Zak cleared his throat, and Kip shot him an ugly look.
“Honey, you’re seventeen years old. I trust you. You are a smart boy and can take care of yourself. At least for a week you can.” Then she turned her attention to Zak, and whatever smile she had been presenting hid behind her scowl. “And I expect you to behave yourself, Zak. If I find out any funny business went on here while I was gone…”
Zak held up both hands. “It won’t be a problem. Kip and I will have a great time together. Just like we used to when we were kids. Right, Kip?”
Kip didn’t answer, just crossed his arms and pouted his lips. He knew he was being childish but didn’t care.
“Kip, honey…”
“It’ll be like a weeklong sleepover, man. It’ll be fun… you know. After our homework is done and everything.” Zak shot a nervous smile at Kip’s mom.
“I trust that the two of you will do just fine.” She had her eyes on Kip, the wrinkles on her forehead deepening by the second. “Well… I was going to order pizza for dinner to celebrate. But I guess we can just—”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m happy for you, I really am. I guess I’ve just never been away from you for that long before.” Kip commanded his mouth to smile, and though it fought back, it eventually gave in. “Let’s order pizza. We should celebrate. I’m proud of you, Mom. I know you’ve been working your… a-ass off. You deserve it.”
She chuckled, one hand on her hip. “Well okay! What kind of pizza do you boys want? I’m going to crack open a bottle of wine, and I’ll even let you boys have a glass each. A small glass.”
“No thank you, ma’am,” Zak said. “But maybe we could get some Sprite?”
She arched her mouth and nodded. “Okay, fine. Kip?”
“Sprite for me too. And can we get Hawaiian pizza?”
“Sprite and Hawaiian it is then!”
The pizza was damn good. For the first time since he’d gotten there, Zak was finally starting to feel comfortable. Starting to feel like he was part of the family.
He had to admit, it felt good to see his cousin. Ever since that asshole Ernie came into his and his mom’s life, Kip hadn’t even entered his mind. But being back at Aunt Jenny’s house, it felt like old times. He really did feel like the kid that used to play superheroes and read comic books.
He felt wonderful.
Aunt Jenny was in the best mood he’d seen her in. She was actually kind of pretty when she was smiling and laughing. Zak could tell that Kip still didn’t like the idea of her leaving out of town, but Zak couldn’t help but see opportunity there. Not to throw a party or do anything stupid, but it was his chance to show Kip a really good time. Try and break the kid out of his shell a little, maybe even get him laid.
Though Zak had to admit that last part might be a little tricky.
Kip wasn’t an ugly kid. Not really. Sure, his acne was awful, looked like red fungus growing all over his face and the back of his neck, but that would go away in time. It was his shyness he had to get over, and that was something Zak was sure he could help with.
He’s coming to the Senior Skip Day party. Even if I have to club him on the head and carry him over my shoulder.
Zak knew that Chuck and his two jock buddies would be there. And he knew that they wouldn’t let the fight go. Especially when they were fueled by alcohol. He would have to bring some protection just in case. The gun belonged to Ernie, and Zak had swiped it just before heading to Aunt Jenny’s. He didn’t take it because he thought he would need it, but he didn’t like knowing the gun was at home while he wasn’t. He didn’t trust that motherfucker with it.
He hoped he wouldn’t have to flash it, but he would feel a lot better knowing it was there if he needed it.
“So,” Zak said as he patted his belly and tossed the last chunk of pizza crust into the now empty box. “Kip said he’d tutor me. Isn’t that right, Kip?”
“Yeah. Zak said he’s really trying to do better, Mom. I believe him.” Kip shot Zak a smile that would have screamed homo if it came from anyone else. Zak just smiled right back.
“Is that right?” Aunt Jenny reached over and patted Zak on the back of the head. Her face was a little pink from the bottle of wine she had polished off on her own. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
Zak beamed, slugged Kip on the arm. His cousin got that faraway look in his eye again, almost like he was cumming in his pants. It was weird, gave Zak the creeps a little bit.
Is this kid some kind of closet pervert or something? When Aunt Jenny leaves, is he going to wear her underwear and lipstick and dance around the house?
No. Zak knew that wasn’t it. The kid was probably doing his best to hide how bad it hurt him whenever Zak playfully hit him. Kip was so skinny, Zak realized his knuckles were probably hitting bone.
After dinner, Zak and Kip headed back up to his room. Zak sat on the bed and frowned when Kip went right back to his video game.
“Hey, man. What about that movie? Are we still going?”
“Nah. Don’t feel like it anymore.”
“Come on, Kip. Are you really that upset that your mom’s leaving? Most kids would be happy about that.”
Kip shot Zak a side glance. “Well I’m not like most kids, remember? I’m the Toad. And I guess I’m just a fucking pussy because I don’t want her to leave.”
Whoa. Where the hell did that come from?
“Relax, man. It’ll be great, just the two of us. We won’t throw a party or anything, don’t worry. But maybe we can get some girls to—”
“Nope. Nobody’s coming over to my house. Nobody. I’m not breaking a promise to my mom, okay?”
“All right, all right.”
Zak decided not to press the matter too much. He was just about to bring up Senior Skip Day again, but knew the timing was bad. Let the kid sulk for a little while.
Zak lay on the floor, propped his head up on a folded pillow. He opened up a comic book, an old X-Men he remembered reading years ago. Before long, he was out.
—4—
The weekend went by too quickly. Kip knew he was being ridiculous, but he didn’t want his mom to leave. He also knew that Zak was right, that he should be excited about being at home without an adult, just him and his cousin. It seemed like the perfect set up too. They could invite some girls over, just like Zak had started to say the other night before Kip had cut him off. Zak didn’t bring it up again, and for that Kip was grateful.
And even if we did invite some girls over here, they wouldn’t do anything with me. They would be here for Zak.
His mom had left the house a couple of hours ago. She didn’t know he was awake. They had said their goodbyes the night before, and Kip did everything he could not to show how upset he was. He just smiled at her, hugged her, told her how happy he was that she was getting this opportunity.
She just kept saying how good this was for them, how if things went right their lives would be so much better. But Kip didn’t think they had a bad life. As far as he was concerned, everything at home was just how he liked it. It was the only place he felt safe, the only place he felt he belonged.
He couldn’t sleep. Just knowing his mom was probably on an airplane right then, leaving him, he had tossed and turned for hours before finally giving up and just getting out of bed. Zak lay on his stomach, his breaths rattling as he slept. Kip almost woke him up, just to have someone to talk to, keep him company, but decided to leave his cousin alone.
He stood in the bathroom in front of the mirror, all of his clothes piled onto the floor. The acne looked like it was getting worse. Since he found out about his mom leaving for a week, his skin reacted with an explosion of new pimples, flowing over his entire torso like red lizard skin.