Chain Reaction 2.19: The Goth Ban

     We redid my room. My parents are trying to get on my good side.

(and the Maker does notice how the accent wall bled into the hallway. She plans on fixing that.)

     I still need a bedside table, but it's a good start. Plus, the bills are on the way, ready to drain our funds.

     Three days pass, and I barely speak to either of my parents. They let me have what they call my "temper tantrum." It just makes me madder.

      I study. It's the only thing that keeps me from going absolutely mad. Dad refuses to let me out of the house.

     The bills come, and I go out to pay them. When I turn to go back inside, Drake startles me how he suddenly appears on the porch. He grins when he sees my expression.

      "You look surprised to see me." He keeps smiling as I climb the stairs.

      "What are you doing here?"

     "Oh? So that's how it is? Not a 'hi' or 'how are you today?' I thought I'd drop by, but if you want me to go..." He leaves his statement hanging.

     "It's not that."

     "You're mad at me, aren't you?"

     I sigh. "No, Drake. It takes too much energy to be mad at you. It's just that you shouldn't be here."

     "Huh?" He looks completely baffled. "Why not?"

      "Dad flipped out when your dad drove me home from the club the other night."

      "Dad drove you home?" He obviously never heard about it. "And so what if he did?"

      I sigh. "I don't know why they hate each other, but Dad said I wasn't allowed to see you or any of your family."

      "What?! That's insane!"

      I put my hand on my forehead as I look down. "And I'm grounded for no reason anyone will explain to me."

      He looks off to the side. "Well, that at least explains where you've been." He looks more closely at me. "You look exhausted."

      Frustrated tears fill my eyes. I have been trying to stay strong for days, but I can't take it anymore. Explaining it to Drake pushes it all to the surface. "I am! I don't know why I'm grounded, and I'm too mad at them to really find out why. I just see red when I look at my dad, and it's awful!"

     He holds me while I cry, and I realize that Drake is my best friend. He's a crappy best friend, but he still is. Maybe because he's practically my only friend.

     "Emily, don't cry."

     "I've been holding it in for days." I pull back, and he drops his arms. "But really, my mom is in the backyard. You need to go." My lower lip quivers.

     "I'm not scared of your mom." He pauses. "We have to think about this. There has to be a logical explanation why they hate each other."

     "Every hypothesis I come up with sounds more ridiculous than the last one." I'm lost.

     "Your dad hates mine. My dad tolerates him because he's best friends with your mom. You know, that's gotta take some dedication to stay friends with someone when her husband hates you." He pauses and sucks in a breath of air. "Do you think he's in love with her? But..."

     "I know. BUT." I know what he's thinking. "Your mom and dad are really in love. That makes no sense."

     "But what if it does?" He looks stricken.

     "Drake. Please. Your mom is so pretty."

     "But they got married years after yours did." He huffs. "So that leaves years when Dad wasn't married and your mom was."

     "That doesn't mean he was in love with her."

     "But your dad really hates my dad. I've seen him. He gets this crazy look in his eyes like he'd love to rip him apart."

     "It makes more sense for my dad to be in love with your mom, if love has anything to do with it," I say. He really looks crestfallen. "What is it?"

     "So now your dad hates me too? What did I do except be my father's son? Has he always hated me?" I really hope he doesn't cry, and he looks like he's really fighting it. I've never seen him this emotionally exposed.

      "No, I don't think he hates you."

      "Then why am I included in the 'Goth ban'? I don't think he ever really liked me. Maybe I look too much like my dad for him."

      "I don't know."

      "And I'm not allowed to be your friend?"

      I think of Miko. "I think you'll be fine."

      "I know I'm a dick. Sometimes I can't help it; words just fly out of my mouth, and sometimes I even like it when I'm mean. But you've never stayed mad at me. You're the only one. All my other friends, I think, are only my friends because my parents are loaded."

      Luna telling me how much she can't stand Drake comes to mind.

     I take a deep breath, not liking the look on Drake's face and not liking what I have to say. I have to tell him we can't see each other anymore.

     "Drake, I don't know. But-"

     "You know what?" he asks, interrupting, and I open my eyes. "I hate your dad. And he's in for a surprise if he thinks he can keep us separated."

      "Maybe I can reason with him." Maybe Drake and I can remain friends.

      "Ha! Good luck with that. I don't get it, and him hating me is just stupid."

      "He's going to come home soon."

      "Fine," Drake snaps. "I'll see you tomorrow. In the meantime, we have a mission, and I'm calling it 'operation what the hell.'"

      A feeling of hope swells in my chest. He knows me so well, and he knew a project was just the thing to pull me out of this depression. "Copy that," I say and smile. It's like we're a couple of spies.

      "Look for me tomorrow, okay? Obviously, I can't exactly come up and knock on the front door."

      "Good luck on your end," I tell him, and we hug quickly.

      "You too."