Long Week

I visited her grave every day this week since the funeral. I had so much to say, but when I got there I couldn't bring myself to say them. The night of the funeral I went to Bucks and added another hundred dollars to my tab. On my sixth beer I glanced around at the unknown faces, until one on the dance floor caught my eye. Marcia looked up and noticed me, giving me a smile she walked up to me and dragged me onto the floor with her. We danced a while and talked a little, I was drunk so I don't really remember what about. I didn't even know she was back in town, that last time we saw each other at the drive in on a night so long ago replayed in my mind. Before I headed out I gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek.
I ended up laying on the merry-go-round in the park staring up at the sky. I heard footsteps and instinctively reached for my switch. I rolled over and pointed it in the direction the noise was coming from.
"Gosh kid, don't you know better than to sneak up on a drunk ass greaser like me?" I said to him.
"Yeah Twobit, my first thought was that one of my best friends was going to kill me." Pony rolled his eyes and dragged me off the merry-go-round and into the car.
You know you've drank too much when your girlfriend's kid brother has to drive you home. Pony got me back to the apartment and in the door. I fell on to the couch not wanting to move so I just slept there.
The next morning I got up and took a shower. Dimitri apparently spent the night cause breakfast was set out all professional and neat like. I put on my favorite Mickey Shirt and jeans with my boots, greased back my hair, and headed over to dad's house. I hadn't been to his new place before. It was decently nice, not like the house he bought when he lived with us. I knocked on the front door.
"Well isn't this a surprise." He said.
"Yeah, hey dad." I said rubbing my forehead. "Is Jamie here?"
"She's upstairs." He pushed open the door and I walked in.
The walls were all neutral colors, clean and precise. Up to date furniture filled the generously sized rooms.
I found Jamie's door by the photos that decorated the outside. I knocked and slowly opened it.
Jamie was sprawled out on her bed reading and doing homework.
I gave her a look, "Dads got you doing your homework? Damn, that's something I could never do." I said.
"Yeah well considering you don't do yours either it wasn't as much as a threat then." Jamie replied.
"Dads got you locked up in here pretty good huh?" I heard about his rules and regulations.
Jamie nodded staring into her math book.
"Good." I said. That made her look up.
"Good? Are you crazy? I can't stay out late or have any alcohol and my boyfriend can't come twenty yards within the house."
"I repeat, GOOD." I replied.
"Ya know James...." I sat down on her bed, "Dad has money, he can pay for college and other things mom and us never could. You have a shot at a better life here."
"Yeah Yeah. I was fine off with you guys too." She added.
"But you're better off here. Considering your brother's girlfriend sneaks you out and gets you drunk, I think you are definitely better off living here than with me, and there's no way in hell I'm letting you live under the same roof as Dallas so, this is all you got kid, and it's better than any of us ever had."
She seemed to ponder on what I said.
"Well, I gotta go so... guess I'll see ya around." I leaned over and kissed the top of her head then left.
Next stop was Blair's. I let myself in and immediately wished I hadn't.
"For the love of Christ man put some pants on." I yelled at Dallas who was standing in the middle of the living room in his underwear.
"Look man when you have kids that gotta eat, bathe, and cry all the time and you can't even take a second to grab some pants, then we'll talk." He replied.
"Your fault, not mine." I said.
Thank God Blair walked into the room fully clothed.
"What brings you here on such a pleasant day?" she said very sarcastically.
"Just seein whats up." I shrugged.
"Same old shit really." She said.
"Yeah?" I pulled an envelope from my back pocket. "Well, here." I handed it to her. She peeked inside. "What the hell? TwoBit I can't take this..." she shoved it back in my hand.
"Yes you can. Most of its what mom left.... use it on the kid." I said.
She sighed, "Fine. Thanks."
"..and maybe some pants for Dallas..." I added.
I hugged her then left for home.
When someone close to you dies, it makes you start to think. You gotta cherish the time you have with them, cause you never know when that time may run out.