Owen

Relief

I was on my way to the drama room for lunch when Alec finally showed up to school.

"You coming to lunch?" He asked like he did everyday.

"Nah, I'm gonna meet Max for a little bit." I told him, looking up at his towering frame that looked over me. "How was the dentist?"

He proudly showed off a shiny sticker that said "no cavity club" stuck to his T-shirt.

"Impressive." I said on a laugh.

"Hey you laugh, but good oral hygiene is a hit with the lady."

The mention of Bre made my mood sour slightly. Only because it made me think of Jaelyn and Drew and there was no doubt in my mind she had helped keep their secret. Had to give her credit, she was loyal, I guess.

"What do you guys do in the drama room anyway?" Alec asked.

I hadn't told anyone. The drama room had quickly become my safe haven and I was protecting it with all I had.

"Nothing really." I lied.

Not telling Alec was a purely selfish thing. I knew how the cycle went. The more people that knew the less of a secret it became and then my little slice of refuge would be no more. How they'd kept it a secret this long was beyond me.

"Well tell Max I said hi then I guess." He called over his shoulder as we were forced to part ways.

I sent my wheels forward with more force, rounding the last corner before the drama room when I heard two familiar voices. My hands closed around the wheels, effectively stopping myself.

My breath caught in my throat as I listened. I couldn't see them, they must have been tucked into one of the classroom doorways.

"Come on Jae." It was Drew, undeniably Drew. "You know he's not going to come around. He's already forgotten about you."

"It doesn't matter, I never should have slept with you!"

"But you did."

"It was a mistake." Jaelyn was crying. And not that pretend, beautiful crying she did when she was trying to guilt trip me, she was real crying. Her voice was thick and cracking when she spoke and she kept sniffling.

"You know it was more than just sex. You wanted out."

"Yeah well I changed my mind."

"We're good together Jae. I know you know that."

"It doesn't matter Drew, I loved him. And I messed up and I don't deserve to be happy again."

I shook my head, annoyed that I had rolled into this. Annoyed that I felt a small pang of sympathy. Annoyed that I still couldn't punch Drew in the face just to be done with it all. They both sucked. And I just wanted to get high in the drama room.

Forcing my wheels forward, I passed the small nook they were hiding in.

"Owen!" Jaelyn shrieked.

I didn't say anything, didn't even look over as I rolled by.

"Owen wait." She called.

"He's not gonna stop." Drew told her.

For the first time in a long time, Drew and I finally were on the same fucking page.

                                 ———————

"Nan and I are going to drop you off at therapy and your dad should be there to pick you up." Pops said as he pulled into the driveway after picking me up from school.

I hated days where I got dropped off and then picked up. My faith in my dad to do anything on time was minuscule. I spent the whole time paranoid I was just going to be left there.

And as usual, Pops knew my worry. "He'll be there, don't worry son."

I snorted but didn't say otherwise as we went through the process of getting me out of the car to my chair and into the house.

"We're back!" Pops called into the house, the smell of garlic and peppers filling my nose.

"In the kitchen!" Nan responded. "Owen you have mail!"

I frowned, I got mail all the time, stupid bull shit. Credit cards, college shit, soccer magazines. Nan never told me I had mail.

Glancing at Pop who only offered me a shrug I navigated my way to the kitchen, letting myself roll to a stop by the stack of mail on the dining room table. I reached for it, grabbing as much as I could and thumbed through the pile.

I found what I assumed was the envelope in question, my heart starting to pound as I read the label. It was my card, finally. I tore the paper, pulling out a sheet that had the card attached to it.

"It's about fucking time." I muttered.

"You and that language." Nan scolded me from her spot at the stove.

"Sorry." I wasn't. Not really.

She let out a sad sigh, turning to look at me. "I raised you better than to cuss every other word Love."

Well, fuck. Now I actually felt bad.

"Sorry Nan." I said a little more gently.

She abandoned the stove coming over to run her fingers through my hair.

"I love you my sweet boy." I wrapped an arm awkwardly around her as she pulled me into her.

"I love you too."

Was every grandma this way? Did they all have the ability to humble you within seconds but also wipe away all the negativity and doubt you carried on your shoulders day in and day out? Or was that just Nan and I was really fucking lucky?

———————

Okay so I had a traumatic day yesterday.

It all started with finding a tick on my youngest, we can call him E. So he's only two right? And I go to pull his shirt off and there's a fucking tick on him! And I don't do bugs. So naturally I freak out, call my husband and he's like just take him to the doctors and have them pull it, because he knows I can't do that shit especially not to my child. So I call the doctor, rush down there, wait, all while E's walking around telling everyone he's "got a dick". The doctor pulls it out tells me it's a dog tick and not to worry to which I say "but what about my dog? Should I go home and shave her?" At this point I've already decided we should just burn the house down. The doctor assured me that shaving my "Not typically shaved" dog is a little excessive and just to give her a bath with some tick shampoo. So I go to the store, basically buy the entire shelf worth of tick shampoo and spray. Go to my parents to feed my dad lunch and then go back home where I preceded to wash my dog only to find a fucking tick stuck to her! And that motherfucker would not let go. My poor dog was shaking from having multiple baths in the hose and then I had to leave her outside because there was still a fucking tick stuck to her. Then I went in the house and obsessively cleaned and sprayed this natural tick killer on virtually everything. I lost my mind. I still feel like there's bugs everywhere. I might be burning my house down later today.