Chap.4 Parental Problem
1936 Words
JERICHO
“They are probably the mob” Ben grinned at me.
My eyes went saucer wide, “no. No! The mob can’t move into my street. And guys in the mob are greasy and beady eyed.”
“Obviously, you’ve not been watching more recent mob movies. The mob boss is always hot and abducts young, supple, virgins and locks them away in his tower.”
“That sounds ominous”
“and you are a young, supple, virgin in case you were wondering”
My cheeks colored, “how can you tell?”
“That you are a virgin? The red on your cheek” he chuckled.
“I’m sure Rose won’t abduct me”
“His name is Rose? How ominous” then his eyes narrowed, “how do you know his name? Have you been talking to the mob boss?”
“He’s not the mob boss” I rolled my eyes.
“Italians, big, isolated house. Guys in suits to bracket the bodyguards. What else are you looking for? A sign on their foreheads?” Ben reached over and plucked a fry from my plate. I let him, since I wasn't starving anyway.
“I’m strangely curious about them”
He shrugged, “I’d be too. But curiosity killed the cat, Jerry. What do your parents think?”
“You think I’ve told them? Are you crazy? Dad would put me on house arrest and online classes”.
“Which dad?” he asked.
“Ethan. He’s the overprotective, gruff one. Sidebar, I’m ninety-nine percent sure he’s doing a background check on you.”
“Fun. That makes me look so cool and mysterious, like I have dirty, dirty secrets”.
“You don’t have any dirty secrets?”
“I was the one who replaced one of my previous sister’s shampoo with green hair dye. That’s as dirty as it gets.”
“You are such a goodie, two shoes.”
“ Living In the same street with the mob doesn’t make you bad.”
“We don’t still know they are the mob”
He looked at me, “ because you have a crush on the mob boss, and you refuse to believe that not only is he not your age, but he’s dangerous too?”
“That’s basically it” I nodded in agreement.
“Do you think Rose has any hot sisters? Or cousins?”
“She’d probably be engaged to some other powerful family head. Isn’t that the way that stuff works?”
Ben nodded. “You should probably refrain from mentioning anything about the mob to your parents” then his brown eyes narrow “or Rose. If he discovers you are unto them or something, they’d abduct you”.
“ you watch too many movies”
“I don’t. I’m more into books”
“You read mafia books? Like mafia action or mafia romance?” I wiggled my eyebrow.
“Shut your face. I’m not telling you”.
“And that, my dears, is your answer” we grinned at each other. Having a friend was super cool. For years, I’d avoided lunch. I normally sat at the bleachers during lunch hours and ate an apple or something. I’d been about to do the same today when Bennett had frowned at me and dragged me to the cafeteria. We were the only ones on our table, that was meant to sit ten. But I didn’t mind. People glared, girls glared twice as hard. I was dragging the new hottie to the dark side, where people with three parents resided.
“You do know your chances of having a girlfriend in this school are currently non-existent because of your current company?” I asked, a little sheepishly.
“You do know the current company previously mentioned is protecting me from pretentious, judgmental vipers?” he asked seriously. “I’ve lived seventeen years without a girlfriend. I don’t think another year will hurt.”
“Why haven’t you ever had one?” because he’s hot, funny, and interesting.
He shrugged, “are you still eating that?” he pointed to my remaining burger. I passed it to him. I noticed he didn’t answer the question. To be honest, there was still a lot about Ben I didn’t know. But I was sure he’d tell me when he was ready. And even if he didn’t, I was content to just enjoy our friendship. He’d let me know whatever he wanted me to.
After school, I cycled home, glad to be united with my bicycle, with only the added protection of a helmet. I had put my foot down at the knee pads and stuff.
Mum had laughed so hard when she had seen it, much to Dad’s annoyance. Even my father had backed me up. My helmet was a bright, shiny red; my favorite color. Dad knew I could never resist anything red. It was a curse. The house was empty when I got back. There were only Mrs. Darren and Mr. Isaiah Darren around.
There was pizza in the microwave already. I turn on the microwave and pour myself some OJ. I ate leaning against the counter. I hated eating alone. In fact, I hated being alone.
Throughout my life, I’d always been surrounded by my parents. With three parents, there was always at least one at home. They had date nights on Wednesday. But it was Tuesday. I suddenly had a bad feeling about all of this. I heard a car pull up into the drive. I started walking towards the front door. I stopped in my tracks when I heard mum laugh. It isn’t her usual laugh. It lacks humor.
