“You little shit!” was all he heard before Dom’s strong arms wrapped around his midriff.
“Get off me!” He wriggled like crazy and still couldn’t get out of his brother’s hold. A second later he was lifted off the ground and he didn’t know which emotion was winning the battle. Helplessness or anger. No, it was anger caused by the helplessness. It was impossible to fight him off.
“You’re a selfish prick!” Dom hissed. “You only think about yourself.”
He was still writhing, wrestling to get himself free. “Get the fuck off me!”
“Stop it!” Their mother’s anguished plea put a stop to everything. “Dominic Thadeus, you put him down right now.” She waited until his feet touched the ground. “Now what’s going on?”
“You wanna tell her, Kevin? Or are you still planning on leaving without a word?”
“You’re leaving?” she asked, her voice cracking with hurt and anxiety.
He did nothing but nod.
Her eyes took note of the two duffle bags on the floor. “When are you coming back?”
“Whenever I get back.”
Dom sneered and shook his head, but she was worried. It showed by the wrinkles on her forehead. “One of us could take you…Wherever you wanna go, your dad or I will take you.”
“I need to do this alone,” he said unevenly. “I need to get out of here, Ma. It’s killing me to stay.”
She didn’t respond, but he saw the understanding in her eyes. Another curse of being a loving mother. She understood his ill-tempered irrationality without him having to explain it further. He lifted his bags again and although he exchanged a quick look with Dom, he left without saying another word.
“Kevin!”
Her screechy scream filled his ears before he even reached the end of the driveway. He stopped but didn’t turn around.
“You’ll call me, right? You’ll let me know you’re okay.”
He threw his head back. Like the guilt he already felt wasn’t enough. She just had to add on an extra layer. He dropped his bags and walked back up the stairs to the front door. “I’ll call.” Leaning in, he placed a kiss on her cheek and whispered the words that were meant for her ears only. “I love you, Mom.”Before she could respond, he placed his finger on her lips. “Don’t say it back.” He couldn’t bear to hear it.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but he turned away before the first one fell. He’d made her cry enough today and if he didn’t see it, then it didn’t happen.
He walked down the street, in the opposite direction of Perry’s house, heading towards the main road. He was going to hitch a ride with whoever was kind enough to offer and see how far he could get. No matter what, he was going to get to Florida.
The events of the morning played heavily on his mind. “All in a day’s work,” he told himself.
He’d argued with his brother, made his mother cry, and bailed out on a ball. In a few meager hours, he’d disappointed three people and there were only three people in the house.
What an asshole! In fact, if there were some kind of competition for it, he would definitely be a contender. He could actually hear the commentators go off in his head, glorifying every aspect of his despicable behavior.
Dan:Hi there, folks, and welcome to our annual Asshole of the Year Awards. I’m Dan (points to the left). This is my co-host, Bob. Bob, why don’t you fill our viewers in on what’s been happening?
Bob:Well, we’ve got some strong competitors this year, Dan. It’s gonna be tight. We’ve got Ashley Jensen from North Dakota, the very dishonest mechanic. We’ve got Jamie Olsen from Wisconsin, the evil boss. From Kansas, ironically enough, we’ve got Dorothy, cheating on her husband. (Turns to Dan) Then there was also that one guy from New York…
Dan:That doesn’t narrow it down (chuckles). All New Yorkers are assholes.
Bob:Nothing like insulting an entire state, Dan (laughs). Anyway, I want to take some time and talk about our regional champion from Montana, Kevin Shepard. His performance this morning was just outstanding. I mean, I have seen people in their forties, who practice long and hard and never reach that level of asshole-ness, and here’s this kid, just shy of twenty-one, doing it so effortlessly.
Dan:It was breakfast, Bob (grinning with amusement). Breakfast! I don’t know if you read the background on this kid, but he comes from a loving family, he’s an amazing swimmer– could go pro if he wanted– and he was just acing every course in college. He actually has the perfect life. All of these things tell me that he should be a decent human being. But then he blows up at his mother, treats her like a fucking doormat. The same woman who has done nothing but love him unconditionally. All because of something as stupid as breakfast. Anyone who speaks to their mother like that is just on another plane of fucked up. And let’s be honest, Bob. It’s not like he can’t get pussy. We can’t even blame it on a bout of sexual frustration. This kid is just a dick!
Bob:He did lose his best friend, though. He’s hurting. I think maybe he’s just misunderstood and deep down he’s got a good heart. I don’t think he’ll even make it to the quarter finals.
Dan:Well, let’s see. Only time will tell. That performance this morning was incredible and I have faith in him. I think he’s gonna go all the way.
November, 6
