What They Left Behind

Ben came home after rehearsal and went straight to his room. Even though he was hungry, he didn’t feel like making anything to eat. Nobody was home, not even Gennie. He went to his room, put the Beach Boys on the turntable and read the latest Avengers comic.

  An hour later, he heard Malcolm call for them to help bring in some groceries. Ben went downstairs and into the garage.

  “Is Gennie asleep?” Malcolm asked, handing Ben a paper bag.

  “No,” Ben replied.

  “Then what is she doing?”

  Ben shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Is something going on?” Colleen asked. “You look upset.”

  “I’m fine,” Ben lied, though he was troubled about the situation. He suspected she had run away because she was always home from school by now. If Malcolm and Colleen found out what happened yesterday, he could say goodbye to drama class and Charlene. They might even say goodbye to him period. Who wants a kid that turns into a lunatic at the drop of a hat? They couldn’t find out.

  Unfortunately, Malcolm was the first in the kitchen and discovered the note.

  “Did you and Gennie get into a fight?” Malcolm asked.

  “What does the note say?”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” Malcolm replied.

  “I guess you could say that.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  Ben nodded.

  “Do you think she’s staying at Page’s house?”

  “Probably.”

  Malcolm sighed. “Let’s get the rest of the groceries taken care of. After that, we’re going to Page’s house to see if Gennie’s there.”

  Ben wasn’t too happy about visiting Page’s house, but he could tell by Malcolm’s tone of voice that it wasn’t a good time to object, so he said nothing.

  A half hour later, they drove to Inner Parkside. Finding Page’s house was fairly easy. It stood out like a turd in the middle of a rose garden. Gennie’s bike was chained to the front porch stairs.

  Malcolm and Ben walked up the front steps. Ben nearly tripped on an obese yellow cat that refused to move out of the way. Malcolm rang the doorbell a few times. When no one answered, he knocked on the door.

  Page finally opened it. She was wearing baggy black pants, a turtleneck and black knee high boots. Ben frowned in disgust. He didn’t think she could look any worse than she did at school but obviously, he thought wrong.

  Page scrutinized him with her beady dark eyes as if he was some kind of war criminal. Obviously, Gennie told her everything. Ben hoped she wouldn’t blurt it all out to Malcolm.

  “Is Gennie here?” Malcolm asked.

  “Yep,” Page replied.

  “Can I talk to her?”

  “Hold on, Daddy-O, let me ask,” Page left Malcolm and Ben waiting by the doorway as she went upstairs, into the recesses of the house. It looked like the drug den Ben imagined it to be. The hallway had faded cream-colored wallpaper; the kitchen looked like it had been trashed in a fit of rage, and most of the stairway balusters were missing. The three feral looking cats perched on the stairs completed the picture. Ben found it hard to believe people actually lived in the house. Why would Gennie want to stay in a dump like this?

  Page came down the stairs a couple of minutes later without Gennie.

  “She’s doing okay, but she doesn’t want to talk to you right now,” she said.

  “All right,” Malcolm replied. “Please tell her to call us tomorrow.”

  “Will do,” Page said.

  “What did you do to her?” Malcolm asked angrily after Page closed the door.

  “Nothing,” Ben said.

  “Well, I don’t think it was nothing. Something’s really wrong. If I find out you’re not telling me the truth, you’ll be in big trouble, young man.”

  Chapter 19: April 30