Call Me Milo (boyxboy)

Chapter 26

"He's not home?" Tucker asks. "I'm sure he won't be happy to see me when he comes back, though."

Dizzy grins in the seat beside Tucker who's eyes are trained on the road so he doesn't see it.

"He won't be coming back tonight," Dizzy says. "The old man said he's meeting up with a woman tonight. I'm surprised there's someone willing to see him though. She must be crazy."

"Is it a date?" Tucker questions. "Your father doesn't seem like the type of person to know how to treat a woman right."

Dizzy sighs. "I know. But it's not a date. Apparently the woman owes him money or something so of course, he's going to try to get his filthy hands on it."

"Oh," Tucker says. "And that's going to take all night?"

"I'd assume most of it," Dizzy replies. "Apparently he's got a lawyer involved, too."

"Wow," Tucker says and pulls into Dizzy's driveway. "Sounds serious."

Dizzy unbuckles his seatbelt and says, "I guess."

Tucker stays seated, his buckle still on and watches Dizzy as he climbs out of the car. Dizzy peeks his head through the door when he realizes his childhood friend hadn't followed him out.

"Aren't you coming?" Dizzy asks him.

"Well, uh," Tucker starts. "Why?"

Dizzy sighs at that and runs a hand through his curly hair. "Why? It's been a while, Tucker. And neither of us have anything to do tonight. I figured we could hang out and, you know, catch up a little."

Tucker cannot formulate a reason as to why he shouldn't enter Dizzy's apartment and assumes it will be fine since Josiah Frazier- Dizzy's abusive father, won't be there. With a shrug of his shoulders, Tucker shuts off his car and climbs out. As he follows his friend into the eerie apartment, he hears a scratchy meow from inside the kitchen. Recognizing the orange tabby cat, Tucker reaches out his hand and the cat rubs his face against it.

"Meow must like you," Dizzy says, looking down at his otherwise unfriendly cat.

"Meow?" Tucker asks as he scratches behind the cat's ears. "That's what you named him?"

"I was a kid at the time, Tucker," Dizzy says and reaches over. "I almost named him Cat so be grateful his name is Meow."

Tucker laughs at that. "So creative."

"Stop laughing," Dizzy says with a smile and shoves Tucker's shoulder.

Tucker is glad to see Dizzy's happiness as it's been a while since he's experienced such emotions.

"C'mere," Dizzy says and the two leave Meow in the kitchen.

Dizzy pushes the door to his bedroom open and it creaks loudly before hitting the wall. He walks over to the mirror in front of his bed and scrunches his lips in thought before he tosses his hair around with his fingers until it covers his eyes and obscures his vision of his reflection.

"It's gotten long," Tucker speaks. "Your hair."

"I know," Dizzy replies. "Do you know how to cut hair by any chance?"

"Me?" Tucker asks and tentatively walks over. "You shouldn't trust me with a pair of scissors."

"You'd probably do a better job than I could," Dizzy says and turns around. He blows out a breath of air that causes the tips of his hair to raise so that he can see Tucker's face. As the two are now a foot apart from one another, Dizzy grabs one of Tucker's hands and he slightly jumps from the sudden contact. Dizzy brings Tucker's hand to his hair that lies across his forehead.

"Just this much," Dizzy tells him. "Just cut off this much and-"

"I'm not cutting your hair," Tucker says, his face uncomfortably close to Dizzy's and his eyes find their way to the floor.

Dizzy frowns and releases Tucker's hand. Then, with his other hand, he brings his fingers to Tucker's chin which hangs down and traces beneath it, bringing his face up to look him in the eyes. Tucker inhales a sharp breath and his eyes dart to Dizzy's lips.

"Look at me," Dizzy says, his voice deep and raspy.

"W-what?" Tucker asks and attempts to take a step back. But Dizzy's other hand finds Tucker's and holds him in place.

"What are you afraid of?" Dizzy asks, his eyes peering into Tucker's.

But Tucker doesn't know how to respond to that question. Is he afraid of cutting Dizzy's hair or the close proximity that the two are in at the moment?

Perhaps it's both.

"N-nothing," Tucker lies and Dizzy takes a step closer. Dizzy's waist is now pressed against Tucker and the warmth from the taller boy shoots up Tucker's body and his face becomes hot.

Dizzy's hand slides to the side of Tucker's neck and he angles his head slightly so that his mouth is almost touching Tucker's. Tucker remains completely still and doesn't know what to do.

"Tucker," Dizzy says as chills run down Tucker's body.

And suddenly, a loud bang sounds from the front door as it collides with the wall. Heavy footsteps enter the apartment and the two boys freeze.

"I... I thought you said he wasn't coming back," Tucker whispers, his eyes wide and searching Dizzy's face. But Dizzy crashes his hand down over Tucker's mouth and silences him from speaking any more. Dizzy's heart becomes frantic. His father wasn't supposed to return home tonight. And he doesn't know why he has.

Dizzy carefully walks on his toes towards his closed door and places his ear against it upon discovering another voice that doesn't belong to his father.

It's softer. Calmer. And it belongs to a woman.

"This place hasn't changed at all," the woman speaks. "You've still got your bottles scattered everywhere."

And instantly Dizzy's eyes begin to water.

Because the woman on the other side of his bedroom door is the one who abandoned him many years ago.

Rebecca Frazier.

His mother.

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