Moose and Goose

Chapter Sixty-six

Judith, Veronica, and Jennifer sprint across the road in front of Kacey's property. Her Ford Elite is parked against the curb, and through the passenger window, they see her glaring at the steering wheel. Her elbow sits on the door, and her temple rests in her palm.

Jennifer opens the passenger door, and Kacey lifts her head, tears trailing down her cheeks. She sniffles, tugs the seat down for them, then watches Judy and Ronnie climb into the backseat. Jenny lifts it behind them, sits beside her friend, and shuts the door.

"Are you okay," Jenny asks, and Kacey shakes her head. She returns her forehead to her hand, and Jenny sighs. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Can you get me out of this fucking state?" When they don't respond, she scoffs. "I try so hard to please him, to prove that I can be the son he wants, changing myself for him."

"Is that why you cut your hair," Veronica asks, and she shakes her head again. Judith listens to the sadness in her voice, and she's left in shock at the different side of Kacey.

"No. I cut it after Rodney broke up with me; I wanted to try something different." Jennifer sits her hand on her back when she bawls into her palms. Her shoulders rack, and Jenny caresses her back in circles. "I don't know how much longer I can do this. I'm killing myself just to hear, 'I'm proud of you,' and it's so fucking exhausting."

"I know that feeling, Kacey," Jenny says. "For a while, I tried to get my Nana to accept me. You've met her, so you know how she is toward black people. Remember what she did that made me give up?"

Kacey shakes her head without looking at her. She sniffles, and Judith's eyes soften with sympathy.

"Her new husband tried to kill me." Judith blinks back and looks around. Ronnie alternates her attention between the two in the front. "He chased me with his shotgun, and I went home and had a spaz attack. I told her the next day, and she called me a liar, said I made it all up — just bored. Sometimes I wonder if I did but check this out."

Kacey lifts her head, Judith and Veronica veer over Jennifer's seat and watch her lift her dress up her thighs. A thin, dark scar runs from her left hip to the right side of her respective knee.

"Jesus H," Judith mumbles. She lowers her dress and straightens her posture.

"We're all dealing with stuff, but if you go to Red Cave again, I'll drive a truck through that place, and when I get you out, I'm beating your ass." Kacey chuckles, and Jennifer wipes her friend's face with her thumbs. Veronica reaches into her cleavage and removes a marijuana cigarette.

She went to Red Cave?

"Anyone wanna hit?" They look at her when she asks. She twiddles it with a faint smirk.

***

Veronica and Judith's lips are pressed to the inner side of their respective fists, and the outer side is against the other person's. Ronnie deflates her puffed cheeks, exhaling the marijuana smoke into Judy's mouth.

They lean away, and the trio laugh as Judith coughs clouds of grey smoke. With the cigarette in her right hand, Kacey spins the lever and rolls her window down.

Judith's chest burns as if the blaze at the end of the cig inhaled into her lungs, and she gasps for the clean air pouring in.

"Oh, hell, she's turning red," Veronica announces, her face full of worry. Kacey draws another puff with her eyes on them. "You're not gonna throw up, are you?"

"No, I'm fine." Judith takes a deep, shaky breath, and when her color returns to brown, Veronica sighs, then shakes her head.

"So, do you feel it yet," Kacey asks her before turning in her seat and resting her back on her door. A stream of smoke drifts out of her mouth like steam from a kettle, and she passes the shortened cigarette to Jenny.