“Kendall, I’m an idiot. I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I didn’t know what I was doing.” Mason sighed and looked over at me. I looked away and fiddled with my shoelace.

“It’s hard to figure these things out. I can’t do anything when you won’t let me in.” Silence.

“Was it the same as when we have sex?” I asked. I tugged at my hair. I couldn’t look away from him as he stumbled for the right words.

“I don’t know, Kendall. I was high.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I mean, even if I weren’t high, it would have been some stupid girl.” He seemed cagey, almost agitated. I knew I’d put him on the spot.

“Okay, Mason,” I said. But it wasn’t okay at all. I wanted to know more. I wanted to hear more. I wanted to know everything he was thinking.

We made our way outside. The hallway was empty. The bright lights severely contrasted my mood. Mason pulled the door shut and shoved the key card in his front pocket.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to ask me, Kendall,” he said.

I crossed my arms as we made it down the hallway. My skin felt itchy the day after my encounter with those nasty drugs.

“I don’t know either. I guess I just wanted an answer.” I snapped the rubber band on my wrist, the pain a distraction from my aching mind.

“An answer to what? Maybe if I knew the question, I could answer.”

Payton opened her hotel room door as we passed by. Her hair was wet. She looked straight at Mason. I could see it in her eye she had something important to say.

“What?” Mason asked, his bad attitude apparent.

“I need a favor from you,” she said calmly.

I thought it odd she even acknowledged me with a glance. Most of the time she acted like I didn’t exist.

Payton motioned us into her room and shut the door before she said anything more. Mason plopped down on her bed. I remained standing. I didn’t want to tread on Payton’s personal space. We waited patiently to hear what she wanted from us.

When Payton finally spoke, she said, “There’s this man who has something for me. I just need you to pick it up,” she said.

I bit my tongue. Why did it have to be Mason? Why did she want him taking off for who knows what? Payton had barely stepped a toe out of her room since we’d gotten to Virginia.

Mason stretched, his arms rising above his head. He seemed to be pondering what Payton had just said. Payton lit a cigarette and leaned against the dresser. Most of the time, Payton relied on her looks and wit to get what she wanted. I wasn’t too sure her charms worked on Mason.

“What’s wrong with you going?” Mason asked, staring her down.

“You and Kendall are always out and about. I thought it wasn’t a big deal,” she said, still calm. She flicked her ashes into a cup and blew out a large cloud of smoke.

“Kendall, you don’t mind, do you?” she asked me, searching my face expectantly.

Something about her request didn’t feel right. I wanted to tell Mason to forget it, but I didn’t.

“No, I don’t care. We were just going to get something to eat,” I said, quickly looking away.

Mason stood up and took the cigarette from her. He held it in one hand, raking his other hand through his hair. Payton seemed to back off a bit.

Mason took a long drag on the cigarette; the red ember ate away at it.

“Write down the address, Mom. I’d hate to think it’s anything other than what you’re saying it is,” Mason said, smoke escaping as he spoke.

Payton turned away and grabbed the brush off the dresser and began brushing her hair. I watched her expression in the mirror to see if I detected anything out of the ordinary. Ordinary for Payton was nervousness and agitation.

She spun back around.

“Do it, don’t do it, I don’t give a shit. Is that what you want me to say, Mason?” she asked. She stopped brushing her hair and glared at him. I stared at him as well, not sure what would come next.

Mason just glared back as he took another drag of her cigarette.

“What’s with this bullshit defiance, whatever you want to call it,” she snapped.

“I’m a grown man. You’re lucky I’ve hung around this long,” he tossed back. He remained calm as he talked back to her.

“You’re grown, huh?” she asked, laughing. The laugh wasn’t the result of her amusement; it was because she was pissed.

“Yep,” he said, popping the p louder than usual.

Seconds later, Payton whipped her hairbrush at him. Mason blocked it with his forearm, sending it to the floor.

I flinched at Payton’s sudden movement. She wasn’t backing down.

She balled her fist, going after Mason. Mason grabbed her and shoved her, and she fell backward onto her bed. His body hovered over her, his breathing ragged and unsteady from anger.

He still held the cigarette between his fingers as he grabbed ahold of Payton’s shirt.

I stopped myself from getting in the middle.

“That’s the last time you’re going to do that to me!” Mason yelled. He shoved her as soon as she tried to sit up. Payton was outraged. She grabbed a hold of his shirt, a million insults flying from her lips.

Mason pried her hands off him.

“You’re as worthless as your father!” she screamed at him.

Mason was immediately angered when he heard the words he never wanted to hear from anyone. He stepped back, putting some distance between him and his so-called mother and flicked the cigarette at her. He grabbed the next thing he saw, ripping the lamp’s cord from the wall.

“Mason!” I screamed, as I watched him raise the lamp above his head. Payton raised her hands in defense as he threw it at her. He didn’t stick around. He was out the door seconds later.

I gave Payton a quick glance to make sure she was okay, then stepped over the lamp and ran for the door.

“That’s it!” Payton screamed from the bed, scrambling to get her bearings.

“I hope it is, bitch!” he screamed from the hallway, startling a woman walking past us. I looked away, embarrassed, and scared that someone would call the cops.

“Mason, calm down, someone is going to call the law,” I warned him, grabbing his arm. His body was rigid with anger, like a wild dog ready to attack.

“Let them. I don’t give a shit!” He pulled away from me and stomped down the hallway.

“I want you to give a shit, Mason.” I yelled at him, trying to catch up with him. My nerves could not handle much more.

“You and the world, Kendall,” he said.

When the elevator door opened, I stepped inside and leaned against the wall, staring at Mason. I wanted to smack him for his outburst. It wasn’t that Payton didn’t deserve it, because she did. But this wasn’t the time or place for their fight. I wished he’d just given in and done her dirty work for her.

The elevator came to a stop. He sighed and took my hand. “Let’s go eat. I’m sorry for snapping at you.”

I kept quiet, a million thoughts running through my mind as we headed downtown. My head and body ached and I had to push myself to keep moving. I felt worse with each passing minute.

“Mason, I know this sounds stupid, but I feel like crap,” I said, clutching my stomach. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. The people behind us moved around but not before glancing back to see what was going on. Mason took my arm and pulled me toward him.

“What do you think it is?” he asked, rubbing my back gently trying to make me feel better.

“That crap,” I muttered. I stood up straight and forced myself to walk.

We headed into the diner—the same one Renee worked at. Mason held onto me as we waited to be seated.

“Hola,” Renee said, coming to us. She had a smirk on her face as she took the two of us in. She looked fine. You’d never have guessed she’d partied the night away. Must be she’d grown accustomed to the drugs and could handle herself. I couldn’t.

“Hey,” Mason and I said in unison. We followed her to a back booth. Renee looked confused when she saw Mason’s hands on me—confused, but not upset.