EVEREST

3: Dylan

The loud bang of the door, the punch to my face and a possible broken nose, and being disowned by my father had sobered me up fast.

“IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU! YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED INSTEAD OF AVA!”

“Dylan??”

Mom’s voice tried to block out the echo but dad’s voice drowned hers.

“ALL HE DOES IS GET HIGH AND CAUSE ISSUES FOR EVERYONE!”

“Dylan, baby. Talk to mommy. Are you okay?”

“Dylan? Can you hear me? Are you hurt?”

“BY ALL MEANS RID ME OF THE GAY, DRUG ADDICT SON THAT YOU BROUGHT INTO MY f*****g LIFE!”

“I’ll bring my car around and we can get you to the hospital okay? We’ll get your nose checked”

“GOOD LUCK, LIZ”

“Can you stand? Baby? Talk to mom, please”

I got up slowly, simultaneously helping my mother to her feet as well.

Not once did she stop fussing over me.

“I’m so sorry, my baby. Your father is just upset. I’ll get you to the hospital”

“Mom”

“Baby”

“I need to take a walk”

She shook her head and grabbed my arms.

“It’s late. Look, ignore your father, we could get some ice cream”

“Mom….”

“Let me just grab my coat okay? We could get Vanilla and strawbe….”

“I DON’T WANT f*****g ICE CREAM, MOM! I JUST NEED TO GET THE f**k OUT OF HERE!!”

She froze and stared at me.

I had never yelled at my mom before and even I didn’t know how to react to it but I knew I had to leave.

I ran out the front door and didn’t stop.

I don’t know how long it’d been since I’d been running but I know I didn’t stop until my legs began to scream from the strain.

And when I couldn’t run anymore, I walked.

I walked until my heel began to hurt a bit and I knew I had to stop.

Fortunately, there was a street bench not too far ahead.

I made my way to it and finally let myself rest.

The street was lonely and very few cars passed by.

The street lights were the only thing that illuminated the area.

“IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU!”

I shook my head, trying to banish the sound of my father’s voice from my head.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!”

Mom had fought for me.

It was the first time that anyone had ever fought for me and all I did was be an asshole to her.

Fuck.

I buried my head in my hands and let out a shaky breath.

“It should have been me” I muttered.

Mom would have slapped the s**t out of me for even saying something like that but the truth was, I meant it.

Ava was the better child and they both knew that much. She was beautiful, funny, great grades, good head on her shoulders.

No wonder dad was always pissed at me.

He ended up having to raise the loser twin.

I pulled out my phone and searched for a photo of Ava she had sent to me a few months ago.

She looked so happy.

“What happened, Ava? What made you do it?”

I felt a pain rise in my chest as I stared at my sister.

I lost her a long time before she died and it felt like losing a part of my soul twice.

But what hurt even more?

I couldn’t cry.

It didn’t matter how many times I tried, how many times I thought about her, looked at her pictures, held her things.

I couldn’t mourn my sister.

“YOU SELFISH LITTLE PRICK!”

I managed a sad smile.

“You’re kinda right, Dad.”

What kind of brother doesn’t cry for his sister? I let my head fall back on to the top of the bench and stared at the moon.

“If you see Ava up there, tell her that

dad is hurt and angry, mom is falling apart and me…..,” I sighed, “I need to know what happened. I need a sign”

I stayed on that bench for almost an hour, staring at the moon and trying to think of the best way to say sorry to Mom.

That’s when I heard it.

The engine of a muscle car.

Maybe a Mustang?

The blinding headlights seemed to be coming from up ahead.

I watched the car move down the street and then suddenly stop in front of me.

The first thought that crossed my mind was kidnapper.

But then again, Mom was rich and this was a rich neighborhood.

They wouldn’t easily kidnap anyone here.

Would they?

Well, can’t be too sure. Might as well get ready to make a run for it just in case.

I was about to get up and leave when the glass slid down and revealed a beautiful brown girl with locs at the driver seat.

Then she opened her mouth to ask the most absurd question ever directed at me.

“Hey, you got any weed?”

I blinked.

“Excuse me?”

“Yo, do you sell weed?”

“What the f**k kind of question is that? Do I look like I sell weed?”

The girl looked offended that I even had to ask.

“Dude, yes.”

I looked down at myself and then back at her.

“I’m wearing a suit”

“Really? Kinda looks like an ugly jacket. You can’t wear ugly jackets and not have people assume you sell drugs”

“I’m cold, okay. It was a cold day”

“Then go home”

“f**k off, Lady”

“Screw you. We’re probably the same age”

The girl wasn’t wrong and judging from the car she was riding, her folks were probably rich.

“Go away. I don’t sell weed”

“Whatever”

The girl rolled her eyes and drove off.

I was just about ready to process the odd interaction when she reversed the car till she was back in my line of sight.

“For f***s sake. What do you want this time?”

“Wanna go to a party?”

“Huh?”

“I mean you obviously don’t want to go home and my friends, Kristi and Allie bailed on me sooooo?”

“You do realize that I could be a serial killer right?”

She shrugged.

“For all YOU know, I could be a serial killer”

I considered getting into this strange girl’s car and heading to only heaven knows where.

That was risky right?

But I also knew she was right.

I didn’t want to go home.

I couldn’t face mom so I finally came to a decision. I sighed and got up.

“f**k it, whatever”

I opened the door, got into the passenger’s seat and the girl smiled at me.

“Lulu Baptiste, by the way” she introduced herself.

“Dylan Hue” I replied as I drew the seatbelt over my chest.

“Ready?” She asked.

“Please don’t be a kidnapper”

Lulu laughed and started the engine.

“Guess we’ll have to wait and see, Dylan”