates, but then takes a deep breathe and starts to talk. "Okay. So, I never really knew my mother. I grew up with her, but I never really knew her, you know?" I nod. "She left when I was ten. She was an alcoholic. She would come home late at night and I would always hear her arguing with my dad about something or other. I never really slept much on those nights. Would stay up with earplugs in, reading a book. Sometimes I would hear glass break downstairs. My dad always had dark circles under his eyes, now that I really think about it. I would sometimes see my mom on the couch under a blanket in the morning, but I never woke her up. I really didn't want to.

"Until one day, Dad told us that he would be home late from work because of a meeting. I was in my room doing homework and eating dinner when I heard the front door fly open. In comes Mom, making out with some younger guy. I hid in my room and shut the door, not wanting her to hear me. A while later, my dad came in and caught them. He asked her for a divorce, and she freaked out. Hit him, threw things at him, yelled at him. The next morning the police called, telling me to head to the hospital. I had a neighbor drive me there, and they told that my dad was in the hospital because of Mom. There they found a tumor in his brain. 

"I hated my Mom then. I wanted to kill her, to make her suffer just as much as me and Dad had. Dad ... he ..." She reaches up and wipes under her eye with her sweater. She apologizes, and reaches to scratch her neck. "That's okay." I feel my cheeks get hot as I reach out to grab her hand. She doesn't look up.

"Okay, um, anyway," she whispers. "What was the second fact?" "You spend a lot of time alone." "Oh, right. Well, ever since I left Maryland, I haven't really met anyone who I really liked. I didn't really like anyone back home, either. I've just been on my own, moving through the motions, you know?" I nod.

"Okay. The third was about the people I've met, right? Most of the people I knew back home were ... unique. I didn't have a lot of friends back then. Until one day in sophomore year, when Keo made friends with me. He had me do all of these pretty bad things with him, but I didn't really care. It was nice to have a friend. I guess I had a lot of anger I wanted to get out, too. But when things got too far, I told him no. That's part of the reason why he was trying to come back and get me. Maybe because he thought I knew too much."