I Can't Explain

That's What She Said

"So what's your new place like?" I ask Keith as I stir a pot of soup.

"I got a little flat near Dawson's, only about a mile from your house." Keith answers. He props his feet up on the coffee table, which I immediately push away to put down spoons and napkins.

"Is is big?"

"That's what she said..." I heard Keith mutter. "Not really, two bedrooms and I get indoor plumbing."

I roll my eyes and give Keith a bowl of soup, sitting next to him on the couch. We watch The Dick Van Dyke Show marathon until The Tonight Show comes on. Keith falls asleep halfway through, so I curl up beside him and fall asleep too.

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I wake up on the couch, still next to Keith. Someone put a blanket over us, I'm guessing his mom. I sit up and look at my watch, seeing it is almost 6 am. I slip off the couch, careful not to wake Keith. I smiled at how cute he was sleeping, his hair was all messy, he had a little smile on his lips, and one arm was hanging off the arm of the couch. I got a tingling feeling in my stomach as I watched him, which was a little weird, as I had never felt this before. I shake my head and go up to Keith's room, taking my backpack into the bathroom. I wash my face, brush my teeth, and get dressed before sneaking back downstairs and having some toast. With Keith still asleep, I head to school.

Getting there early, I sit outside to do yesterday's homework. Its not too cold out; it was somewhat nice.  I'm almost done with my math when I see a familiar Chevy pull up to the parking lot and my dad gets out. I grab my stuff and roll under the picnic table I'm sitting at. What the hell is he doing here?! I watch him go inside, then come back to his car about ten minutes later. He's wearing his suit, so he's working today. Maybe I can get home early and pretend to be asleep when he gets off work.

All day, I'm worried what will happen when I get home. At lunch, I meet Keith at a pizza place near school.

"You want me to walk you home?"

"Naw, its fine, Ill take it as it comes."

Keith gives me a disappointed look. "I really wish you would stand up for youself, I hate seeing you come to me in tears all the time."

"Yeah, Ill get around to it someday--"

"Move in with me." Keith blurts out.

"Wait, what?" I ask.

"Move in with me when I get my new place. You can quit school, and we can be roommates." Keith's face lights up at the thought of my living with him.

"I don't know, Moonie. I doubt things will get that bad at home--"

"Why stick around to find out?"

I am left without words on that one. I sigh and see its almost 1, so I have to get back to school. I throw out my paper plate and napkin, and suck the last drops of soda from my cup before throwing it away, too. Keith walks me back to school, and before I go inside, I surprise myself by giving him a huge hug. Then I jog inside as the bell rings.

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When I come home, dad's car isn't in the driveway, so he's not here. I go inside to find that no one is here at all. Mom probably went to the market. I go upstairs and find my floor clean, all the broken records were gone. My record player was nowhere to be seen. I throw my backpack by my desk and reach over my bed for my guitar-- to find its not there. I look and my acoustic is gone, along with its case and my notebook where I wrote songs.

Without thinking, I pick up my backpack and throw it against the wall, satisfied with the loud thud it makes. I collapse on my bed, thinking about what Keith said. Why stick around to find out? Why was I sticking around? I knew it wasn't going to get any better, I mean, my dad just took away my records and my guitar. I get up and do my homework until I hear dad's car pull in at 5:15, and I slip into my bed, pretending to be asleep.