Big, fat tears fill Margaret’s eyes. “I talked him into coming home for the weekend.”
Margaret and Silas just graduated in May and they’re in that weird summer where nothing has really changed but you know that change is coming since college is only a handful of weeks away. There’s an itch that you can’t scratch. A want for something but not knowing what it is, which usually leads to stupid behavior. My friends and I used to hang out atPaul’s too, but we’ve moved on. Silas’s group is just getting started over there, though.
“Why didn’t y’all leave with everyone else?” I ask her.
“He got hungry but his Jeep wasn’t there. Paul was passed out so we took his truck.” Her voice is high and shrill.
Silas shuffles around on the floor, trying to find a comfortable position for that bum knee while still holding the towel to his forehead. “I remember being at Paul’s. Remember talking about getting food. Everything’s blurry after that.” He’s slurring his words and I’m not sure he’ll remember this conversation in the morning, much less the wreck. “You shouldn’t have let me drive.”
Margaret lets out a huge sob.
“So y’all take his truck to get food and have a wreck.”
Again, both of us look to her for confirmation. “Yeah. There was a car. It was just there all of a sudden.”
“Where was this? Was anyone hurt?” I ask, terrified to hear the answer.
She shrugs and tears spill from her eyes. “On Maple. We got out of Paul’s truck and just started running.” That’s only a few streets over from here.
Silas throws the towel down. “Fuck!” Then he slams one hand into the carpet over and over. “Fuck!”
“Keep it down, you’re going to wake my mom.” My mom is passed out in her room, and even though I don’t think a bomb going off would wake her, Silas needs to lower his voice.
I pull my phone out of my back pocket. “Silas, I’m calling your dad.”
His head pops up. “What? No! Why would you call him?” He genuinely looks scared.
“Because this is more than I can handle! You stole someone’s truck and hit another car then left the scene. And he may be pissed when he finds out but we both know he’s the only one who can fix this shit for you.”
Silas slumps, but it’s clear he knows I’m right. “Where’s your bathroom?”
“Across the hall.”
Margaret helps him up and tries to walk there but he shakes her off. “I don’t need your help taking a piss.”
She steps away and he nearly falls on his ass but catches himself on the end of my bed. If this wasn’t so tragic, it would be comical.
Silas stumbles his way out of my room while Margaret sinks back down on the floor. “Don’t tell Mr. Everett I’m here. That I was with him.” Her voice is small. Broken. “He already hates me. He wants Silas to break up with me.”
In that moment, I begrudgingly acknowledge a camaraderie with her. We’re both fighting tooth and nail to remain in our relationships against the wishes of Randall Everett.
“Get out of here. Go home. I won’t mention you were here but I can’t promise Silas won’t.”
“He won’t. He knows how his dad will react. Silas loves me.”
It’s hard not to roll my eyes. Pretty sure Silas only loves himself, and it will be a miracle if they’re still together a month after fall semester starts.
Silas looks marginally better when he stumbles back in my room since he washed the blood off his face, although his shirt is still stained with it.
Margaret pops up from the floor and launches herself at him, almost knocking them both over. “Ben said I should leave before your dad gets here since we know how he’ll be. Call me later when you can talk.”
He nods and she steps away as if parting from him is painful. His expression does not mirror hers.
“You can use the front door,” I tell her.
Once she’s gone, Silas sinks down on my bed, then falls back. “Call him and let’s get this over with.”
This won’t be swept away as easily as everything else has been. This is just the beginning.
