Authors: Donna Cain
Meadowview Acres (10 page)
T
he ride back to Meadowview Acres took less than a few minutes, but it was hell inside of Deputy Clay’s squad car. Bug sat up front with the deputy while Eli and Hunter occupied the back seat with the shiny silver box wedged between them.
Deputy Clay was having a tough time driving while managing a nose bleed. He was worried about Bug beside him; she was white and clammy and Michael was pretty sure that she had fainted once during the drive. In the back seat, Hunter’s stomach was heaving the entire drive. Eli seemed the least affected, but still had a very bad headache.
Deputy Clay parked on the street in front of Bug’s house and helped Bug up to the door. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton met them there with looks of concern and puzzlement. Mrs. Andrews was there as well. The deputy spoke with them about the matter while still containing his nose bleed. Eventually, Mrs. Hamilton disappeared from the doorway with Bug, and Mr. Hamilton and Mrs. Andrews continued speaking with Deputy Clay.
Like two shell shocked victims, Hunter and Eli emerged from the car. Their bodies were exhausted and in pain. Their minds were blown with the events that had unfolded, and they were anxious about what was to come next. Eli was wearing the backpack while Hunter carried the box.
“Well, what do we do now?” Hunter managed to ask between acidic burps.
“Man, I just want to go home. This night has been hell, this whole day, really,” Eli responded while rubbing his temples.
“No, Eli. What are we going to do now with this?” He gestured to the box dangling from its handle.
“Oh. Sorry. Let’s just store it somewhere for a couple of days until things calm down. I think it’s going to be a little hectic for a while with Mr. Jackson and all.”
“That’s fine with me,” Hunter replied. “I just want to dump this thing somewhere and go to bed. I feel like crap.”
“Where can we stash it so no one will find it and start asking questions? We don’t need anyone nosing around – mainly Heather.”
“Lemme think,” said Hunter. “Got it, the storage shed behind my house. I’ll take it there right now.”
“Perfect. We’ll get it in a couple of days and see what the heck’s in that thing. ‘Til then, I’m out of here. Take it easy, Buddy. And Hunter?”
Hunter stopped walking and turned back toward his friend.
“Thanks for going with me.” He gave Hunter a sideways grin and walked into his house.
Heather was on him at once. “Eli! You’re okay! What happened? I saw the police car bring you home! Are you in trouble?”
Before he could answer her, his mother rounded the corner of the kitchen and made a beeline for him. Squashing him with a huge hug she said, “Oh Eli! I’m so sorry for what you had to go through tonight. Are you okay, Honey?” She let go of him and stood back to take inventory of her son, looking him head to toe for injuries and, finally, taking in his face.
“Yeah, Mom. I’m alright, just tired is all.” He realized as he said it that he wasn’t just tired, he was bone tired. He was exhausted – mentally and physically. He slumped down into the chair beside him.
“Well I’ve just come from speaking to Deputy Clay over at the Hamilton’s. He wanted us to know everything that you guys witnessed at the construction site. I really hate that this happened, Eli. Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yeah, Mom. Really, I’m fine. It’s just sad, and I’m super tired.”
I’ve been hanging around Bug too long. That kid says “super” in every sentence.
He gave his Mom a tired smile, and she couldn’t help going over and hugging him once again.
“Wait,” said Heather. “Who died then? I thought it was some kids. Were they with you and Hunter, Eli? Who was it? Oh no, was it one of Jake’s friends? I better call him! He’s going to need me to be there!” She was punching at her cell phone when Mrs. Andrews snatched it out of her hand and plopped it onto the kitchen counter.
“No, Heather!” She said exasperatedly. “This has absolutely nothing to do with Jake. Mr. Jackson is the person who died tonight, and your brother and Hunter found him. You should be thinking of the Jackson family right now, and your brother, not your ridiculous boyfriend.”
Heather glared at her mother. She knew her mom didn’t understand how much in love she and Jake were. She didn’t have a clue about the depth of Jake’s feelings for her. Heather didn’t know what her mom meant when she said that she shouldn’t be thinking of Jake right then. She thought of Jake constantly. Heather knew her mother just didn’t get it. She swiped her phone off the kitchen counter and spat, “Just because Dad left you, you don’t want me to have a boyfriend! You’re jealous because Jake and I are in love and nobody loves you anymore!”
