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Dad decides to stop by at Casey's house to inform her of Toby's recovery. "You don't mention anything of what Toby told us, top secret, you understand?" I nod the affirmative and feel a little hug of happy – I'm on my way to Casey.
Casey and her Mom greet us with their big smiles. Her Mom's unlike mine, all bubbly and bright; she leaves the room to fix us coffee. "You look really cool Kirk, I love what you're wearing," says Casey. "Thank you. Dad dressed me in these clothes," I reply. Dad elbows me, "No I didn't, you dressed yourself buddy, you ain't no baby," he says, with his irritated face.
When Dad tells Casey of our visit to the hospital her eyes grow large with interest, "That's so weird, I just heard that Dale got released without charge this afternoon. I just knew the snake would charm his way out of this. Surely Toby can help here; we can't let Dale walk away from this," she says.
Dad knows that Casey is correct, but he wants to keep things quiet until we have our meeting, so he says, "Well Casey, the law must have good reason to release Dale, we have to respect that." Casey almost chokes on her coffee, "No Mr Russel, I know he did it!" she says. I see a shot of anger in her eyes. She swigs a glug of coffee, like it were liquor "I've been thinking back and I remember seeing Dale and Toby arguing in the locker area on the morning of Kirk's hazing; at the time I dismissed it as just jocks bickering, but now I think differently. Believe me Mr Russel, Dale could charm his way out of murder!"
I can read concern on Dad's face, "Do you have an address for Dale, I think I need to pay him a visit?" he asks Casey, with a look I read as determination on his face. "Yep, I have his avenue name and know his house is the biggest on the street, I'll go get a pen," she jumps up and leaves the room.
I reach for the coffee. "Kirk – no!" says Dad. I want to take a glug, like Casey did, I like the way she glugs. "KIRK – give me that cup NOW!" I want to drink coffee like living people, like Casey. "KIRK!" says Dad, with a kind of whispered shout. He can't yell at me properly, because I'm not at home. So I ignore him and take a big glug, glug, glug.
The black liquid floods right through me, turning my Abercrombie & Fitch beige chinos a deep, dark soggy brown. You see – I'm not like you, I can't drink liquids. I'm just an open-ended tube.
Dad apologises profusely to Casey and her Mom, "I'm so sorry, it was me, I knocked the cup, I'm such a klutz," he lies. Casey's Mom laughs out loud, "Who cares, no harms done, thank the Lord Kirk didn't get scolded. I'll go get him some jogging bottoms to wear home," she says. Dad says she's a lovely lady.
I guess that's my first and last coffee.
......
The fall sun sits low in a blue/grey sky as we cruise the streets. Dad drives in silent control, while the robotic female voice of the GPS guides him towards destination Dale.
I think of what Casey said on her doorstep earlier, "Look Dale right in the eye Kirk, you're a much better person than him, remember that. I can't come with you, but I'm sending you all my good vibes for support," she said. Then she gave me a hug, and jumped back off me swiftly "Oh my God, you're freezing cold Kirk," she said, with a shocked tone. Dad jumped in, "Yeah, it's kinda chilly tonight. Come on buddy we gotta get going," he said, pulling me away, before I said something about not having my heat pads on. .
