its up to us

What the HELL was going on?

The question kept racing through Brick's mind. Naturally, he wanted to cuss like a sailor. After all, that was his first language. His grandmother said he got it from his real dad, since all he knew to do was to say bad words around Brick, from the moment he was born.

Oh, Brick was trying. And he knew he wouldn't be trying so hard if..if it weren't for Mr. Mayberry.

"I..I can still call you..Mr. Mayberry, can't I?" Brick didn't want to think of him as just Gordy.

"Of course, yes, I think you should." Mr. Mayberry agreed, but..but..HE'S WITH MY MOM.

Brick didn't know if he were angry or just full of sorrow. Honestly, no one needed to have a moment down memory lane with his mother. He'd seen the results.

In spite of it being the first time... to see her since school was out, last May, Brick was on pins and needles. Why in the hell did he have to go to the damn zoo with them?

"Well, it would be strange, other wise." His mother told him earlier when she brought him to her apartment. A place that he could call  home. Soon.

He didn't want, too.

There were other obligations. Like ..like Rosie. They walked to school together. In the afternoons, they walked home together. It was something he looked forward too.

He felt as if the world was against him. And now..this Lily.

Even her name made him want to go.. EW..Are you kidding, me!

Yes, they'd argued. He didn't mean to argue with his mom, but he had too.

"YOU'RE GOING TO BE NICE TO HER!" Tiffany snapped a few minutes before Lily arrived that morning at the apartment.

Brick shut down. He didn't want to budge on this. What would Rosie think? While Rosie was older. Lily was younger, but she looked like she could be a ballerina or ninja girl. It wasn't fair, these girls were taller than him. Why did he have to be a nice guy?

And then Mr. Mayberry showed up, without his green lanyard around his neck.

Brick tried his best not to freakout. But this couldn't end well, it just couldn't. He didn't want his mom to torture the man, to death. He felt so sorry for Mr. Mayberry.

Finally, Brick took Mr. Mayberry's lead. After all, they drove off in Mr. Mayberry's trusty blue Subaru.

Still, he didn't want to have to make conversation with Lily. He wanted to watch his mother with Mr. Mayberry.

Lily was full of information about the zoo. She knew lots of short cuts.

"I come here, a lot, with my mom and dad, and their friends." Lily shrugged.

Brick supposed Lily's life was perfect. A mom and dad together in one house.

"Its not like that." She told him while they were waiting in line to get a slushy lemonade. "My mom's getting married to Barry, and my Dad finally has a real job and his own place to live."

Brick sighed. Maybe he liked Lily more than he thought he did.