“f**k you, Gray.”
I froze. The front door flew open and mum barreled in, my dads on her heels.
“Isabel, you are overreacting” father said.
Isabel? Why is father calling her Isabel?
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“It’s nothing,” Dad replied.
“It’s not nothing, “I pointed out.
“Are we also going to hide things from our daughter? Or is it just me that things are hidden for?” mum asked.
“God Izzy seriously, I can’t deal with this right now” father said.
“What exactly are you dealing with?” mum laughed.
“Izz-” dad begins.
“I can’t look at either of you right now” mum snapped.
“What’s going on, mum?” I whispered.
“Your dads were just leaving” she doesn’t even look at me. I wasn’t looking at her, either. I was looking at them and they both froze. The hurt in their eyes was painful.
“Leaving? They can’t leave. They live here”.
“Not tonight. Not tomorrow or next either” she said.
“Don’t kick them out, mum. Where would they go? You can’t do this to them”.
“Oh I’m sure they know exactly where to go” her smirk was cruel. It doesn’t suit her kind face at all. I don’t understand any of this. What the f**k is going on? Why does father look like he wants to hit something? Dad turned and walked upstairs.
“Izzy, Don’t do this, baby. Let’s talk it out. Let’s just-”
“Oh we’ve said all that could possibly be said, Grayson. If I recall correctly, I’m a careless, stupid person who’s out to put pressure on you, and you are too stressed to deal with my s**t. Did I miss any of it?”
“I love you”
“Oh, I’m sure you do”
“Mum!” I cried out “mum” I don’t know what else to say. She’s not even looking at me. I don’t know who this person is. It’s not my mum.
“Come here baby,” Gray whispered. I flew into his arms.
“What’s happening? What’s happening dad? Where are you guys going to go? Take me too. I would rather not stay here with mum.”
“Jerry” my name sounds like a plea from mum.
“Please dad” I ignored her, the same way she’s ignored me since she walked into the house.
“Someone has to stay with your mum. If we can’t stay here with her, then you are the only one we trust with her.”
“It’s your house too. Why does she get to tell you to go?”
“Jerry-”
“What if you don’t come back? I always dream that you guys will leave and never come back. I would rather not have one parent.”
Father opened his mouth to say something. But he looked over his shoulder and his mouth snapped close. I followed his eyes. To Ethan. With two suitcases. I stumbled backwards. “You can’t leave. Please. There’s a mob guy in our street. He’ll kill us if you go away” I blurted out.
Ethan walked to me and kissed my forehead, “I can put up scarecrows that look like us in the front”
“It won’t fool him” I whispered.
“Bad guys are always dumb”
Not Rose. But I kept my mouth shut.
“We’ll be back. Obey your mum” he kissed my forehead again. Then his voice dropped to a whisper” she’s not crying now. But when she does cry, will you hold her, for us?”
“No, stay here and hold her yourself. It’s your job”.
“We will be back before family night. Promise”.
“That’s two weeks away” I grumbled
“Your mum is furious”.
“Be back. Both of you. I love you guys. And I forgive both of you. And mum”.
“We were all Stupid. We said and did stupid things. Maybe you should hold on to your anger a while longer”.
“No, totally forgiven. But then, you owe me a total forgiveness”.
He scowled. “I hope I don’t have any need to use it”
I think about Rose, “I hope so”
And then they are gone. I looked at mum. She didn’t even look sad or broken up that the men she loved had just left.
“ Jerry-”
“I’m going to bed mum”
“It’s barely six. Do you want to see a movie ?”
“No”
“ Have you had dinner?”
“Yes”
“do you-”
“ Goodnight mum” I took the stairs two at a time. Dumping my school bag at the door of my room, I kicked off my uniform and hopped into the shower. I used an excess amount of my bubble gum scented soap. It always calmed me. Not today, though. I braid my hair after my shower. Throw a blue hoodie and black leggings over my underwear, laced up sneakers. Plugged in my earphones and left the house. I look at my helmet and bike, sigh, and decide to go running instead. I whipped through house upon house, not even stopping to eye the mob house. Houses go whizzing by. Trees, cars. Everything is one big blur. Even the music in my head fades to a distant tempo. All I could feel was the pounding of my heart and my quick breaths. I slowed down at the end of a different street and turned around to go home, and there he was.
The mob boss.
- Writer
