Page 54 of No Cap

“Where are you going?” Mom asked in surprise.

I didn’t answer her, just caught up my purse on the way out and left.

Quincy followed with the amp, and then we were walking toward my beat up car.

I passed Tay’s nineteenth birthday gift—a brand new BMW X4. Then I passed Humfrid’s seventeenth birthday gift, an Audi Q8. My mom and dad’s matching Mercedes.

Then Humfrid’s new moped.

When I got to my Corolla, which I bought my freakin’ self, I threw everything inside, and barely contained my tears.

Getting into the driver’s seat, I took a few short breaths, then watched as Mom and Dad started yelling at me for leaving and ‘ruining’ everything.

My back door gently opened, and the amp was set on the seat next to the hastily discarded messenger bag.

The door shut, then my door opened.

Quincy crouched down, looking at me with a smile on his face. One that was soft and welcoming. “Olive Garden?”

I felt my breath hitch.

“Actually, I have a better idea,” he said. “Meet me back at your place. We’ll drop off your car, grab these presents, then go and return them. Then I’ll take you somewhere special.”

The tears were already threatening, so I nodded instead of voicing my answer.

“Drive safe, honey.”

Then he was gone, and I was backing out of the driveway and trying not to notice how my dad was stomping his way down the driveway with those stupid fucking paper towels under his arm.

My mom was two steps behind him with the empty box and the gift cards.

I’m such a ‘who the fuck touched my, never mind, I found it’ type of person.

—Hollis to Quincy

QUINCY

Rage.

It wasn’t very often I felt it.

I led a pretty good life.

I had great parents. Great siblings.

A great job, albeit a frustrating one, and money in the bank.

Sure, there were times I experienced frustration, sadness, and yes, anger.

But rage?

Barely ever.

Yet, I was feeling it now, toward the people who were supposed to love Hollis the most.

I waited until Hollis was out of the driveway and down the street before I turned to acknowledge the two pieces of shit in front of me.

When she’d said ‘I’m used to it’ I would’ve had no chance at guessing that this utter bullshit was what she was talking about.