Chapter Seven

PHILIP

His father wasted no time throwing a tv dinner in front of everyone's face. Except for Annabelle, she was only four months old and preferred breastmilk that her mother wouldn't give out. Mainly because she was a heavy smoker and private drinker.

Philip frowned as he looked at the cold in the middle mess. His father sat across from him, at the other head of the table. His mother next to his father and his little brother, Roy, sat across from her. Annabelle in her rocker.

"It's times like this where you need to settle down and listen boy. You're Uncle Rick just got flown out to Vietnam last week and god knows they need extras. Next thing you know they'll be picking off strangers from the road to throw them in a war. I sent a letter out saying they need our strongest men." He looked at Philip with dark eyes.

Using the remote, Veronica, his mother, turned the television up and settled back into her seat. "No one is taking my Philip across seas. They'll have to kill me first."

"You act like you don't have other kids to raise," Harry commented. "And no one wants Philip. He flinched at the sight of a fly. He'll make our good deeds look bad."

Philip sat and stared at his father as he belittled his manhood. He wasn't even hungry anymore. He just wanted to go to his room and listen to his new groove that he's been meaning to put in the box. His dad doesn't know that is what he spent his allowance on and he's hoping he never finds out.

"Look at 'em. Poking around his food. He'll be malnutrition by the end of the month. A scrawny no good son is what I have." Philip scoffed at his father. "Roy, you plannin' on keeping up the family name?" His little brother nodded in excitement. "Good. I'm counting on you."

His mother gave Philip a sympathetic smile while lightly massaging his knee under the table. "If you're not hungry Philip then go to your room. We can always eat it tomorrow."

"Veronica, he's seventeen, not ten."

Those were the last bickering words he heard from his father's mouth as he made it upstairs just in time to close and lock his door. Philip forgot about his music and went on to turn on his television. His favorite shows came on late Saturdays and he didn't want to miss it.

While flipping through channels, he landed on local news which he usually would skip past but something told him to watch it. That something was the wild crowd of protesters going at it with the fuzz and opposing sides. Philip couldn't help but laugh when he pictured himself in the middle of the chaos. He knew he would never forgive Elowen for dragging him there if someone were to touch him.

"Elowen," he thought as he laid back on his bed. Hand under his head and eyes focusing on the ceiling. He traced the popcorn walls to the design of her face and outlined her hair. Thinking about her gave him chills but what was worse is his sudden urge to call her.

He taped her number next to the phone in case he thought of anything stupid to ask. He then looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was pushing nine o'clock. He had thirty minutes to get a hold of her or wait a whole day to hear her voice.

Jumping from his spot, he snatched the phone off the line and dialed in her number. "You're such a flake if you don't pick up this phone." The moment he said that the ringing stopped and his heart skipped a beat. "Hello!"

"Who is this?" A young girl voice said through the phone. He began to panic when he realized it wasn't belonging to Elowen. "Hello?" She said when his end of the line got quiet.

"A friend of... Elowen's. Is she there? Can I talk to her?"

Some time went by as he got no answer. The seconds passed and his grip on the phone got tighter. Just when he was about to give up and take the hint that he shouldn't have called, Elowen was on the line. "Philip, it's late and you shouldn't have called."

"You said nine thirty. I have fifteen minutes so please, let me have that."

She sighed. "What is it? I had the worst day and I already know you don't want to hear it so-"

"Tell me about it." He said softly. "Tell me about your day, Elo."

He waited patiently for her to stop breathing on the other end and just use her words. When she cleared the nervousness out of her throat, he relaxed back on his bed and listened the whole time. She told him about the protest and he responded with how he wished he was there. She told him about the violence and he told her he would have saved her. When she told him she didn't believe him, he said that one day she would.

Before they knew it, Elowen was an hour past her limit but neither of them cared. Philip wanted to do anything but sit in his room alone, so it felt right with Elowen talking up a storm in his ear. He realized this was the most she's ever told him within the short time they've known each other.

"I wanna meet, Kellie. Y'know, shake her hand or something. She seems like a brave girl. No wonder you had to hide behind her." Philip teased.

"You would too, knowing you."

That didn't make him laugh, instead, he frowned at her words. "I wouldn't ever hide behind a black girl. That would be-" he quickly closed his mouth but it was too late. Elowen knew what he was about to say and they both knew it was disrespectful. "Elo, I'm sorry."

She let out a fake yawn then a huff. "Well, I'll see you at school on monday. Bye, Philip."

"Can we hang out tomorrow, Elo? I really wanna see you. I just wanna make up for not going to the protest with you. I mean, it was on the news. If my old man saw me then... well you know. I wouldn't be alive to tell you the story." He chuckled nervously as he silently prayed she wouldn't shoot him down. "Please?"

"I don't know... I guess. My mom's taking a day shift so I'll be babysitting my brother and sister. I don't know how they'll feel about you in the house."

"They won't know, Elo. I've done this before," Philip shyly bragged. "Not like all the time. I've probably snuck into one girls house. But Cindy isn't all that neat. She keeps red hair dye stained on her fingers and dark clothes don't suit her."

Elowen yawned again.

"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow in the morning. I'm leaving the second I wake up."

After agreeing to plans, the two hung up. Philip saw that it was almost eleven and he started to flip. He didn't want to wake up late and meet Elowen at noon when he told her the morning. So he stripped out of his white pants and turned off his lamp. The second he turned his tv off, he was out too.