Suzie’s House 88: Man to Man

This starts where last week ended

Ben yanked the drawer open, then dropped the recipe file into it. The wood of the file clunked against the drawer pretty loud, but he didn’t care. So what if it dented or chipped or something? It’s not like it would make Mom love him any less than she already didn’t. Or did. Or whatever.

He thought when she came for him that it meant she loved him. Or at least that she loved who she thought he was. He was pretty sure she wasn’t going to love who he was now.

But it wasn’t her who wanted him back. It was Drew.

Except maybe he misunderstood the bit back in the hall where Drew said, “Remember our agreement? You bring him back, but you don’t let him get in the way.”

Ben shook his head. Didn’t matter how he diced it, that comment gave him a bad feeling.

He could feel someone walk into the office even before he turned, but maybe that was ‘cause he’d expected it. Angry words rushed up from his gut, ready to come out as he faced the door. “Mom….” It all turned into nothing. “Oh. Hi, Drew.”

“You and I have a few things to talk about.” He closed the door.

Suddenly the little office, even with all those windows around the front, felt too small. When Drew crossed his arms and leaned against the door, Ben could hardly breathe.

“What… what do you want to talk about?” Stupid question. He wanted to talk about what a brat Ben had become. Or maybe about sending him back to Dad.

Ben shivered in spit of himself. He didn’t want to go back to Dad. Although… there were worse things.

“I want to talk about your mother and me.”

“Yeah, your… together. I get that.” And he didn’t like it at all.

He caught himself sneering, and looked away, but it was too late. Drew had seen it. Ben knew because he saw the flash in Drew’s eyes, but Drew didn’t say or do anything about it.

“Yes. We’re together. Do you have a problem with it?”

Yeah, Ben had a problem with it! It was because of Drew, because she wanted to get with him, that Mom sent Ben away! But he wasn’t going to say that. He shook his head like he had no problem. Maybe Drew would believe him.

“I would if I were you,” Drew said.

Oh, man. Why did Drew have to be someone Ben liked? It made hating him real uncomfortable.

“There’s the deal.” Drew bumped off the wall and came over to Ben. “Nothing you do is going to change anything. You aren’t going to drive me away. You aren’t going to keep your mother from me. And we aren’t going to let you go. The only thing you can do is make everyone miserable.”

“What if that’s what I want?” Ben challenged. He didn’t really want anyone to be miserable, but he wasn’t going to back down. They wouldn’t kick him out again? He stomped all over a growing sense of hope. It was a grown up’s promise, and everyone knew what those were worth.

“Then we’ll all be miserable.” Drew leaned against the desk. “There are a couple of things I think you ought to know. Maybe you do already, and maybe you don’t. Bear with me if you already know. First, you know that I’m the reason you’re back.”

Ben nodded.

“Here’s the deal she and I made. I let her help me catch the guys that tried to kidnap you… remember that day you followed me into the neighbor’s house?”

Ben nodded. How could he ever forget? He watched Drew shoot the two red haired men as they came running down the staircase, but it didn’t even slow them down. They barreled past Drew. One of them, one Ben knew from before, grabbed Ben as they ran past. If it weren’t for Drew, who knows what the men would have done to him.

“She was afraid to let you stay here because she thinks I can’t protect you, and those men are after at least Vin and I, and maybe the rest of us as well.”

Ben nodded, though he still didn’t see why she had to send him away.

“I think there may be more to it than simply keeping you safe though…” Drew got a far away look. His brow wrinkled. Ben wasn’t sure what to make of it. “Regardless, she never WANTED you to go away, and missed you every day.”

“If that’s so, then why didn’t she come to school…”

“Where she was no longer welcome because of some argument with one of your teachers?”

“Oh.”

“I agreed to let her help catch those men, but only if she brought you back into the house.”

“Why? Why did you do that? I’m only under foot.”

“That’s true, but she wouldn’t be as happy without you.. It was killing her not having you here. She was taking risks she shouldn’t have. I think my demand that she bring you back might have been as much an excuse as anything. You know how stubborn she can be.”

Ben nodded heartfelt agreement. He sure did know.

“The other part of our agreement is that she won’t let you get between us. It doesn’t matter how much more she loves you than she will ever love me, you can’t drive me away.” There was warning in Drew’s eye.

Ben tried not to shiver. Drew could be pretty scary when he wanted to.

“So.” Drew put a heavy hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Are we clear?”

Ben nodded enthusiastically.

“Good. You should tell your mother you forgive her. She’s hurting badly right now.”

Ben nodded agreement. And he would say something to his mother, something to make her feel better. But he wasn’t ever going to forgive her.

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