Gray Days

Chapter 14: Childhood Remains

"There you are, Tony." Mayor Humphrey looks relieved to see me as he puts a hand on my back and gives me a perfect view of the stage. The mayoress shares the relief as well on her face as she smiles at me. "Where've you been? She's been looking for you."

"Just out for some air, sir. Our town never fails to amaze me. It's a killer view out there with the new clocktower. We don't have to scurry anymore to know the time." Sean hears me and looks over, a glare and a scowl and everything that says he doesn't like me here is directed to me. He's with Flynn on that one. In fact I think they're talking about me when they whisper to each other.

Mayor Humphrey turns to his wife and gives her a knowing face. "I told you it was a good idea," he says to her. And to me, he insists, "Warden, Tony. Call me Warden, son."

"Maybe after your term, sir," I laugh. He sighs but laughs with me afterwards.

After her speech, Chelsea embraces her parents and receives warm regards from everyone. We do a quick photograph session and she asks for a photo with only the two of us. Sean scowls at me and Flynn looks hopelessly angry, but I smile to the camera anyway. On the side of the room, near the Statue of Liberty, Neil O'Donnell, the son of two well-known lawyers and annoyingly the smartest kid in school until he started fucking up because of a girl, is looking at me. She was a lively girl and a great friend. And I bet she had been a great girlfriend too.

I used to hate Neil O'Donnell, but he's not that bad. I ignore him anyway. Calling Chelsea away from her boyfriend makes Sean growl like a wolf protecting his mate, but we both know we're not going to make a commotion and ruin her day. "I have to go," I tell her.

"Already?"

"Yeah," I kiss her cheek, "Don't forget to open my present. Happiest birthday and welcome to adulthood, honey." I wink at her. And seeing Sean, I wink at him too.

After I talk to the mayor and the mayoress, Neil O'Donnell joins me on my way to the parking lot. He's a lot more silent than Zoey. But this time, he's the first one to strike a conversation. "I found something you might want," he says, "I don't know how long Art had it, but I first saw it in an abandoned house in Nowhere."

He leads me to his vintage 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL, one of the many cars Art scavenged out of Nowhere's deserted garages and I helped her fix. Before she left, she gave him that, but all she gave me, her fucking friend for four whole years, a Hot Wheels toy car.

From the glovebox, Neil takes out a photograph and hands it to me. It's a family picture. My family picture. The real one. There's me with the curly red hair in my dad's arms. But one look at him and I had it. I dispose the picture in my pocket and thank Neil.

Zoey is sleeping in the passengers seat by the time I get inside the car. She doesn't have her seatbelt on yet so I reach over and make sure she's buckled up. She stirs on her seat as I cover her with my coat but she doesn't wake up so I watch her. She's cute when she's asleep, not that she's ugly when she's awake. Her eyelashes flutter and her cheeks glow rosy with her light makeup and those plump, innocent lips keep enticing me to touch.

I could kiss her right now but where's the fun in that? Besides, I don't want a slap. And for the record, a girl's slap is a lot painful than a guy's punch. I've had several of both.

In my room, I stare out the window as Zoey's room lights up. After she changes into her pajamas, she walks to the window to pull the curtains down. But she sees me and she smiles. A while later, my phone rings. She's calling. I pick it up.

"I had fun tonight," she says over the phone. I smile and she smiles.

"Me too."

"Thank you."