She turned sharply with her chestnut curls flying out behind her and stormed from the kitchen. A moment later they heard the door to her room slam shut.
“Don’t let the hormones get to you,” Lara winked at Eli. “Now, tell me what I can do for you. Do you want to talk about it? Are you hungry? Just tell me what you need.” Lara Andrews sat next to her tired son and rubbed his shoulder. “He’s so big,” she thought. “When did that happen?”
“I don’t need to talk about it, Mom. I’m sure Deputy Clay told you everything. I am kind of hungry, though. I could use a sandwich.” His hunger had been masked by his headache, but now that his head was feeling better he could feel his empty stomach.
Lara, happy to have something useful to do that would help her son, jumped up from the table. She had gotten home from work just as Jake was dropping off Heather. Soon after, Rachel Putnam from the sheriff’s dispatch had called to tell her that the deputy was bringing Eli, Bug and Hunter home, and he would speak to her when they arrived. She had been frantic with worry. Heather had evidently overheard something on the sheriff’s walkie-talkie about some kids in trouble, but Lara had long since learned not to rely too much on things that Heather reported. Finally, as she made a ham and cheese sandwich for her first born, her heart was returning to its normal pace.
Mrs. Andrews placed the plate in front of Eli and poured him a big glass of milk. “How would you feel about me going to check on Hunter and Bug? Deputy Clay said they were both feeling pretty sick on the way back. I may be able to help.”
“That’s fine, Mom,” he replied through a mouthful of sandwich. “I had a headache earlier, but it’s gone now. Hunter was puking his guts out, though. And I don’t know what was wrong with Bug, but she was really weak. I think you should go see if you can help. I’ll be fine, I promise.” He grinned up at her feeling mounds better now that his head had stopped pounding and his stomach was filling.
She smiled back and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. “I’m so glad you’re alright, Honey. I’ll be back soon. Call my cell if you need me before, okay?”
He promised he would, and she left as he shoved the rest of his sandwich into his mouth.
When he finished eating, he went into the family room to watch TV and wait for her to return. He needed some down time, too, some time to decompress. He turned to the mindless chatter of a reality show and quickly forgot about watching. His mind was churning with the events of the evening. He felt uneasy. Everything had happened so fast. First he was chasing Brody, then he and Hunter were going into the woods, then the box and Bug. Finally, he thought of Mr. Jackson. He was still trying to process it all when he heard his mother come in the kitchen door. He was surprised to see that an hour had passed.
“In here, Mom,” He yelled, anxious to hear what she had learned.
“Hey, Honey. How’re you feeling?” Lara came into the family room, dropped her small medical bag onto the couch and sat beside it.
“I’m feeling a lot better,” Eli said. “My head is fine and I’m not as tired as before. How’s Hunter?”
“Well, surprisingly, he’s doing pretty well. He says his stomach is feeling much better, and, judging from the way he was wolfing down a bowl of cereal, I believe him.” She smiled as she remembered Hunter attacking his Sugar O’s. She and Hunter’s mom, Gina, often joked that they each had two sons. As close as Eli and Hunter had been since birth, both women had essentially raised both boys.
“Bug’s doing well, too,” she continued. Mrs. Hamilton is babying her like one of the newborns she cares for at the hospital, but her color was back, and she was talking non-stop about the medical facts that contribute to brain hemorrhages. She’ll be fine. Why don’t you go on to bed. You’ve had a heck of a day, Son. We’ll go see Agnes and Darren tomorrow if you’re up to it.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” he responded while pushing himself up from the recliner. “I’ll see you in the morning, Mom. Well, maybe the afternoon.” Eli felt like he could sleep for a week.
“Goodnight, Baby,” Lara said. As she watched him leave the room, she said a silent prayer of thanks that her kids were safe.
Eli took a quick shower. He smelled like dirt and sweat, and he wanted to get the remnants of the day off of himself. After brushing his teeth, he went into his room to find Brody asleep on his bed. It occurred to him that he didn’t get a chance to tell his mom about what had happened with the dog earlier in the day. He went to Brody and stroked his dog’s soft coat. His hand came away clean. No fur. “Well I guess you’re feeling better too, huh, Buddy?” he said softly to the pup. He crawled under his covers and was asleep within minutes.
