Page 22 of Demon Copperhead

I expected it to be a big nothing, since nobody knew.

Mom would, obviously, but she hadn’t scheduled any visit as far as I knew.

Maybe trying to get off work that Saturday.

Meantime I didn’t plan on telling anybody, especially not Creaky, because he would hold it against me.

Like, just from getting born I was expecting too much.

But the night before, lined up for squad inspection in our room, I blurted it out: tomorrow I’m turning eleven.

This can be a monster thing for a kid to keep inside.

And Fast Forward was a true brother. He’d thought I was already older than that, due to being tall for my age.

He said it was too bad I didn’t give him more warning because he would have organized something.

But he would still try. Another pharm party was my guess, or the special girlfriend cookies.

Life wasn’t giving me a lot to go on right then.

Regular cookies would have totally made my day.

I hung on to that thought, something good coming my way. Woke up, got dressed, waited on the bus with Tommy and Swap-Out in total and complete darkness because it’s way down in the fall by now, and I’m thinking the whole time: Hang on Demon, today’s the day.

Mrs. Peggot had to know, being the only person that had ever baked me a cake, but I saw Maggot at school and he had no clue.

I didn’t tell him either, because why make your best friend feel bad.

Mr. Goins took attendance, and the announcements came over the intercom.

And then they called my name, Damon Fields to the office.

Yes! Somebody knew. My first thought was that Mom got permission to come take me out of school.

Or maybe Mrs. Peggot had brought me something. Food, I hoped.

I got to the office and saw it was Miss Barks.

Okay, she could bring me a package, no law against that.

She looked upset though, and told me to come into the attendance office.

She closed the door and sat down. I looked all around.

If she’d brought me anything, I wasn’t seeing it.

I was still happy though. Obviously something was up.

I sat down and looked at her across the big desk.

“Damon,” she said, and then nothing. It was utterly weird. She did not look so good.

“I know,” I finally told her, starting to get it. “It’s okay.”

She stared at me. “What’s okay?”

“That Mom forgot my birthday.”

Her blue eyes went big and round. “Oh my God. Damon. When’s your birthday?”

“Today. But that’s fine, that you didn’t know. I’m used to it.”

Miss Barks looked horrified and started crying. I mean, boo-hoo, grabbing Kleenexes out of the box next to the pictures of the attendance officers’ kids. Nose blowing, black makeup running off her eyes. This was batshit.

“It’s really okay,” I told her. “I don’t even care. Okay?”

She kept shaking her head, blowing her nose. “No, Damon, I’m sorry. It’s not okay. I’m so, so sorry. It’s your mom.”

“What’s my mom?”

“It’s bad news.”

Of course this is the point where I just lose it, saying Goddamn it, I knew it, you don’t even have to tell me, she got drunk again or took pills and I won’t get to go home for Christmas because she is such a goddamn fucking fuckup!

I’m dropping f-bombs on Miss Barks left and right and she’s putting out her hand saying No, no. That I really don’t know. Listen.

Mom is dead.

No way to that, just, no.

I’ve got no more to say here, I’m getting up out of the chair to leave, like maybe I could go to the office and call Mom at work or I don’t know what, while Miss Barks keeps saying yes, she’s sorry but it’s true.

She is so, so sorry. I told her I didn’t believe her, but if it was true, then what did she die of, and Miss Barks said oxy.

Believe it or not, I had to ask. What’s oxy?