Twenty minutes later I have everyone on point to watch Guy discreetly and intervene no matter what. I'll be watching him in my free time as well since I don't have shit to do during most of the day. Marta won't understand why one of the boys other than Romeo is hanging around, I say I want them riding in style to and from school. I just want my sister protected in case shit happens. One fucking stabbing and now we're all screwed.
Guy: Later at the gym
"So you don't know how to fight," Mark asks and I shake my head no," And you don't want to learn?"
"If I was meant to fight , fate would have left me with my father. Besides I just don't know if I can hurt anyone. When I get tense and stressed out I get headaches and it feels like my heart is going to burst out of my chest," I explain and Mark nods but something is up.
"Well at least you know how to work out," Mark says as we leave the weight room at his gym.
Not a college gym or even a sports gym, it's a gym for people who want to be in the Olympics. Or for people who want to work out with people who want to be in the Olympics. Everything is new and shiny, all of it is fresh and even the towels they give you have unscented hypoallergenic fabric softener. Okay maybe they don't but they're clean as hell and when I sweat through one a woman replaces it with another without my asking. We arrive back home after showering at the gym, they have clean showers, and find that dinner is ready and Bethany is pleading her case about something to Mom. I bypass paying attention to it and settle down to dinner with the family. Plans are discussed since the Christmas holiday is right around the corner and apparently everyone has plans this weekend. Mark is heading to the college for a couple parties and has somewhere to stay while there. Abigail is taking a science retreat for five days beginning Friday and I wonder if I could have gone to that but put it out of my mind for now. Mom and Mr. Delauter are looking at a quiet three days away on business, I use the term loosely, trip to the other half of the state where there will be dinner and dancing. Probably more than that but thinking about my Mom and my step father will be doing anything else will induce vomiting. Only one's home will be Bethany and I so basically I'll be left alone for at least three days. Dinner passes and I talk with Mom about her being gone. She asks me to stay home and I agree, I don't want to push things out in the world and right now the world doesn't like me very much. I almost leave Mom when Beth decides to pitch whatever it is she is asking for and I sit down to listen in.
"Mom I've hosted it every year, my friends in the squad are looking forward to this," Beth asks and I wonder what she's talking about, probably a party.
"Beth the only people home will be you and Guy which means that if something happens nobody will be here as an adult to handle any real problems," Mom explains and I kind of agree with her.
"Mom please, I know I've been really screwed up but I'm trying and it's not just me it's the squad," Beth pleads and Mom just gives her the final head shake of no.
When Mom stops talking she is done with the conversation and that means more talking will make her upset which leads to grounding and eventually death. Okay never seen the death but I've heard her yell before, it's pretty scary. Mom and I are sitting in the TV room on the couch as she smiles at me lightly and I laugh a little.
"What did Beth want," I ask and Mom laughs now.
"Nothing she needs to have this weekend," Mom states but I wait for her real answer," Cheerleading squad slumber party, she has them every year but this year has to wait."
"Ah the parties, I made it a point to be elsewhere," I state, recalling my history.
"Where did you go when she did these last two, you said to a friend's house," Mom asks and I shrug.
"Rented a motel room and ate fast food," it's the honest truth, Beth warned me about being seen and the best way not to was to be gone.
"Well no party this year," Mom says and I have to ask.
"Because of me," I get the words out and Mom looks horrified," Not because of me but because of Beth and I?"
"Honey Beth did some really horrible things to you but I'm not punishing her because of it unless I have to. No I just don't want her and five friends running around terrorizing you for two to three days," Mom explains and I shrug.
"Could put me in charge, that would really screw with her," I joke and now Mom stops laughing.
I wonder what is going on with my Mom when she shuts the TV off without a word after my comment and leaves the room. I figure she's heading to bed when I don't see her upstairs and decide to hang around by myself in my room with my own entertainment. I'm relaxing for about a half hour and feel like it's about time for bed, two workout sessions in one day makes me tired, when I get a light knock at my door and before I can get it Beth pokes her head inside.
"Hey, can we talk," Beth asks in her long t-shirt and shorts pajamas.
"Quickly so I can sleep, I've had a rough day," I have and I'm hoping to sleep it off soon.
"Well here's what I'm thinking, how about I get some girls to come over this weekend for a couple days? They are curious about my mysterious brother who survived death and all that," Beth is lying her ass off.
"You mean you want to host your cheerleader slumber party and you want me to keep quiet while you do it," I ask and she deflates a little," Mom told me you wanted to host a party but it's just us home."
"Mom said I had to convince you to let me have the party, you'd be in charge or whatever," Beth says sitting at the foot of my bed," I'll cancel."
"I was joking when I told her she could put me in charge," I say it and Beth gives me a slightly grumpy look.
"Well she is serious, I either get your approval on the slumber party and you set the rules or no party," Beth states the terms again and now I have to sit and think," Five girls running around in their pajamas and I promise nobody will do anything weird to you like put makeup on you and take pictures."
"Yay, five girls running around that I have no chance in hell with who all think I'm the weirdest rich loser in our school. O-M-G where do I sign up," I am mocking enthusiasm and Beth doesn't like it.
"They don't think you're weird, hell nobody knows what to think other than you sang once and used to get beat up," Beth explains and I groan.
"Which leads to the fact that cheerleaders will be over who have no interest in the quiet loser of the family," I state the facts and Beth groans.
"So you won't even try and my slumber party is screwed," she grumbles and I shrug.
"No boys, no alcohol because I hate that shit and anything else I come up with I'll keep you posted," I get the words out and Bethany squeals happily.
I don't know what is weirder, me making her happy or her hugging me. Yes she's hugging me and it's awkward and beginning to get me aroused. Thankfully she breaks the hug and is out of my room and on her phone in record setting time. I close my door and head to bed.
Most of my week is simple but weird. I spend most of my time feeling like I'm being watched by… well everyone. Carlos's people are watching me everywhere and in every class, some of the jocks are keeping tabs on me like they want to say something and then there's Sydney. She's been hanging around and when I look she looks away. I don't know what to do and when I think to ask someone who might know what I'm supposed to do, like say Bethany, she's too busy preparing for her mega party. It's Thursday and I'm sitting by myself at lunch and keeping to myself as I normally do when Syd sits down next to me on the bench.
"I'm pregnant and it's yours," she gets the words out and I cough up some milk.
"What, how the hell could it be mine? Wait you're pregnant," I ask choking.
"No I was getting you to talk to me and this seemed like the best way to get you to stop being an asshole for a minute," Syd tells me and I cough a little to clear my throat.
"Why talk to me, I'm the asshole who keeps secrets," I recount her words and she shrugs.
"I'm the one who ditched you at a dance while you got your ass beat," Syd counters and I shrug," So you're hosting the cheer squad jamboree this weekend."
"Beth is hosting, I'm just supervising," I clarify and she shrugs for a change.
"I missed talking to you, I missed having a real friend," Syd informs me quietly and I shrug back.
"I don't like having friends," I get the words out and she is about to say something," That's why I only keep one. Makes her feel special."
"Okay that was sweet and still a bit asshole like," she laughs a little and I smile.