“Tell who?’ asked Damon.
“Kelly,” said Ephraim.
“Aw, man,” said Damon. “Tell me, instead. Why you this upset because I got myself some trouble?”
“You got a babe pregnant that you don’t even love,” said Ephraim, bitterly. “And she’s having your baby. What’s so wrong with me that Kelly couldn’t have mine, when she claims to love me and I know I love her?”
“Nothing, man,” said Damon. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
“First my daddy, now my girl,” said Ephraim, misery covering every layer of his skin like a blanket. “How come nobody loves me enough to stick around?” He started crying again.
Damon felt completely overwhelmed.
“Man, I’m here. Stump is here,” he said, squeezing Ephraim’s shoulder. Ephraim’s face brightened a little. “And yo mama is going to be here in a few hours and kick your butt for trashing her place.” Ephraim laughed weakly and then grabbed his head.
“Oh,” he said. “My head is killing me.”
Stump came into the room carrying a cup in his hand. He handed it to Ephraim.
“Man, what is this stuff?” said Ephraim, peering at the dark liquid suspiciously.
“Coffee,” said Stump. “Drink up, boy, it’ll make you black.”
Ephraim rolled his eyes and sipped. He winced and put the cup down on the bed table hastily.
“That’s nasty,” he said.
“Last time I make coffee for your ungrateful butt,” said Stump.
Ephraim stuck up his middle finger. He got a weird look on his face and whirled around, lifted up the toilet seat and threw up his guts. He threw up so long and hard that Damon thought Ephraim was going to shake apart. Later, Damon and Stump changed the sheets and got Ephraim into his bed. His legs were still wobbly from drinking and throwing up.
“I can’t believe I’m tucking in a hard leg,” said Stump, complaining. “I could be someplace with a nice babe, hugged up sweet, ringing in the New Year and getting some kisses.”
“Kiss, Damon,” said Ephraim, showing feeble signs of humor.
“Man, naw,” said Stump, shaking his head.
“Next time you try to drink up all the liquor in Lansing,” said Damon, kidding. “Don’t call me.”
“I didn’t call you,” said Ephraim. “But thanks for coming. I love ya’ll.” He sat up and slung his arms around both of them, pulling them down towards them.”
“Cut it out,” said Damon.
“We love you, too, man,” said Stump, pushing Ephraim back against the pillows. “But don’t be acting all shaky.”
When Ephraim went to sleep, Damon called his father and told him what had happened and that he was going to stay over and make certain Ephraim was really okay. His father told him that he’d be by himself to check on Ephraim and made good on his word by arriving a few minutes later. He woke Ephraim up and talked to him for a long time while Damon and Stump cleaned the house. When Mr. Hamilton came out of the bedroom, he nodded to the two boys.
“He’ll be all right,” he said. “He’s not right now, but he’ll be all right. He fell asleep again. When he wakes up, see if you can get him to eat something.”
“Okay, dad,” said Damon. Stump slumped on the brown leather couch.
“I didn’t know he was that upset,” said Stump. “I wouldn’t have mentioned your situation if I thought it would send him over the edge.”
“It’s cool, man,” said Damon.
“So, how you doin?”
“I’m aw-ight,” said Damon, leaning back in the chair across from Stump.
“You still going away to school?”
“No,” said Damon.
“Man, you can’t be all right, then,” said Stump. “You been wanting to jet up outta Lansing since we was in diapers.”
Damon sighed. “It’s going to take a little longer than I thought.”
“I got an offer from Saginaw Valley to play football,” said Stump, sounding slightly ashamed.
“Man, that’s great,” said Damon, smiling and genuinely happy for his friend. “Maybe I can come and see you play sometime, when things get settled.”
They watched the antics of the New Year’s Eve crowd’s frenetic celebration on television.
“You know what’s funny?” asked Stump, eyes at half-mast.
“Naw, what?” asked Damon.
“I thought we’d be at a party tonight, hanging out. It’s senior year, we supposed to be out hanging, getting loose. Instead you are about to be a daddy, Ephraim is off his nut over some stupid babe, and I’m my way to college on a full ride when I thought I’d be here in Lansing the rest of my life like my old man. It’s all mixed up.”
“I know, but at least one of gets to go,” said Damon, weary to his bones.
Brielle
It was a heck of a way to spend New Year’s Eve. Brielle was visiting with her grandparents and family members. Her grandmother had told her to think up something that she was thankful for.
“So, baby,” said her grandmother. “What are you grateful for?”
“Oh, Grammy,” said Brielle. “I’m grateful that I have a great family and that I won state championship in swim and that my favorite people are doing all right, too.
“Kyzie told me what happened with the boy,” said Grammy, hugging her with one arm. “How are you doing?”
“It was bad for a while,” said Brielle, looking down at the floor. “Really bad.”
“Do I need to go and kill him for hurting my baby?” asked Grammy. She used her other hand to lift Brielle’s chin.
Brielle shook her head.
“No,” she said, a little sadly. “I’m better now. Damon has some problems that he has to deal with. But I don’t want to talk about him, if that’s okay.”
“Sure baby,” said Grammy. “Let’s go have some fruit cake and ring in the New Year.”
“Okay,” said Brielle, and she stood and
