Hudson House [Now available for the Kindle]

Chapter 11

Eric avoided everyone as best he could-eating cereal for all his meals, hiding from Steve whenever home-until Sunday night when his father knocked on his door and mentioned that Tommy had been severely burned. He sat on Eric's bed while Eric remained on the floor, matchbox cars surrounding him.

"Do you know anything about it?"

"About Tommy's hand?"

His father smiled just slightly. What did that mean? "Yes."

"What did Tommy say?"

His father's hands rubbed together. "He said he was playing with a lighter and it exploded."

"Yeah."

"Yeah what?"

"That sounds like something Tommy would do."

"You didn't see it happen?"

Had Tommy mentioned Eric was there? "No," Eric said.

"You know how dangerous it is to play with fire." Was that a question? "You wouldn't do that, would you?"

Eric shook his head.

"Tommy's quite burned, but his father said he'll be in school tomorrow."

Would Ed be in school as well? Could everything return to normal? No, of course not. His mother was still dead.

His father stood, walked to the door, turned back. "How did you know he had burned his hand?"

"What? You told me."

"No, Eric," his father said. "I didn't."

Eric's face flushed. He cast his eyes down at his father's loafers. He could never look either of his parents in the face when caught in a lie. He felt like a disobedient dog with its tail between its legs.

"When you want to talk, I'm here for you. Anytime. But it should be soon."

After a moment, his father left the room. When the door shut, Eric released a lungful of hot air. Eric had never felt as comfortable talking to his father as he did his mother, but that would have to change now. His father had sounded concerned at first. His words before he left-should be soon-stung with accusation and knowledge. His father knew he had been with Tommy when he got burned and he probably also knew it led back somehow to Hudson House. What if Eric didn't tell his father? How long was soon?

* * *

He decided that soon was not immediate and that a full confession could wait until after he spoke to Tommy and they put an end to their relationship with Hudson House.

Thick, white bandages covered Tommy's burned hand and he cradled it with his other hand like a baby as they walked the perimeter of the cafeteria. Rain splattered on the large windows overlooking the football field. It felt like they were in prison, but school usually felt that way.

Eric knew before the words came out of Tommy's mouth that nothing had changed. The original plan was still in place.

"We'll go back on Wednesday," Tommy said. "Just as we planned."

"But your hand."

"It's fine. I have medicine but, honestly, it doesn't hurt much. It's really burned. You want to see it? It looks like I cooked it."

Not you, the house, Eric thought. "Not right now," he said.

"Somebody might hurl anyway." A table of girls shied from them as they neared and then erupted in giggles once they passed.