“Sh*t,” Dave hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.
“What is it?” I asked.
“My mom’s home,” he said sullenly, pointing to the light that was shining through the living room window.
I was scared. I’d never met his mother. I’d heard from lots of others that she was crazy. D.C. told me that she never let anyone in the house when she was home.
“She must have signed herself out of rehab,” he sighed sadly, taking his bass out of the backseat.
I was silent. I didn’t know if he wanted me to come in with him or what.
“Well,” he sighed again, “Let’s go in anyway.”
I followed him silently. I tried not to make any noise as we entered. Dave held his finger to his lips as we tiptoed in.
“Who’s there?” a raspy voice called as I closed the door behind me.
“It’s just me, Mom. It’s David.”
“David?” she called.
“Yes, Mom,” he answered calmly.
“Who is that with you?”
I saw her for the first time. She stumbled out of the dark kitchen, half a bottle of Jack Daniels dangling from her hand.
“This is Tayler,” he pulled me slightly closer to him.
“Who?” she came closer, he hair all wild and falling in her eyes. She was scary.
“My friend Tayler,” he repeated. I clung a little closer still to him.
She came close to me. I could smell the alcohol on her breath. Her hair looked like she hadn’t washed it in a long time, and she smelled like she needed to bathe, too. She was staring hard and long at me, but she seemed like she was looking through me at the same time. She took a swig from the bottle, and then started to grumble. In one quick motion, she swung the bottle at me, trying to hit my head. Dave pushed me away, however, and I ended up only getting totally soaked with alcohol.
Dave grabbed my hand as his mother started screaming at the top of her lungs and picking up lots of different things. Just as we got into Dave’s room and shut the door, something crashed against it and broke on the floor.
I was shaken and dripping with sticky liquid. Dave asked, “Are you okay?”
I nodded, disturbed. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t, “Are you?” I asked softly. He started rummaging through his drawers, not answering. I went over by him and put my hand on his shoulder. “Dave?”
“Yea, I’m fine,” he slammed the drawer shut and opened another one.
“Should we call the police?” I asked.
“No. She will pass out soon,” he shrugged. He tossed me a t shirt and sweatpants, “You’re soaking.”
“Thanks,” I smiled. I wanted to rush over and give him a huge hug and tell him it was okay, but I didn’t want him to think I was pitying him. I started to remove the shirt I was wearing, not really caring if he saw me in my underwear. Suddenly, he grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. I would have protested if it weren’t for the heartbreaking look in his eyes. He bent down to kiss my neck and shoulder, tasting the liquor on my skin. I took his face in my hands as he fiddled with the button of my jeans. “Dave?”
“I’m sorry,” he said, letting go of me.
“It’s okay,” I crossed my arms over my chest, biting my lip.
“I should be used to it, you know? She’s been this way forever. It shouldn’t bother me anymore.”
“That’s not true.”
“I shouldn’t have brought you in here. Once I saw she was home I shouldn’t have come inside.”
“Dave, it’s okay. You can’t control how she acts.”
“I never wanted anyone to have to see her like this.”
“It will be okay,” I hugged him. I paused to take a deep breath, “Do you want me to stay here tonight?”
He seemed shocked by my proposition, “If you really want to…”
“I do.”
“I can sleep on the floor-”
“Don’t,” I smiled, removing my jeans and climbing into his bed.
I woke up in the middle of the night wrapped around Dave, still wearing only my bra and underwear. It was hot in the room, and the parts of my skin that were pressed up against his were hot and sweaty. He was still sleeping soundly. What had woken me up? I heard noises in the hallway. They were faint and unsteady, but I heard them: a faint knocking and a voice croaking, “David, David.”
I nudged Dave lightly. His eyelids fluttered. “Dave,” I whispered.
He woke suddenly, “What’s wrong?”
“Listen,” my voice was hushed.
He got up out of the bed quietly, out some pants on, and went out the door. I don’t know how long he was gone, because I fell asleep after a few minutes of trying to wait for him.
I didn’t know what happened until the next morning. After hearing the tale, I wished that I had woken up. I don’t know what I could have done, but maybe I could have at least been there for moral support.
