Igniting the Wild Sparks (33 page)

“Six. Eden, two steps: Mazie and Sophie. Three halves: Josie, Tabitha and Ashley. Eden’s the oldest. She moved back in with my mom. Mazie is older than me by a year and is a pharmacist. She’s the star of the family compared to Sophie and me. Sophie is younger than me by two years. She’s a choreographer and taught me my wicked moves. I grew up with the three younger ones since Dad and Sherry married when I was nine. Jo is 17 and is gonna go to college, but the only major she’ll be is a major whore. Tabby is 15 and is a future librarian, she hoards so many books and is perpetually dateless. Ash is 13 and is manlier than me. I think she’s a lesbian.”

“Rod. That doesn’t mean she’s a lesbian, and so what if she is?”

“Then I guess she’ll be no help getting me dates.”

“
That’s not true. Anyway, her friends are in grade school.”

“Not now, you jerk. I’ll wait.”

“You’re gross.”

“I’ve heard.”

“Do you like your stepmom?” I take a bite of my salad as he swallows.

“Yeah. She’s a gyno. I wish she’d bring home some of her work for me.”

I dubiously laugh at his remark. “Doesn’t she also deliver babies?”

“Yeah, but who doesn’t love babies?
Too bad my mom and dad would label me as ‘lacking in basic nurturing skills.’ Whatever they mean by that shit. So what if I disembowled my flour sack baby in high school? It happens. Total accident. Fucking cat wanted me to fail.” I giggle as he takes a gargantuan bite of his burrito, finishing it off.

He crumples up his paper from his food and says,
“When we’re done, we can go see if E is awake. If not, we can go to my dad’s and come back tomorrow. My mom will call me if anything changes.”

“She’s lucky to have you.”

He winces and glances down to the table, his lips pulling contritely to the side. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not an idiot. I know that one day soon will be her last.”

“Just know that you’re not alone. I’m here. Morgan is, too.”

He nods at the table, but looks up and slowly says, “Thanks, Hadders. That means a lot to me. I feel a lot better having you here.”

I smile.
“I’m glad to be, Rod.”

“I don’t hear her mouth, is she still asleep?” Rod whispers to his mom.

“Yes. The nurse just checked her vitals. She’s stable, but the same. Most likely she’ll sleep for a few more hours. You two should head out. She might feel better tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Dad invited Hadley to stay with us.”

“That’s what he said. That’s nice of him. Go get some sleep and check in tomorrow. She might be up for visitors.”

“Oh, I doubt that, but we’ll stop by anyway.”

She quietly laughs. “I’m sure you’re right. She’ll want out of here. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow, Hadley. I know Eden will want to meet you, too.”

I glance over at Eden and
smile. “I just pray she gets better.”

“Me, too, honey.” She sighs and looks at her daughter. “Me, too.”

I follow Rod’s truck about five miles to his dad’s dark red, brick house. It’s even bigger than Julie’s. I should’ve been a doctor.

After showing me to the guest room where I put my suitcase,
Rod asks, “Do you want to take a walk?”

I regard him doubtfully
as he sets my suitcase down onto the bench at the end of the bed. “You take walks?”

He puts his hands on his hips and sneers,
“No, I float like a damn ghost.”

I roll my eyes
and rifle through my purse to make sure I brought my phone in. “I meant, I didn’t think you took walks.”

“I don’t, but you’re here. We can walk to the park and get high.”

Dropping my purse onto the bed, I spin around. “What?”

He snorts.
“I’m kidding. We can take some water guns and shoot at small children. Aim at their pants so they’ll get in trouble for pissing themselves.”

Laughing, I wheeze,
“You’re seriously twisted. Maybe you
are
high.”

He shrugs and throws his
arms up. “It’s good, clean fun! Come on, Hadders.” He slings his arm around my shoulders and pulls me toward the basement’s sliding glass door.

When we reach the park aro
und the block from his dad’s, Rod leads me to the swings. We take our swings and he loudly yells, “Let’s be swingers, bitch!” The two teen girls on the other side of the playground, sitting on a see-saw talking, look over and laugh.

I cringe and say more quietly, “I think you might be better at it than me. I hear you’re a swinging slut.”

He whirls around to face me, twisting the chains together. “Me? No way. I’m a good boy.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“I am! I hear you’re the one who doesn’t get down and dirty with a certain Richmond hotshot.”

I spit out,
“I tried!” I cover my mouth and close my eyes. Shit! Why did I say that? I really do need duct tape for my mouth.

When I don’t hear a snarky response, I crack an eye open to see his
mouth gaping in utter surprise. “No way! No, you didn’t!”

I fist my hands over my eyes and hang my head. “I don’t know why I just told you that.”

“I don’t know why you did, either. Holy fuck.”

After a moment of awkward silence between us, I sigh and sit up, gazing
at the surrounding woods, looking for sniper to take me out. I lowly repeat, “I can’t believe I told you that.”

