Cat House

11 | Derrick

What the hell is going on? I stare at my bedroom ceiling and I can hear Jonah yelling downstairs at one of his loud video games. After Cheryl left me in the hall that day I was confused and angry. After school, I came home and kicked my door open and laid in my bed for about an hour thinking. 'Crazy Cat Lady Charlene.'

We've been arguing for a couple of weeks because of it and lately, everything I do seems not good enough. I told her I liked her and that I didn't care about how much she loved cats but that seemed to irk her even more. "You wish I was someone else. Prettier, taller, a DOG LOVER!!" She screamed at me as we stood outside of school. I took a hit of my cigarette and rolled my eyes so hard I swear I saw my brain.

"You are acting insane! I just told you I'm sorry and that I'm not ashamed of you." She was grabbing her locket the entire time we argued and stomped her foot.

"SO NOW I'M CRAZY!! SCREW YOU!!" I flicked my cigarette down and stuck my hands in my hoodie pockets. I felt my face get hot.

"One moment we are good and the next you are going off on me because I didn't pay attention to one of your MANY stories about cats or didn't notice your cat earrings or I smoke too much,  or this or that. IT'S EXHAUSTING! You act like I'm no good for YOU!" I remember her eyes swelling with tears and they streamed down her flustered cheeks.

"Everything is okay until you blow up at me for being clingy or talking about my love for cats. I don't BLOW UP AT YOU for talking about how much you secretly love Ryan Reynolds movies or about your dad leaving or how annoying Jonah's video games are and blah blah. I LISTEN to you because that's what GIRLFRIENDS do!"

"Well, maybe I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE MY GIRLFRIEND ANYMORE!!" I screamed at her. My hands were balled into a fist in my hoodie pocket and we both kinda fell silent. We were both shocked to what I had said. She let go of her locket that clashed with her dark green sweater.

"You don't mean that." I pulled my beanie lower to cover my ears to keep myself from ripping my hair out.

"I don't know anymore Kitty."  We stood there for a moment with buses and cars going past us to fill the silence. She moved closer to me and I pulled her into a tight hug.

"We will get through this, Chain-smoker." I placed my chin on her head and let out a weak laugh.

I sat up on my elbows when I heard the door open, breaking me from the memory. "DERRICK!! COME HELP WITH GROCERIES!!" I slid out of bed and went downstairs. "DERRICK!" My mom was in the kitchen bent over taking things out of bags and placing them on the counter.

"I'm right here mom." She sat up and placed a loaf of bread in my hands.

"Sorry baby I didn't see you." She took a carton of eggs and placed them in the refrigerator. Her brown hair was pulled in a tight messy ponytail and she was still wearing her work uniform. A green and white tropical shirt with a flower on the corner hovering above her name tag and shorts. You can tell she just got off work and was tired. These late shifts were getting to her. "So what's new?" She rearranged some things in the fridge and shut it. Mom has been getting home late and waking up early to go to work so we haven't seen her in a while.

"Alright, I guess," I mumbled. She put the last of the groceries away and looked at me. I looked like her, the same green eyes, dark hair, and nose. Jonah has our eyes but he has dad's thick black hair and nose. We heard all our lives that we looked like them and Jonah and I made it our goal to strive away from that, shadows we don't want to fill.

"Now come on, I know something new had to happen. How are you and Sherry?" 

"Cheryl."

Mom smiled. "Yes, Cheryl. Jonah told me about her. When do I get to meet her?" I bit the inside of my cheek and she took notice.