Going Home

Chapter 3

Michael comes over to the table. "A bud for Jon, Stella for Chloe, and the finest Chardonnay for his punkness."

"Did he always give you so much shit?" Chloe asks me.

"Ever since the spider incident," I say as Michael puts down the drinks carefully. The table wobbles a bit.

"Spider incident?"

Michael interjects "Yeah, he told me I had a spider on me while I was tripping balls."

Chloe and Jon both laugh. Michael rolls his eyes, "Sure sure, laugh at me. We're not even open yet! Shots on the house." Michael sets out shots for each of us and takes one himself.

Jon offers up, "Here's to the old bastard. May he get what he deserves."

I say, "Back together again."

Michael, "Here here."

Chloe intones "Amen."

We drain the shots. Chloe immediately goes for a sip of her beer. Michael looks at his empty glass, "I should have brought a chaser. Anyways, I need to get the place ready for tonight. We have the best non-Irish Irish band that town can provide. They're even better than the actual Irish Irish band. It'll be packed here later." Michael grins as he walks away, "Holler when you want a refill."

Jon opens up, "Mom said that you're married and have two kids."

"Yes," I say. "Sarah is my wife - we have two kids. Jason is three years old and Mary is nine months. You're an uncle Jon."

"No shit," he says. "About time you told me..." No hostility, almost wonderment.

"I tried. The postcards kept coming back," I said. I didn't want to fight.

Jon says, "Huh. Were you sending them to 101 Forestwood?" Jon is smiling as he asks the question.

"Yes," I say.

Jon starts to laugh. Chloe and I look at him befuddled. "What's so funny?"

"That's the fake address I gave mom and dad so that they wouldn't find me," Jon says quietly. "I never thought that they would give it to you, much less talk to you."

Chloe says, "I actually stopped by and got it from them. It was the second most uncomfortable moment of my life."

"Well. Shit." We all take a drink. Jon looks up again, "Can I meet your family?"

"Yes, I'd be so happy if you did," I say. Jon wipes away a tear. "I've been married to Jill just about six months now. She's really great. I'm trying to keep her away from all of... this." Jon gestures to our hometown.

"That's great Jon. I'm really happy for you... and proud," I say.

Chloe turns around looking for Michael, shrugs, and shouts, "Hey Mike - another round. The boys are getting emotional. Soon they'll be drinking their own stupid man tears!" Mike gives a thumbs up and heads over to the bar.

We laugh. In this regard, Chloe hasn't changed much. Michael comes over with another round of drinks and another round of shots. He grins, "This is going to get sloppy boys and girls." Michael sets the shots and drinks down.

Jon raises the toast, "To our families. May we not repeat our parents' mistakes." We clink glasses and swallow the shot.

I'm starting to feel the haze of the alcohol. Jon looks at me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Why did you leave me here? Why did you leave me with them?"

I take a sip of my wine. "I never meant to." I stare intently at Jon. He has tears in his eyes. Chloe puts a hand on his shoulder.

I swirl my wine and think into the glass. "Do you remember that spring day? Where we out driving together? Just the three of us. We went down to the lake to fish and listen to music."

Chloe says, "Yeah I remember. It was the time we first..." and she catches herself.

"Yeah. that's the one."

***

Jon reclines in the back. Chloe drives like usual. Fast. I'm laughing as wind whips through the windows of the Thunderbird. Ethereal sunlight flaring against blue sky on a warm, spring day. Country roads let Chloe floor the Thunderbird. Ramones blast through the radio.

Chloe has on high waisted jean shorts, fishnets, and a Dead Kennedy's shirt on. Her style in contrast to the sunny day.

Jon looks up, "Garrett - the old man is real upset at you. He wants to beat your ass when he sees you next." I listen as I have my hand out the window.

"Yeah. He's a dick like that," I respond nonchalantly. "I'm not going to give him the chance."

Chloe looks at Jon through the mirror, "Aren't you both bigger than he is?" She is flooring it as she crosses double yellow to pass a Pinto.

"Jesus Christ Chloe. You know those drivers education videos where all the teenagers die and go to heaven because they're best friend is a speed demon?" I say. "They must have been made especially for you."

"Fuck em - going to live forever" she says as she finishes passing the Pinto. Jon snorts in laughter in the back. Open road again. Chloe guns the T Bird past 65 mph.

Jon chimes in. "It's not who's bigger. It's who's meaner. He's a felon for god's sakes."

"I know that. But you both have to be tougher," she says. "What's the worst that can happen?" Chloe turns down the road towards my parents' house.

"I'm not going to answer that," I say. We both know that the worst is already happening. Chloe tries to put a brave face on it for Jon.

Chloe pulls into our driveway. I get out to let Jon out. He says to me, "It was really good to see you. I miss that we can't do this anymore."

I give him a hug. "I know. We can only do this when mom and dad aren't here. Otherwise, you'll get the same thing I did. Dad made that very clear."

"I miss hanging out with you and Chloe," he says.

"Me too. Take care of yourself. I'm proud of you little bro," I say. I give him another hug.

Jon looks in the car and waves to Chloe.

***

I look at Jon. "It hurt when we left that day. I wanted to take you away from them and the consequences be damned. Dad would have put the police on us though."

"I know Garrett," Jon says. "We should have made a run for Mexico."

"You don't speak Spanish!" Chloe laughs. "You'd end up being the gringo farming brothers."

We laugh as we take a drink. Jon asks, "So why do you drink wine now? You always did shitty vodka with Chloe back then."

I roll my eyes. "Do you want me to tell you that story or finish the story that we're on?"

