Page 30 of Sweet Little Lies
“James Cameron Willson, you need to get your butt home right this minute. It’s dinner time!”
We all give a collective groan.
“Dammit,” Russ complains. “Just when things were getting good.”
Jimmy grumbles loudly and slaps the ball onto the ground, with a “sorry guys” apology as he leaves. The ball bounces high above our heads and Landon is quick to rush for it, but I yank it out of his hands.
“Laaaance…you’re a douchewad.”
That’s a pretty good insult coming from my little brother, but I laugh at him as I hold my hand against his forehead as he scrambles to try to get at the ball from my hand.
Russ laughs from behind us. “I gotta go, too, guys. I’ll check ya later.”
The rest of the guys pack up and leave but Landon and I decide to play a little longer. He’s two and half years younger than me and about four inches shorter. My mom said I sprouted this spring and I’m constantly growing out of my clothes while my brother is a midget compared to my lanky almost thirteen-year-old body.
Although he annoys the shit out of me just like any younger brother might, I know he looks up to me and always wants to do what I’m doing. So, giving him some of my time isn’t the end of the world. I know it makes him happy, and he’s a good kid, even though my dad is unnecessarily cruel to him.
We play for about fifteen minutes until I see Carrie and Dana walking by wearing their tiny denim shorts and tank tops. I make a few more shots and strut around. Because I know they’re watching, I put on a show with my studly act, making shots left and right while Landon complains and whines, running around trying to get the ball from me.
I finally give into the desire to talk to them and walk over to where Carrie and Dana sit.
Landon is not happy with this development and I still have the ball in my hands.
“Hey, asswipe! What the hell you doing? We were playing here!” he yells at me, but I don’t pay him any attention.
Instead, I stop in front of the girls with a sly smirk on my face and they giggle to themselves over my presence.
“Hey girls. You’re both looking sic today.”
I hear Landon in the background scoff and gripe about wanting to play. In order to stop his bellyaching so I can have some alone time with Carrie, who I’ve harbored a crush on all year, I turn and throw the ball as far as I can. Landon stares and then grins as we both watch the ball roll off the court, down a small hill and into the street.
“Go get it, numb nuts,” I call to my brother as I turn my attention back to the girls.
I don’t see it happen right away. But I see it reflected in the wordless scream that penetrates the air and washes over Carrie’s face. It registers shock and terror and when I realize she’s looking behind me, I turn to find out what the deal is.
It’s then that I see the truck…and an object flies through the air down the block. At first, I think it’s the basketball. But it’s too big for that and not the right shape.
I blink several times and then begin running, the sounds of my heartbeats thumping loudly and drowning out all the screams and yells from around me.
“Landon!” I cry, rushing past the open doors of the truck, as the driver and passenger both jump out, confusion blurring their vision.
I take off down the hill, the slope of the ground causing me to skid, as I land on my hip and slide the rest of the way down until I hit the road and jump back up to my feet. The lump in the street isn’t moving. But I know it’s him. He’s upside down on his stomach, one arm is outstretched over his head and the other…it’s mangled at his side in an unnatural position.
“Oh, fuck me,” I hear some voice behind me say. But I don’t even look up.
My feet propel me forward until they are next to my brother’s sprawled out body. His face is smashed into the ground, his light brown hair now sticky with blood. So much fucking blood.
“Landon…” I whisper, but I don’t even think it comes out of my mouth.
Kneeling in my brother’s bodily fluids, I reach underneath him and pull him into my lap.
And then I hear siren’s and that’s the last thing I remember until the hospital.
~~~
The high-pitched noise that had been sirens in my dream now shakes me awake, as does the distinct odor of burning pizza.
It takes me a few moments to remember where I am and when it does dawn on me, I jump off the couch and run into the kitchen which is thick with clouds of smoke.
