“Oh, no. I would be too embarrassed. I’m so shy and she is so…confident. I still don’t even know if I like boys or girls. Besides, it’s clear that Toni is interested in her.”
I look into the bedroom and lo and behold Mags is lying on my bed, shoes and all, while Toni hovers over her like a bird of prey. What is she doing? Toni is dropping Mrs. Gupta’s onion bhajis into Mags’ mouth one at a time, while everyone watches. Everyone, that is, except Neel, who can’t take his eyes off Suzi. This is crazy! It’s too much! The shiva house has turned into an episode of Love Island.
“Excuse me,” I say to Latica and make a beeline out of my bedroom. PJ calls after me, but I ignore him. My eyes fill with tears again as I push my way through the crowd and out the front door of my apartment. I take the stairs two at a time and rush to hide behind the dumpster where I found Sammy on the day we moved in. I’m gasping for breath, and my heart is racing. The alien stirs…
“Hey, kid.”
Fuck! As if things aren’t already crap, Brian is here too, and about to light up a joint. I back away from him, but I trip on a rock, twist my ankle, and fall backward onto the street.
“Wow, you’re more wasted than I am,” he slurs, standing over me.
My voice trembles. “Leave me alone.”
“Leave you alone? Why? I’m your favorite uncle.”
“Hey! What’s going on here? Simon, are you okay?”
Out of nowhere, PJ appears and holds out his hand to help me up. I take it and stand up. Brian laughs and lights his joint. The smell hits me immediately and sours my stomach. The alien is wide awake and wants out. Scratch, scratch, scratch. Adrenaline surges inside me, and I can’t stand still. I have an overwhelming desire to run away.
“So, you must be the…boy…friend. Yeah, I heard about you.” Brian laughs between puffs of smoke.
“Yes, I am. And you’re drunk and high. Be respectful, please. Simon’s mother just passed away. Come on, Simon, let’s go.”
PJ puts his arm around me and leads me back toward the apartment. The sound of Brian, cackling like The Joker, clips at our heels. What a mess I am, shaking like crazy, and crying…again. I want to be left alone. I want this day to be over.
31
Dad, Revisited
It’s been a hell of a week between last weekend’s visit from Dad, Mom dying, attending her funeral, and sitting shiva. Now, Dad is coming for yet another visit. Hooray! Not! We have barely spoken since I yelled at him about PJ being my boyfriend. We exchanged a few casual words during shiva, and he never asked to meet PJ and I didn’t introduce them. I can’t say I’m looking forward to this visit any more than the last one, but I don’t have any say in the matter. Carole just left to drive her parents to the airport. I know she is glad they are headed back home. We both need peace and quiet to process all that has happened. Though they meant well, they spent the past week hovering about trying to fix things, as Carole would say.
I’m playing the red laser dot game with Sammy when my phone rings. It’s Dad. He is pulling into the apartment complex now, and I tell him I’ll be right down. I scoop up Sammy and look him in the eyes. “You miss Mom too, dontcha?” He meows, and I put him down, grab my coat, and head outside to meet Dad.
“Can I take you out to lunch?” Dad asks.
“No, thanks, I’m not hungry,” I say miserably.
“Well, we need to have a man-to-man conversation, and I hoped a change of scenery would be good for you. Put on your seatbelt.”
Man-to-man conversation? Barf! What the fuck? He never talks like this. He must have heard that line in a movie. I put on my seatbelt, fold my arms across my chest, and stare out the window.
“Simon, if you don’t pick a place to go, I’m going to take you to a seafood restaurant, and I know how much you hate that, so you better speak up quickly.”
Clearly, there is no way I’m getting out of this man-to-man conversation with my dad, so I plan the least painful way to get this over with as quickly as possible.
“Fine. Let’s go to Starbucks,” I say and point to the left. “It’s just ahead in a shopping center. I have a friend who works there.” Dad does as I ask, and we drive in silence.
“Here! Turn left at the next light and then turn right into the shopping center. It’s in there.”
“Is this your…um…friend you told me about last weekend?” Dad asks.
“No!” I say definitively. Shit, this is going to be a long afternoon. He couldn’t even say the word boyfriend.
We get in line to order, and I see Hector working behind the counter making drinks. When it’s our turn, his back is to us, but then he turns around and sees me.
“Simon, it’s so good to see you. How are you doing? You haven’t been in all week, and I’ve been worried about you. Jamal told me to leave you be, so I haven’t texted much. I’m so, so sorry about your mom. Are you doing okay? Can I do anything for you?”
“No thanks,” I say, “I’m doing okay.” Dad steps in front of me and holds his hand out to Hector.
