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chayeah22

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            Pam’s was a little known country café on the outskirts of a rapidly growing town called Calera. I had stumbled across it once with my parents. They had the best chili cheese fries. I was shocked Keith had heard of it.

            The entire car ride Law had been silent. I wasn’t going to ask why because I knew. When we got there Keith came was waiting, smoking a cigarette outside. He put it out with his boot and beat Law to opening my door for me.

            He smiled down at mw as he pulled my hand towards him, helping me out.

            “I could have done that.” Law grunted.

            “Yes, Laurence, but seeing as I was the closet male to her door, I did it out of common courtesy.” He winked at me. It was then I noticed his accent. It was British. Grandmother Flanagan was British and since I had grown up around her I was oblivious to anyone else who had a similar accent. But some how there as he held my hand; I melted.

            Law could tell. He came to me and pulled me away, putting his hand on my waist. Keith was amused and let out a chuckle. It also was kind of funny to me in the way Law was behaving. It was like he was an animal, protecting his food.

            Pam’s was attached to a run down motel, but the café itself was very refreshing and colorful. A large woman sat in front of a TV near the entrance.

            We entered and Keith walked to the woman and placed a kiss on her forehead.

            “Pam, babe, how are you?” He smiled.

            “Great sweetie!” she said. “How was your gig?”

            “Oh, you know, same ole, same ole.” He said. “I hope you don’t mind, Pam, dear, but I invited to extra friends to the party.”

            Pam noticed us. “Any friends of yours are friends of mine Keith.” She studied me a little closer. “Hey, your Phillip’s kid!”

            “Yes, ma’am.” I told her.

            “How is that old dog?” she laughed. “Last I heard he was working at Popeye’s.”

            “He’s good; he’s got a new job at Donna’s Café, next to Wal-Mart. That’s going pretty well.”

            “Donna? That little skank! She used to be a waitress here until I caught her getting frisky with the busboy.” She shook her head. “Tell your pa I’ll give him double what she’s paying him to come here.”

            “Yes ma’am.” I mentally told myself to forget. Sabotaging my dad was a passion of mine.

            A teenager, who I recognized as Laci, came out from behind the kitchen. “Hey, hey, hey! It’s my fave band, Pinescreech!” she wore an Abercrombie tee and low riders. The first word that came to mind was ‘prep’.            

            Keith sat down and offered us seats next to him around a huge table. Aimee, and their two other band mates joined us.

            “What do ya’ll want to drink?” Laci questioned in her best southern belle voice. Girls like her made me sick.

            We answered and Keith introduced us to the rest of the band.

            “Well, you know me and Aimee. This is Tanner our lead guitar,” he motioned to a bald guy with sunglasses, “and Marnia, our drummer.” He said pointing to a brown haired girl with bright neon colored makeup.

Laci came back with drinks and took orders.

            “I’ll have the biggest, juiciest steak back there, a baked potato, and green beans. Get me some sour cream, will you Laci darling?” Keith asked. She looked at me next.

            “A bacon cheeseburger and chili cheese fries.” I said.

            “I’ll have the same.” Aimee copied me.

“I’ll have a grilled chicken sandwich, extra mayo, and curly fries.” Tanner told Laci.

“Um…a Caesar salad with a little Italian dressing on the side.” Marnia said glumly. Aimee made a throwing up motion with her mouth. Marnia was obviously bulimic. She was very thin and pale.

Laci looked to Law.

“I don’t want anything.” He mumbled.

“Laurence, come on, mate! Have anything you want, it’s on me!” Keith offered. Law whispered Aimee. She nodded and Law got up and left. I looked at her worried.

Over the next hour we laughed and kidded. I grew close to these people. They were really cool. Tanner was the quiet artistic type. Marnia was a hippie like girl who loved to be eccentric and odd. Aimee was randomly funny like me. And Keith was just the life of the party. He’s the kind of guy I would want for an older brother.

As the final morsels of food were swallowed I looked up to the clock: 1:15 AM. Oh my God, my dad is going to kill me! Aimee sensed my worry. She stood up and took her keys from her pocket.          

“Oy, Aimee, where are you going?” Keith asked.

“I need to take Rose home or her Dad will have a conniption.” She put an “L” sign to her heard and giggled.

“Hey! Hold on! I’ll take her!” he looked at me. “Where do you live babe?”

“I live kind of out there, have you ever heard of Mabel Road?” I asked.

“Yeah, everyone knows Mabel Road; it cuts off to the river. I go canoeing there in the summer.” He told me.

“Well I live about three miles down.”

“That’s cool. I can drop you off, go down that back road and stay at Aimee’s in East Blocton for the night.” He got up and led me out to his car. It was a blue sports car. He opened the door for me and I got in.

It still had the new car smell to it. I looked at all the buttons on thee dash board and I was amazed. His car was awesome!

Keith got in and cranked the car up causing loud rock music to blare out the speakers. Without putting his seatbelt on or checking his rear view, he backed up and took off spinning the tires on the pavement. Down the road, he turned the music down and talked to me.

“What do you see in that old Laurence boy?” he asked.

“He’s sweet and he’s been hurt. He needs someone.”

“Babe, plenty of people are sweet and plenty of people have been hurt. I mean look at me! My mom killed herself when I was a kid. She didn’t want to deal with me and my older sister Mattie. My dad is a drunk who moved us kids over here to hell on earth: America. My first girlfriend ran off with some prick and got killed. I did drugs to ease my pain and I’ve tried to kill myself.  

But I made it though it all. I’ve been hurt too, so that is no excuse to love someone babe. What’s the real reason?” he looked over at me.

“I don’t know I mumbled. I looked down at my feet even though I couldn’t see them in the dark.

“Well, what’s your story? I told you mine.” He questioned.

“My dad is an asshole, my mom bows down to him, my brothers a glory hound, and I’m a shadow.” I told him.

“That’s it?” he eyed me.

“Yeah, all I’m telling anyways.” I pulled on my arm bands.

“You’re a cutter.” He said quietly.

“What? No, I’m not. Not anymore.” I was shocked he’d make that accusation.

“Well you did that thing with your arms. It’s a sign of self worthlessness. You were trying to cover up something. Babe, no one’s worth it. I hope Laurence isn’t the one you do it for.” He said.

“No, he’s not.” I said tearing up a little.

“It’ll be OK.” He said patting my shoulder. We got closer to my house and he put on the music again to clear my head.        

 I sung with the lead singer of the Gorillaz, “Windmill, windmill, for the land, turn forever hand in hand.”

Keith heard me and turned the music down. “Sing that line again!” he said. I repeated.

“Wow, babe, you have a set of pipes on you. I mean I could actually get you a band!” he said. I blushed. We turned on my road.

“Quit playing!” I giggled.

“I’m not! You’ve got it! You have that certain tone and life to you. You could do it!” he said.

Then we turned in my driveway. I pointed to my Nanny’s house deciding it would be safer to go there than to face my fathers wrath. Keith parked and then he looked at me.

“You’re so beautiful, Rose.” He smiled slightly. Then he leaned over and kissed me unexpectedly.