Mancave

“Thanks for letting me work on my bike. My parents are getting the garage door fixed.”

“No problem,” I said to my friend Rick. 

My stepdad Jeremy was at work. The garage is his mancave to hide his beer addiction from mom. Mom was at a baby shower for one of her friends. So we were home alone.

Rick was a big fan of motorbikes. But his mother didn’t like him to go anywhere near them without a helmet. I’m Rick’s biggest fan when he races. You can hear me in the stands, my voice echoing down the track. But there is so much other noise that you can’t hear me with the sound of the other bikes around. 

Rick needed a wrench to tighten up the handle bars. His hands would get sweaty from nerves. He asked me if he could use a little bit of oil to oil his spokes. A couple of hours went by and I could hear my stomach growling like a bear. I told Rick to keep an eye out for Jeremy while I went inside to the kitchen.

 I was busy making a sandwich and about to go clean my bedroom when I heard a screaming sound coming from the garage. 

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t know,” Rick said. I could hear his voice shaking. 

“Get out of here now,” Jeremy said. A couple of minutes later I heard tools falling down on the ground. The storm was raging. Rick had heard stories of my stepfather but he thought I was joking. Now he knows that I wasn’t. 

I ran into the garage and nearly dropped my sandwich on the cold concrete floor. I couldn’t tell who was more nervous, me or Rick. Jeremy had Rick by the arm. I ran over and grabbed Jeremy and in the process I knocked Rick to the ground. The sandwich would have dirt on it but I didn’t care. Jeremy’s eyes were bloodshot and he was a zombie.

 “Let go of my friend!” I shouted. “I’m sorry for not asking permission to come in here.” Now Jeremy’s attention is on me. He stumbled forward and opened the refrigerator for a beer. But I blocked his way. 

“Get out of my way, boy!” he roared like a lion. “No,” I said. I could see a bottle of beer open beside the open door of the refrigerator. Jeremy sipped a swig of beer and wiped the edge of his mouth with his hand.

Thank goodness Mom let me get a cellphone since I just turned thirteen. I took it out and dialed her number. It rang three times. The background sounded was busy even though the restaurant was closed for the baby shower. The girls were having fun. 

“Hello?” Mom said. My voice was hysterical. “Slow down,” Mom said. 

Jeremy could be heard screaming in the background, slamming things down the floor. Suddenly the line went dead. Mom was home in five minutes. 

She blew up when she saw Rick bloody. Then she looked at Jeremy. Without a word she took Rick home. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rick would’t want to be my friend again. It was going to be the last time that I would have someone over for a long time.t