***

Chloe and I pulled out of my parent's house. She reached over and gave me a kiss at the first stop sign. I could smell her Calvin Klein scent. I put my hand on her thigh. Chloe purrs a bit as she pulls away to drive. "Easy tiger," she smiles.

She hits the accelerator. "Oh god," I say as the car lurches forward. "That's for later Garrett."

"Hey," I say to Chloe. "I'm having breakfast with my dad tomorrow." Chloe took the Thunderbird through the curvy road that lead to my Uncle's.

"Do you have to?" she asks. "Is that a good idea?" She looks over her sunglasses at me.

"I don't have an option. He's holding Jon over my head. His school, football, job, everything honestly," I say.

Chloe looks over concerned. "Does he really have that much power in the town?"

"Yes, I think so. I don't know though," I say. "What else do I do?"

"Maybe we should just run away."

"I wish," I say. Chloe slams the brakes on. "Fuck it. We're running away for tonight at least." She reverses, shifts again, and hits the accelerator.

"Where are we going?" I ask as I try to recollect myself from Chloe's turn.

Chloe says, "My house. I'm fucking you tonight. Fuck all of it. Fuck your dad. Fuck my mom. Fuck school. Fuck it all."

She stops the car again. In the middle of the road. She reaches over and kisses me again. This time I feel up her boobs. She grabs my crotch. "Uh, Chloe."

Chloe looks up in the mirror, sees the car behind us, and hits the accelerator again. I laugh. "Isn't your mom at home?"

"No. She's out of town this week visiting my aunt. Besides, even if she was here, she'd be passed out," she responds. "Besides. Fuck her."

Chloe comes to a screeching halt in her driveway. She reaches over to kiss me. Chloe scratches behind my head. Her tongue is feeling mine. Chloe slides over to the passenger team. I grab her ass as she slides over.

"Hey now," she says as she gives me her sexy eyes. I feel between her thighs over her fishnets. "Let's go in the house unless we're going to fuck while the neighbors watch." Chloe climbs over me as I grab her boobs quickly. She opens the car door and steps out. She heads into the house and turns around and raises her eyebrows.

I follow Chloe into her house. The kitchen is the usual disaster. Chloe's mom is too busy strung out to clean house or to do anything really. I follow Chloe as she kicks clothes, cardboard boxes, plastic bags, and detritus out of the way. Chloe's room stands in contrast - everything is putaway, clean, and organized. It's disconcerting. The Clash, Black Flag, and Misfit posters paint her walls.

As soon as I walk in, Chloe jumps into my arms and wraps her legs around me. She kisses me as I catch her. I pivot and use the wall to support Chloe. My erection pushes between her thighs. She pulls my shirt off.

Chloe pushes off the wall. We fall onto her twin bed - Chloe on top. She gyrates her hips and grabs her boobs. I'm entranced. I pull her Dead Kennedy's t-shirt off. She's wearing a black lace bra. Chloe's tummy is quivering in anticipation. She grabs my dick through my chinos as I feel her boobs. Chloe pulls my pants down.

I unclasp her bra and toss it on the floor. Chloe is still on top. I decided to turn the tables and roll both of us over. "We're going to land on the floor Garret," Chloe laughs. She shimmies out of her jean shorts and panties at the same time. Her sex is glistening. I shuck off my chinos. Chloe grabs my dick and strokes it.

"Well?" I say as I groan in pleasure. Chloe yelps as I put two fingers into her and my thumb along her pubic bone. She's wet and horny. Chloe looks at me, "I'm going to take you," she says. She slides out from under me. We sit on her bed kissing. Then she pushes me down. Chloe grabs me and slides it into her. We both sigh in pleasure. She starts to rock her hips as I start to thrust upward.

Chloes boobs are bouncing as I keep thrusting into her. Her face is back in pleasure; her breaths more ragged. She's close. I feel pressure in my balls. I keep thrusting. She pushes down on my cock as she cries in pleasure. Chloe's sex tightens and my cock explodes. We both orgasm.

I slip out of her. Chloe lays her head on my chest and looks at me with her gray eyes. I brush her blonde hair. We fall asleep.

I woke up early the next morning in Chloe's bed. My arm around her naked waist as she sleeps on her stomach. I look at her alarm clock. 6:41 am. I start. I have to meet dad soon. I get out of bed. Naked in the morning coolness. I step over the refuse in the hallway and walk into the bathroom. Chloe also keeps the bathroom clean. The rest of the house is left to her mom's disarray.

I finish cleaning up in the bathroom and walk back into Chloe's room. She's up and dressed. "Do you need me to drive you to breakfast?"

I nod simply and I hug her. We kiss. "It'll be okay today Garrett."

We leave her house and get into the Thunderbird in the gray, cool dawn. Chloe drives slowly for her. We feel the weight of the impending meeting. The morning is like swimming through jelly.

Chloe parks next to Bus Depot - the local greasy spoon diner. She scoots over. I give her a kiss. It will be our last. "Don't Garrett."

"I have to." I sigh and get out of the car and walk to the diner. Chloe watches me and I see her steely gray eyes through the rear view mirror.

I walk into the diner. Deloris, the ancient waitress, greets me. "Hi Honey! Your dad is towards the back. You want a coffee?"

"Yes, Deloris, that'll be fine," I say.

I walk back passed the breakfast bar and towards the back of the restaurant. Dad is sitting in the corner. He has gray wispy hair and the body of the athlete he once was is only starting to sag. He looks up over his newspaper.

"Have a seat, son. We have a lot to talk about."