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Clayton
“Shit,” I whisper as Abigail jumps from the truck, leaving her stuff on the seat. She breezes by Mrs. Davenport, leaving the woman turned in her wake. I grab our things and am meeting the concerned momma by her car.
“Is she okay?” Mrs. Davenport watches the house with a voice of concern. “I-I just dropped by with groceries and a nice apple tart. Shouldn’t you two be at school?”
I sigh, “She had a rough day. I’m sorry. Thank you for helping out. What do I owe you?” I go into my wallet. The parents and Fred have been keeping us in groceries a while now, and while they keep refusing to take any money, I keep trying to put it in their hands.
“Now, now.” She folds my hand closed with the cash inside. “Don’t waste your money here, you take that and take your girl out. Someplace nice. Get out of town for a night. The three of ya.” She kisses my cheek and gets into her car, starting it up.
“Hey, Mrs. D?” I knock on the window.
She smiles up at me, the glass dropping. “Yes, Clay, what is it, my dear?”
“You got room in your class schedule; I mean, if I can talk Abigail into it?”
“For Abby, girl? Anytime. You let me know, and I’ll arrange it.”
“Thanks.”
She nods and rolling up her window, leaves.
Going into the house, I find after a thorough search that Abigail is up to her chin in a bubble bath. All I can see as I peek in on her is the top of her head as the hot water runs.
“Hey? Where is everybody?” I hear Vic as he comes into the house and watch her sink. I close the door and bolt to the stairs coming down them as Vic starts up.
“Hey.” I cut him off.
“What?” He looks at me, confused.
“She’s a- in the bath.” I turn my head, looking over my shoulder.
“Okay? What was that about?”
I don’t wanna tell him; she’d rather not see him. If I do, he’ll march up there and run at her like I did. Frankly, I think I’ve done enough for one afternoon. I don’t answer right away. Instead, I avert my eyes.
“Hello? Mister Perfect?”
“Don’t freak out, okay?”
“You know usually people say don’t freak out when they know they’re gonna freak out. Is-is Abigail rubbing off on you?”
“Just promise me you’ll let be?”
“Like you did? You don’t ever let anything just be, so why should I?”
“Because I already fucked it up enough for both of us, okay?”
“Just tell me what she said.” Vic snaps.
“She- didn’t say anything, it’s just-” No sooner had the words come from my mouth than he is trying to get by me. I put up my hands backing up the steps, blocking him. “Dude, enough. She’s fine, just needs some time. I already went after her, hence her hiding.”
“After what happened at school? I mean, what the fuck did happen, beside me gettin’ a bashed nose and Harmand a concussion?”
“I mean, he cornered her. She retaliated, for once.”
“I saw him come in after you all left, yes. I didn’t-I figured you all would have said something.”
“No time, I didn’t even realize till we were in the hall with blood on the floor.” I put my hands on his shoulders, running them down his arms, trying to diffuse, and distract him. “All I knew for sure was that she needed to be out of there. Let’s leave her be for a bit. Mrs. D was here, why don’t we slap together a late lunch, since none of us ate?”
“How about you go make lunch, and I’ll go talk to her?”
“I just told you I made a clusterfuck outta this, are you really gonna go and fuck with her again?”
“Okay, you messed it up, maybe I can go ahead and fix it.”
I laugh outright. “You can’t be serious; you aren’t exactly Mister Sensitive in this Triad.”
“Well, apparently, you couldn’t do it this time.” He catches me in the ribs, and I sidestep as he marches up the stairs.
Ugh! I know there’s no stopping him, I just hope that he doesn’t flip her out. I don’t want to have to go up there and break them up because he set her off. She isn’t afraid to take a swing at him. Hell, she damn near killed him before Christmas. If I hadn’t... She’s had a rough go of it, and while she isn’t the only one, she’s been affected a helluva lot worse than me. Giselle is getting a sentence reduction for testifying against Harmand, it’s bullshit, but it’s life.
I go through the cabinets and the fridge. Seems there was a sale on meat. We’ve got like six roasts, steaks, cubed beef for soups and stews, pork chops, country ribs, and so much chicken that if we eat it all, I swear I’ll sprout feathers and cluck. I decide that what we need is comfort food.
While I’m mixing up the cornbread, I can hear them shouting. I want to go up there, but at the same time, I think, if he wants to step on a rattlesnake, someone must be alive to suck out the poison. He’s on his own. I’m frying some chicken and stirring the gravy when I hear someone coming down the stairs. Turning around, I see that not only Abigail is wet. It seems he must have jumped in that tub right along with her.
I raise a brow while Abigail gives me a pointed look.
“You two hungry? I’m starving, made fried chicken, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and gravy. There’s sweet tea in the fridge. Vic, you wanna grab it, while I finish up here?” I say with a smirk. I figure if I avoid the woman staring daggers at me, that they may miss.
“I can’t believe you let him go up there.” A hiss fills her voice. I guess I’m too big a target.
“Honey, I’m sorry, but it was that or lay him out. The man doesn’t deserve a concussion for caring about you.”
“So, you rather I kill him in his sleep?”
“I’d rather we sleep in peace. Now come over here both of you and eat.” I pull out the kitchen chairs.
“I’m not hungry.” She goes to turn toward the steps.
“I’m not hungry.” I mock.
“Sit.” Comes from Vic, and she stares him down, as Chaos sits down.
I can’t help but chuckle at the dog and the situation.
“Since when did you become my daddy?” She turns to me. “Do you think this is funny?”
“I think that Vic tryin’ to order you resulting in the dog finally listening, is hilarious. As for this?” I point between us three. “I think that we are fussing and making a bigger mess of it than it already is. Can’t we leave it at we’ve said our peace, you know where we stand, we know where you are, and I hope you reconsider the homeschooling, if not the rest? I love you; we love you. As for right now, I just wanna feed ya. Seeing as you refused to eat this morning.”
“I’m not hungry. To eat- I have to be hungry.”
“Fine. You know what, don’t eat. Me? I’m gonna fix a plate, get me a tall glass of sweet tea and enjoy the fruits of my hard labor.” I turn on my heel and grab a plate. It clinks loudly as I snatch it from the cabinet and begin to fix my food.
