Trouble
913 Words
Stetson Roberts was a sixteenth year old boy who lived in Kacee,Wyoming. Stetson woke up with a groan. The events of the night before were faint. He got up and found some clothes for school. He remembered his father coming home. He had jumped as his father walked in the door.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” His father asked.
“Just surprised to see you home so early.”
“Well,I got fired.”
“Oh.”
“Have a drink with me son.”
“No I’m alright.”
“Come on!” Mr. Roberts shoved him.
“Ok dad.”
Then things got fuzzy. Stetson remembered a fight with his father. They were both drunk and Mr. Roberts had punched him. He had called his mother but she didn’t answer. His father ripped the phone out of his hand.
“What are you doing? She doesn’t care about you,” he said. Stetson took the bottle from his father’s hand drank some more.
“Hey! That’s mine!” The old man slurred. He grabbed Stetson’s shirt collar and fell backwards.
“Whoa,” Stetson helped him into a chair.
Mr. Roberts passed out.
Stetson grabbed his arm.
“Good night son, I love ya,” he tapped his shoulder with his father’s hand.
“I love you too pop,” he said with a sigh. A tear rolled down his cheek. That morning Stetson was scrambling to get his things together for school. He glanced at his father still passed out in the chair. He took a cup of coffee with him and walked out the door. Stetson took Mr. Roberts’ truck to school. He was rushing to first period when he ran into Oakland Conway, a girl in his class. She was a tall,dirty blonde and a local champion barrel racer.
“Sh*t, I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s ok,” she replied.
He helped her pick up her books.
“Thanks,” she replied.
He nodded and walked away.
“He’s cute,” her friend,Stacy remarked.
“I guess,” Oakland shrugged. She watched him walk away with a smile.
“Oh my god you’re blushing!” Stacy said.
“Shut up, no I’m not!” Oakland replied.
Stacy laughed. Stetson had liked her for a long time but felt she was out of his league. He liked to draw;often he would leave drawings in her locker. That day he left a drawing of her on her horse. Oakland smiled.
“Prince Charming strikes again,” Stacy said.
“Why do all the good ones have to be shy?” Oakland asked.
“I don’t know,” Stacy replied.
Oakland sighed.
Stetson bumped into another boy’s shoulder in the hall.
“Hey, watch where you going!” The boy shoved him. Stetson turned around and punched him. The other boy punched him back. The other students surrounded them and watched. A few minutes later the principal,broke it up.
“Knock it off!” He grabbed Stetson. Stetson spit blood at the other boy. The other boy tried to shove him.
“I said knock it off!” The principal yelled.
“My office,now!”
“Idiots,” Stacy said.
Oakland nodded and went to class.
“I’m suspending you both for three days,” the principal said.
“Come on,” Stetson said.
“Call your parents,”the man said firmly. Stetson called his father. There was no answer. Then he called his mother, who didn’t answer as well. “Do you want me to call my sister?” He asked.
“Go ahead,” the principal said.
Stetson called his older sister,Leanne.
“Hey sis,” he said.
“Hey little brother.”
“I uh, got in a fight.”
“What?”
“Dad didn’t answer, but I’m supposed to tell someone I’m suspended.”
“You i***t!”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine Stets, just go home and call me later okay?”
“Sure.” He hung up.
Stetson walked outside and drove home.
“Dad?” He asked as he walked into the house.
“Hey,what are you doing home early?” Mr. Roberts asked.
“I got in a fight—I’m suspended,” Stetson said.
“Jesus! Did you win at least?”
“It was kind of a stale mate.”
“What am I gonna do with kid?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I never did teach you how to fight. Come here.”
“That’s ok dad.”
“Come here,try to hit me.”
Stetson slowly swung towards his father so not to hurt him. His father blocked his punch and retaliated by hitting Stetson in the jaw. Stetson put his hand on his face.
“Come on hit me again,” Mr. Roberts said.
“Dad..” Stetson tried for reason.
“Come on hit me!” Mr Roberts yelled. Stetson tried again and Mr Roberts punched him again. It took three or four tries then Stetson hit Mr Roberts in the jaw.
“Aw, sh*t,” the man groaned.
“Dad I didn’t mean...” Stetson began.
“Get me a drink.” Mr. Roberts pointed to the whiskey bottle on the counter.
“Yes sir.”
Leanna called him later that night.
“Hey,since you don’t know how to return a phone call, I thought I’d call you,” she said.
“Sorry.”
“What’s going on with you?”
“I don’t know,” Stetson said with a chuckle.
“Have you been drinking?”
“A little.”
“With dad?”
“Yeah, so?”
“Why were you drinking with dad?”
“Cuz dad gets mad if I don’t.”
“Does he threaten you?”
Stetson didn’t say anything.
“Stets,we’ve gotta get you away from dad.”
“How? Dad has custody and mom doesn’t give a sh*t.”
“I’m old enough,I’ll file for custody.”
“Okay.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I think so.”
“Okay, I love you little brother.”
“Love you too sis.”
“Stay out of trouble.”
“Yes ma’am.”
The next day Stetson met Leanne in town for lunch. Leanne was nineteen. She had moved to Jackson,Wyoming when she graduated high school.
“I talked to a case worker this morning about you,” she said, “she thinks she can help me get custody.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah. Stets why did you hit that kid?”
“Is this what you came down here for? Some kind of intervention?”
“No,I’m just worried about you.”
Stetson sighed. “I dunno I was just so angry...at mom, dad, everyone.”
“I’m sorry.”
Stetson shrugged.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD