I Spy With My Little Eye

Chapter 18

Eli:

As I burst through the doors of the hotel suite and immediately dropped all of the bags Grace had me carry while she skipped in behind me. I was furious! I was not a mule and I was not going to get fired because of these people. There wasn’t much else I could do. What was I supposed to put on my résumé? Will kill for hire? Nope, not going to happening. Grace looked at me with a confused expression as she skipped over to the kitchen. d**k was sitting at the table with Cam playing war while Izzi was flipping through tv stations.

“Everybody!” I yelled while slamming the door shut, “Couch! Now!” Cammi looked up at me with wide eyes as each of them moved swiftly over to the couch.

“First things first.” I said trying to stay calm. I knew I was going to yell at them soon I was just postponing it. “I would like to inform you all that I. Am. The. Boss.” I pointed to Cammi and Izzi, “I’m your boss because I’m your big brother, and you’re both minors.” I pointed to d**k, “I’m your boss because I was on this case first.” I then turned to Grace, “And I’m your boss because your dad said I was in charge of you.” she looked down her cheeks darkening.

“What’s this about dude?” d**k asked looking up at me.

“This.” I said through clenched teeth, “is about leaving her, in the mall, to wander around, by herself, when there is someone after her!” with each word my voice rose to the point I was yelling.

“I--” d**k started but I cut him off.

“No! No! You screwed up!” I yelled my fists clenching, “If she gets so much as a paper cut, it’s our heads!” d**k shot up in a defensive matter.

“Don’t act like you didn’t screw up too Eli.” He said through clenched teeth, “You went off before I did!”

“I was wringing!” I yelled back. I hated when people got in my face, “You were acting like a lovesick puppy over my sister!”

“Hey!” Izzi said in protest, “I had to practice! I didn’t want to ride the freaking bus by myself!”

“You should have waited for me.” I said through clenched teeth.

“Dude you need to calm down.” d**k said beside me. I didn’t want to calm down I wanted to punish them. I didn’t want to listen to d**k and his stupid voice of reason. So, I punched him. Right in the jaw and I heard a crack. He went down on his hands and knees and held a band up to his mouth as his spit up blood.

“Okay…” d**k said getting up and sliding back onto the couch, “I’ll shut up.”

“Now,” I said trying to calm myself down, “If this happens again, I’m calling your dad. I’m sending you two straight home. And I’m killing you.”

“Did you feed him?” Izzi said looking at Grace. Her arms were crossed, and her eyes were burning with anger.

“I don’t need to eat!” I yelled in exasperation. I had no idea where they got that.

“No, I forgot to stop by the food court.” Grace said quietly. Izzi got up quickly and started rummaging through the grocery bags. She pulled out some crackers, cream cheese, and hot pepper jelly. The hot pepper jelly was the only thing Grace let me pick out. She poured the jelly over the cream cheese and started dipping crackers and shoving them down my throat. I pushed her away but took the cream cheese and crackers combo with me. It was good and I hadn’t eaten sense Grace made breakfast. It would have been even better with homemade jelly but hey, beggars can’t be choosers. Izzi turned with a small smirk and gave everyone else a thumbs up.

“There are now new rules.” I announced between bites of food.

“We have to vote first.” Grace perked up. Even though I had calmed down I was still ticked off.

“No, we don’t have to vote!” I said pointing a cracker at her, “I am the boss. I choose what rules are, and you follow them.” they stayed quiet, watching me. “Rule one, I know where everyone is at, at all times or I call parents or bosses.” I looked at each of them pointedly my eyes lingering on Izzi who really liked just leaving without telling anyone. “Rule two, no one leaves Grace alone, unless it’s an emergency, or she’s in the bathroom and her room.” Grace scowled at me, I shrugged her off and continued, “Rule three, when Amber comes around, Izzi and Cammi get to go to their rooms until she’s gone.” Neither of them seemed to have a problem with this, “Rule four, we only go grocery shopping, no malls, no Wal-marts, no shopping!” I wasn’t sure how much I could stress this, but I was not going to risk being in a mall or any shopping center again.

“What!” Izzi and Grace yelling in unison.

“You heard me.” I said dusting my hands off on my jeans and looking around me hopping more food would suddenly just pop out of thin air. I knew it wouldn’t happen but a guy’s gotta try right.

“That is so unfair!” Izzi exclaimed, “that’s so not in the constitution!”

“You can’t just do that! What if we need something?” Grace asked looking just as horrified as Izzi.

“It’s unfair that I turn into a pack mule every time I enter a mall.” I said turning from them and going into the kitchen. There had to be something left that was eatable. I started rummaging through the fridge, ah leftovers. I smiled to myself as I pulled out the box. “And yes, I can do that, I just did.”

“No, you can’t!” Izzi said jerking my left over’s out of my hands. I glared at her.

“Isaia Lynn!” I exclaimed. That girl knew better than to come between a man and his food. I grabbed the box away from her. It was great to be taller and have longer arms. She crossed her arms and turned away from me stomping to her/d**k’s room.

“You are a horrible person!” Grace said with a sniff turning away from me and walking to her room. I watched her walk away, her hips swaying back and forth effortlessly, unlike Amber who put so much exaggeration into her walk it was almost repulsing.

“Hum… that is a nice view.” d**k said coming to stand beside me and c*****g his head to the side. “Izzi’s is better.” d**k shrugged and grabbed my box.

“Stop looking at her butt.” I said punching him and taking my food back, “and stop taking my food.”

“Who’s Iz’s or Gracie’s?” d**k asked with a smile.

“Both.” I said venomously as I dug into the left-over stake.

Grace: