King

A Better Place

The Camaro swayed a little as Max swung into the passenger seat, throwing her skateboard into the back. A loud thump was heard as the end of the board hit the door's interior, Billy snapped out of his trance.

"Hey! Watch it you little shit!" Billy hissed.

Max sighed. "Sorry, it was an accident..."

"This car wasn't cheap Max you could be more careful on throwing your shit around in it!" Billy started up the engine, a loud growl emerged from within the car. He laid his foot on the gas and sped out of the parking lot, full speed towards home.

If you could even call it that.

It was normally a 30 minute drive, not too far from the school but far enough so that they weren't in the busy part of town. They had way fewer neighbors around than what they had in Cali, less noise more peace, but Billy missed the commotion. The parties from across the street where he could sneak out, get drunk, fuck around, and still be back in enough time to catch a couple hours of sweet Z's and be ready or school the next day without his dad even noticing. But up here all there was to do was shoot squirrels and kick over garbage cans.

"Billy." Max actually startled him, he swayed into the other lane of the road for a split second and Max gripped the chicken bar.

"What." he answered bitterly.

"Are you still driving the AV club around on Halloween?"

Billy snorted, humored. "Do I have a choice?"

"I figured you'd back out or something."

"I've got nothing better to do Max." Billy sighed. "So yea, I'm still the chauffeur."

"Thank you Billy...I appreciate it."

Billy looked over at Max, total shock written on his face. "Thank you? Why the hell are you being all goody-two-shoes with me lately Max? It's creeping me out."

"Well," she said, "You haven't been a dick to me in like, weeks...maybe months I don't know." she looked deep in thought for a moment. "Are you, okay? I mean this kinda isn't like you, at all."

"I'm fine Max-"

'I really don't think you are, at home you're so quiet and you rarely leave your room, and-"

"Max, Im fi-"

"Is Neil- mean to you Billy?"

His heart stopped, he slammed on the brake.

Billy bit his lip hard, blood boiling. Max sunk down in her seat, ready for the blowup.

He wanted to reach across and choke her, punch her, yell at her. Tell her to get out and skate home. He made eye contact with her, she looked like she was gonna cry. He sighed, frustrated.

"That- stay out of it Maxine." he said softly, softer than what he intended.

"But Billy-" she was concerned.

"What happens between Neil and I, it's none of your business." he stated in a stern tone, almost protective. That ended the conversation, as he let off the brake and urged the car ahead.

The rest of the ride was silent.

~~~

Pulling up to the house, Billy could already see his father in the window, waiting for them to come in. Before Billy even cut the engine off Max was already out of the car and going up the steps. Billy sighed, stubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray and climbed out of the car. He didn't make any eye contact with Neil as he walked by him. He went straight to his room, not saying a word.

He threw his denim jacket on the floor and plopped himself onto his bed, kicking off his boots in the process. Staring at the ceiling, he remembered what life used to be like. When he wasn't scared of what was going to happen moment to moment when he was home.

Back when his mother was still alive.

Back when Neil was happy.

Billy was born in February, the day after Valentine's day. They lived in a small house in a gated community surrounding a big, beautiful lake. Flowers of every color bloomed around it, and on nice days, you'd see fish hop out, catching bugs just above the water's surface. Kids and their parents would play and socialize around the lake, and when the ducks would return year after year, there was always the promise of a family of baby ducklings to feed bread to every night. His parents were madly in love, they worshipped the ground one another other walked on, and between the two of them they had a precious baby boy, whom they swore to love and protect for the rest of their lives, and Billy felt that love and grew off of it.

It was heaven.

When Billy was 9 years old, he was told that he was going to be a big brother, and on Valentine's day, the day before his own birthday, his baby brother Lucas was born. They were a perfect family of four, nothing had changed, just one more person to love.

Billy was now 10, almost 11, and Lucas was almost 2. They were playing outside, just like any other normal day during the summer. Billy was rolling his soccer ball over to Lucas, trying to encourage him to roll it back, which for a two year old was nearly impossible, but Billy tried anyways, earning joyous giggles from the two boys. On one of the passes to Lucas, the soccer ball rolled off into the lake, and Billy hadn't noticed.

He had seen a rabbit at the base of a tree, maybe 20 feet away from where he was sitting, he knew Lucas liked little animals, maybe mom and dad would let them keep it if he caught it, he knew it would make the perfect birthday gift for his little brother.

While Billy wandered off to catch the wild rabbit, Lucas was intrigued by the ball, and finally went to get it, just like Billy showed him, within moments Lucas was in the deep water, the ball drifting out farther and farther out of the toddler's reach, and when he decided to give up it was too late, the water was too deep, he didn't know how to swim. He screamed, he cried, terrified as to why he couldn't get back to the grass, and Billy heard him, running over and stopping at the edge of the water.

"C'mon Lucas! C'mon!" Billy kept calling, Lucas's cries got quieter and quieter, until he couldn't hear them anymore. Running in the house Billy got the attention of his parents, and they ran out to the edge of the lake, his mother collapsing to her knees.

Out in the middle of the lake, they saw Lucas Hargrove, a 1, almost 2, year old boy, their little boy, floating face down in the lake.

Everything after that was a blur.

There was a funeral, Billy didn't understand why his brother was put in a box and then put underground, dad walked away when Billy asked him how Lucas was gonna find his way home.

Mom changed, she stopped talking, she was more irritable, and wouldn't give Billy the time of day without crying. She slept in Lucas's bed every night.

His dad started drinking, going out for days on end without returning, or calling, or anything.

Billy learned how to call 911 when he found his mother in the tub, the water dark red, with a bad cut on her wrist, he called 911 and then put bandaids on it, but she didn't wake up either.

Billy didn't understand why his family kept being put in boxes underground.

Maybe that was the better place.

~~~

A loud knock on his door woke Billy up from his dream, he quickly wipes the tears off his face.

"BILLY!" Neil yelled. "FOODS ON THE TABLE!"

"Yes sir, I'll be there in a minute!" Billy changed into a t-shirt, ran his fingers through his hair and headed towards the dining room.

He wished he could be in the better place too.