The Night Screams by Devon McCormack

Author:Devon McCormack [McCormack, Devon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: young adult
ISBN: 978-1-63476-998-3
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2016-07-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“JAKE RAEGER, Jesus Lordie, what did you do?”

Luce burst into the kitchen. She wore a T-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms with cartoon chickens printed across them. She’d been on the phone with one of her prayer group friends, rambling on and on about Madge. Jake and Cal had been relieved, as she’d sounded more like herself than usual. She’d gotten real quiet just before charging into the room.

“What?” Jake asked, looking completely thrown.

He and Cal sat at the kitchen bar, eating breakfast. Gary had gone to the store, and Sierra had returned home to attend an awards ceremony for one of her sons.

“Don’t you what me. What were you and Cal doing at prom? You trying to stir up a riot in this town?”

Jake tossed his head back and sighed.

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me.”

Does she even know he’s gay?

“I was having a good time… like people do at dances.”

“Oh, and you didn’t think anybody would be talking about it? You didn’t do this kinda stuff with Keith…”

That answered Cal’s question.

“…why you gotta go make a big fuss about this, huh?”

Jake seemed calm, unusually calm, especially considering how passionate Luce’s fit was. She set her hand on the bar, like she needed to hold it to stay on her feet.

“I’m sorry I wanted to dance with my boyfriend,” Jake said.

Embarrassed as Cal was to hear him say that in front of Luce, he was happy to hear Jake confirm their relationship.

Luce glanced between them. Her lips twitched, as though she wanted to choose her next words carefully. Cal figured this was a product of her exhausted physical state rather than an actual lack of words, since before the surgery, he hadn’t recalled her ever missing a beat.

“Jake, you know what these vile women are saying about us now. Do you know what they think is happening in my house?”

“Do you think I care?”

“I don’t care if you care. I’m the one who has to face them on Sunday… that’s tomorrow. You know what they’re gonna be talking about? Oh, Madge is going to be so happy.”

“Then fuck Madge! You don’t even like her.”

“Jake, while you’re under this roof, I expect you to show a little respect for me and my life. If I don’t want to be the talk of the town—”

“You’re not. I am.”

“Oh yes. ’Cause they aren’t gonna say nothing about me. You think they’re not going to go on and on about how I made you this way, or I supported it by dragging another one into the house? They’ll think you’re practically living in sin here. You think anyone’s gonna want to come to prayer group with a bunch of your kind—”

Jake’s jaw clenched. He rose to his feet. “Our kind?” he asked. “What exactly is our kind?”

She hesitated.

“Just say it, Luce. You don’t want everyone thinking that you’re housing a bunch of faggots. Just fucking say it!”

His words were so severe Cal had to look away. He didn’t want to see how much rage consumed Jake in that moment.

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