"What?!" my mom exclaimed, putting a hand on her chest. "He did what to you?!"
"Yeah. I can even show you the bruises," I said to her, but didn't move to do so. She didn't need to see something like that. How could she be so surprised when she knew he drank almost all the time he was at our house?
"Is he home, miss?" Trevor's dad asked. I had learned as soon as he got home that he was a cop. That had surprised me a bit.
Mom shook her head, her eyes growing. "I haven't seen him since I came home, about two hours ago."
I looked at the clock. It was eight. I had gone over to Trevor's house around four. Where had he gone?
Trevor's dad pulled out a small notebook and a pen. He clicked the pen and looked at my mom for a second. "Could you tell me his name, please?"
"Robert Wood," she told him, rubbing her arms. "Are you going to arrest him?"
"Of course I am. He had no right for beating this child," he told her, his voice almost angry. Then he looked at his notebook again. "Is there any other information I should know?" he asked.
While Mr. Allen, Trevor's dad, interrogated my mom, I got up and walked into our kitchen. There I found Trevor staring at the pictures on our fridge. He noticed me and smiled.
"You were adorable back then." he said, pointing at a picture of me on a swing. I stared at the picture, not in the mood for small talk. Really not in the mood to talk at all. I opened the fridge and pulled out a cool bottle of water.
Sitting on the counter, Trevor watched me as I took a drink. I stared right back into his blue eyes, wondering what made me so interesting. The fact that he knew a little more about my life? I felt uncomfortable now, with him watching me like a lion hunting.
Finally I broke the silence. "What?"
"You are one interesting girl," he said slowly. Thinking it through. I know more about you than you know about me. I don't think it's fair."
Was he going to make this into a game or something? "Well, I know you're dad's a cop. I wasn't expecting that one."
He nodded. "Yeah, but I know a lot more about you after today." He picked at something on his pants. "I want you to know more about me."
I stared at him, thinking about it. So, now we were getting to know each other. Becoming friends. Would this mean we were friends with benefits now?
I took another drink of water before asking, "What happened to your mom?"
He looked away from me. "Dad said she cheated on him, so they divorced. I was too young to understand when it happened." I saw him bite his lip. Was this painful for him? Did he want a mother? Did he hate the fact that he didn't have one?
I didn't ask any of these questions because his dad came into the kitchen just then. "Trevor, let's go," he ordered. Trevor looked at me and smiled, then slid off the counter.
"See you tomorrow?" he asked, holding out his hand. We shook awkwardly as his dad watched us.
"Sure," I said, nodding. Then I turned to his dad. "Thank you for everything, Mr. Allen."
He nodded. "Always glad to help. If he comes back come tell me right away, okay?"
"Okay." I said. He walked out with Trevor. I stood in the kitchen, listened to the door shut, then walked upstairs to my room without talking to my mother. I didn't want to talk with her about what had happened. My head was spinning with too much else. I couldn't concentrate on my homework when I attempted. I couldn't read my book. I couldn't stop thinking about Trevor.
There was only one question in my head. What did it mean now, our new friendship?
I didn't know, but one thing was for certain. I couldn't wait to see him tomorrow.