Waking up the next day, Eli felt the effects from his adventure in the woods. His leg muscles were sore from running after Brody, and his arms were sore from digging the box out of the ground. His head still felt fine though, and he was not as freaked out about Mr. Jackson’s death. He wondered if Hunter felt the same as he did.
Rolling over to look at the clock, he was surprised to see that it was only 11:41 am. He felt like he had slept for a whole day. He noticed that Brody wasn’t on his bed anymore and listened to the sounds of the house. He could tell his mom was in the kitchen, on the phone. The one-sided conversation was plainly about the events of the previous night. Eli thought she was talking to a neighbor because it sounded like they were setting up plans to take meals over to Mrs. Jackson and Darren. He was glad. Not only had Eli liked Mr. Jackson, but he also really liked Darren, too. He thought Darren was a good guy. He was low-key and genuinely nice. He knew that he and Shasta used to be good friends, but Eli hadn’t seen them together in a couple of years. He decided that he and Hunter should go see Darren today and tell him and Mrs. Jackson how sorry they were.
He padded off to the bathroom and then headed to the kitchen. His mom was just getting off the phone. She greeted him with another big hug. “How’d you sleep, Honey? You’re up earlier than I expected.”
“I slept fine. Who was on the phone?” He asked as he sank into a kitchen chair.
“Oh, that was Valerie Port. She and Mrs. Stagg are organizing some things for the Jacksons. I’m in charge of food tomorrow after the viewing and dinner for them in a few days. I think I want to go see Agnes today, though. The poor thing is probably a wreck. Luckily, I already had this weekend off. I wouldn’t want to go in to work today. Do you have plans?” She asked as she gathered the ingredients to make Eli some pancakes.
“I think I’ll see if Hunter wants to visit Darren. Maybe we’ll go with you when you go over to see Mrs. Jackson. When are you leaving?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll wait for you two. Just let me know when you’re ready, and we’ll all go together. I’ll grab Gina, too. Hunter won’t mind if his mom goes.”
“What about Heather?” Eli hadn’t seen any signs of his sister since he’d been up. Usually there was a screech or a door slamming.
“She left early with Jake. They’re going to the skate park over in Glovercroft today. Of course, none of this affects your sister. She’s in her own little world. I do want her to come with us to the funeral, though. I think that’ll be Monday.” She whipped up the batter and poured out little circles onto the sizzling griddle.
Eli’s mouth watered as he smelled the pancakes cooking. “You know, she’s really been horrible lately,” he said. “She never does anything around here. She even left the security gate unlatched so Brody could escape and when I told her about it, she screamed at me and slammed her door in my face. I think it’s that boyfriend of hers. She’s starting to act like she’s better than everybody else.”
“I know, Eli,” Lara said as she flipped the cakes over to cook on the other side. “She’s just having her first love right now. It kind of takes a girl over. Give her a little time to adjust to all of the emotions rolling around inside of her. She’ll come back to us the same old Heather as before.” She flipped three pancakes onto a plate and set it down in front of Eli. The steam coming off of them dissipated as he slathered them with syrup.
“Are you sure that’s any better? The old Heather was a pain, too.” He snickered to himself as he forked in a dripping mouthful.
Lara giggled and said, “Oh, come on! It’s good to have a healthy self-esteem! She’s our Heather, Eli. And she loves us both, even if she never shows it!”
They laughed together and Eli finished his breakfast. Lara cleared the dishes and started washing the emptied bowl of batter. As Eli left to shower and dress, Lara told him to let her know when he and Hunter were ready to leave for the Jackson’s.
Before hopping in the shower, he shot off a quick text to Hunter. “Going to see Darren with Mom. Coming?”
D
arren’s world had come crashing down in a matter of minutes. The euphoric high that he had been on after performing so well in the game, followed by the exciting meetings with the recruiters, had turned into a devastating feeling of loss and bewilderment. Sitting in the police car and hearing the news from Sheriff Buchanon was dreamlike. He remembered looking for his dad’s face in the crowd outside of the stadium. He was so pumped to tell him all the recruiters had said. He basically was offered a place on both teams, it was up to him to decide which scholarship he would take. He couldn’t wait to give his folks the news.