Rod is quiet for five seconds until he nonchalantly says,
“Yeah. So, you sucked on Wilder’s c—”

Whipping my head to him,
I rashly yelp,
“Rod! Shut up!”
I turn away from him to stare hard at the trees around us, searching for courage to be a grown-up, or a noose to hang one of us.

He giggles and says, “
I mean, I know where he usually puts it, but you actually went oral with him after your confessional at the club?”

I close my eyes to the trees and grudgingly nod. H
olding onto the swing’s chains, I lower my head and mumble, “Oh, dear God. I have such a big mouth.”

“That’s what
she
said! Ha!” Rod giggles and I look up to narrow my eyes at him, trying not to laugh in spite of his evident psychosis. “FYI, Hadders: A big mouth is a
very
good thing to have for that.”

I smirk at my chance. “
Do you get complimented for yours?”

With a sudden scowl, h
e grumbles, “Shut the hell up.” I laugh and he twists to give my swing a shove with his foot, sending me sideways and laughing even harder.

When my giggles subside with the momentum of my swing,
I whisper, “I didn’t get very far with it.”

“Why?
Is Wilder smaller than a cocktail wiener?” He gives me an exagerated fake pout and I want to seriously punch him for making me laugh again.

“That’s not what I meant, douchebag. We were at his mom’s and his sister knocked on the door. It kind of killed the mood.”

“Yeah, I could see how that would deflate a boner.” I nod as he shakes his head and says, “Wow. I can’t believe you blew
Finn Wilder.
”

I snort. “
I technically didn’t, and you make it sound like he’s some big celebrity. He’s my boyfriend, Rod. You said I was a freak because I had never tried doing it before.”

“You’re not a freak. I was only jok
ing. I hope you didn’t feel pressured to do it because of my teasing.”

“No, I’ve wanted to try it with him, but…” I shrug my shoulders and look away from him, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

“Don’t think you’re doing anything wrong with him. You’re a great person and I know he thinks you’re the best girlfriend.”

“I don’t know about that. I seem to let my friends and him down.” I can’t keep up with everyone’s expectations.

“Hadders, you’re a great friend.” He inhales and scuffs the ground with his sharp-looking high tops and mumbles, “You’re my
best
friend.”

Lifting my head, I stare
at him in astonishment as he stares at the ground. “R-Rod, that’s so nice to say. It’s not a big deal I came down here.”

He noddingly looks up at me.
“Yes it is. That’s not why I’m saying you are. You make me laugh
at
and
with
you. You give good advice and are such a good listener.” He runs his tongue between his teeth. “And I also hear you give unbelievable head.” He twirls his swing around, twisting the chains together while mischieveously grinning.
“It’s
Finntastic
!”

“I’m going to punch you in the face.”
He giggles and I ask, “How many women have sampled your Rodsicle?”

Rod stops his twisting as he throws his head back and disbelieving laughs.
“I can’t
believe
you just referred to my penis as that.”

“I did. Answer the question. It’s only fair.”

“Too many to count.” He unwinds his swing and spins around in a dizzying move that makes me lightheaded to watch.

“I thought you said you weren’t a whore?”

“What? That’s not whorish is it?”

I raise
a judgemental eyebrow. “Yeah, it is.”

“Oops.” He laughs at my horrified expression,
which leads to him inevitably snorting. “Damn, you’re
so
easy.”

Taking
my own opportunity to be a smartass, I snap my fingers and quip, “That’s what
he
said!”

He
sadly shakes his head, mocking me, no doubt. “That’s not even funny, Hadders.”

“So, you’re not going to tell me?”

Sighing, he looks down to his shoes and mutters, “Two. That’s how many.”

“Fair enough.”

He immediately looks up. “My turn. What’s your grand total of guys you humped?”

“So eloquent
. How’d we get into this conversation anyway?”

“It was all you. I was gonna to talk ‘bout puppies and kittens.”

“Oh, right. It was me. Four. Three were brief and stupid mistakes.”

“Is Wilder one of them?”

I frown at his smirk. “Shut up!”

“Just was wonder
ing if you considered him one of those lapses in judgment or if you’re regretting his small wee-wee.”

I regard him
questioningly, yet manage to say with a straight face, “You’re obsessed with what’s in his boxers.”

“Like I said, he’s a quasi-celeb.”

“He will be a full-blown one someday.”

“Well, with you, he’ll never be fully blown.”

“Gregory!”

“Just kidd
in’!” He laughs and stomps on the ground at his own ridiculousness. He then asks, “You really think he’ll be a celebrity?”

I nod and pump my legs to get swinging. “Yep. I truly believe he’ll be a big TV personality on a sports show. He was born to be a star. I’m just afraid he’ll leave me then.” I slow my legs as I think about that happening. Would Finn leave me for fame?