“Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re getting us into?” Josh scolded his son in his study. It was a rare occasion he uses the room if at all.
Marlon didn’t reply. It was a question that didn’t need his answer.
“I busted my ass to get us out of the last one and now this?!” he paced back and forth then he reached into his pocket. He threw a small leather pouch onto his desk, “Where the hell did you get this? You should be grateful they didn’t search your car that night and found this!”
It was his cocaine. Marlon glanced at it and kept quiet.
“You can’t keep doing this Marlon or I won’t be able to help you again next time … if they had found this …” he paused, he was boiling with frustration, “That’s it … they can put you in jail, do you know that?”
Marlon didn’t respond.
“Do you not care at all?? Do you even have any kind of remorse for busting that guy’s face back in Goldstone? He almost lost his eyesight because of what you did … it’s a miracle that doctor was able to save it,” Josh scoffed, “Not to mention how much it cost me to pay for the hospital bills.”
“He deserved it, he’s an asshole,” he finally opened his mouth.
Josh looked at his son in desperation, “How did it come to this? What happened to this family? God knows I tried … I’m still trying Marlon, you have to help me out here son, I can’t do this alone.”
“I can’t do this on my own either dad, I can’t deal with her by myself, it’s not even my responsibility to deal with her shit,” he raised his voice.
Josh rubbed his face, he knew it isn’t fair for him to be left with his alcoholic mother all the time. “I’m discussing it with Dr. Seymour … we’re submitting her to a rehab … but we can’t force her if she doesn’t want to go, and that’s not an excuse to beat up stranger in public places, Marlon, you’re adding to the problem.”
“Does that mean you’re staying? ’cause I don’t wanna be here with her … not when she’s like that, and she’s like that all the time.”
His dad sat on the corner of his desk, he hung his head down, “I’m staying for a few days, and then I have to go …”
Marlon stood and sighed, he didn’t want to hear his dad’s excuse to keep leaving.
“I have to go back to work because I have to pay for all this, Marlon, sit down!”
He sat down again.
“What are we going to do with you?” Josh asked. “I put you in school so you can take some time off the life we left in Goldstone … get your head straightened up, I know it’s hard for you … hell, it’s hard for all of us … but we have to keep going … you have your whole life ahead of you, you can’t let this tragedy robbed you of your future.”
Marlon kept quiet, he had too much to say but he chose not to say it.
“When are you going back to your therapy?”
Marlon shook his head.
“You have to go back to your therapy … God knows what’s going on inside of you after all that …” Josh shook his head, anguish was building up inside him every time he remembers his son’s tragedy, both of his sons. “This girl … Hazel … you seem to take a liking with her … is she helping you with your studies? Or is there something else going on?”
“She’s nice,” Marlon let out an exhale, “We’re just friends.”
“She seems like a nice girl, don’t screw it up please Marlon, she doesn’t seem like the girls you’re seeing in Goldstone … we can’t handle it if she comes back pregnant or anything like that.”
Marlon scoffed and shook his head, “It’s not like that with her … we’re just friends, I would never …”
Josh studied him intently to see if he can trust his son on this. “I’m just saying … you asked her to come here and study with you every day, I hope you really are studying … don’t get her into drugs or anything, don’t lead her on if you have no intention of having a relationship with her … people that comes from a good family are different, they take things seriously.”
“I know dad … she helps me study, she’s a good friend, that’s all … I could use a good friend right now.”
“Good, I hope she brings out the best in you … I know you can do so much with your life Marlon, this is just a phase we have to go through, that’s why I think you need that therapy … and you need it soon then you can go to college and get your degree.”
Marlon didn’t respond to that, he knew what his father had planned for him by putting him in school, but college was never in his own plan. He didn’t want to say anything and start an argument.
“Let’s just do this one step at a time, okay? Just lay low for now … you are not allowed to leave the house until your suspension is over … no parties, no friends coming over except Hazel, of course, I will call Denton to take care of the legalities and draw some money to take care of this … he can clean this up before Monday I’m sure, maybe we’ll show the Yorke’s some good faith and have a talk with them with Mr. Edgerton … what do you say?”
Marlon nodded half heartedly, “Sure.”
“You go back to school on Monday and I’ll go back to work, I’ll set up a meeting with Dr. Seymour for your mother’s rehab and your therapy … okay?”
He raised a brow, there was no other choice but to agree.
“I don’t want to find any of this shit again, Marlon, do you hear me?” Josh picked up the leather pouch that was still laying on his desk. “This will take us to a different kind of trouble if they ever find out.”
Marlon was silent. The only reason why his dad said that was because Marlon was still underage. He knew very well that his dad was using the same drugs too every once in a while. They probably even have the same dealer.
“Can I go now?” that was what he managed to ask.
“Sure,” Josh said.
Marlon was halfway opening the door when Josh called him again. “Hey, Marlon.” He turned to see what his dad wanted to say.
“I love you son,” it wasn’t easy for Josh Reynolds to express that to his only living son. The fact that he didn’t say that very often haunted him after Eli was gone. He never really told him that he loved him.
Marlon nodded then walked out of the study. Despite of the conversation he just had with his dad, Marlon walked over to his car and drove away.
Josh looked outside of his window and watched as his son was leaving. He knew he’d screwed up, and he was trying to do everything he can to fix it. His absence had made his words meant nothing to his son. “Damn it,” he muttered.