Chapter 20

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Dawn shoved me with both hands as we rode the bus near her stop.

“What?” I said, shocked out of a cloud of dark thoughts.

She lowered her voice, though I was certain we were still the focus of eavesdroppers. Kissing multiple girls in front of the school had fueled the rumor mills. Dawn wasn’t sure if she could handle that kind of attention. She jabbed a finger into my side.

“My dad is looking for any reason to call off me moving out,” she said. “If you can’t put on one of your stupid fucking charming smiles, you’re sabotaging this.”

I tried my best.

“That looks fake,” she said. I grabbed her by her auburn hair and pulled her in for a long kiss. From the ‘oohs!’ and one ‘I can’t wait to see the look on Iggy’s face when she finds out!’ there were more than a handful of snoops.

Dawn pulled back, red as Anna, she looked me up and down. “Better.”

“Charge my batteries if I’m powering down?” I asked.

“If I can,” she frowned. She almost said more but she met the gaze of a pair of freshmen girls and lost it. “Would you fuckers fuck off?! This isn’t your business.”

I squeezed Dawn’s hand. She looked back. “Great, there’s the Lucas idiot smirk.”

I kissed her again. She smiled into it until the driver said, “Knock if off back there!”

We got off at Dawn’s stop and walked hand in hand off the main road, down a sidestreet to her place. Her dad’s truck was there. Jesse was standing in the driveway, arms crossed, waiting for us.

“Lucas.” He said.

“Jesse,” I replied.

“Mr Crowley,” he shook his head. “You understand what we’ve agreed to?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Dawn’s 18 and capable of making her own decisions. I trust her and will follow her lead.”

“Lucas!” Dawn hissed. “Don’t sabotage things.”

“It’s a better answer than the one I wanted,” he said. “C’mon Lucas. Dawn carted up everything she wants to take. It’s up to us to pack the truck.”

She was leaving her bed and bedroom furniture. It was all comic books, statues, clothes, and small boxes. There was the computer, but she was leaving the desk. She had her clothes, and I had to carry out her dresser drawer by drawer. Dawn went to the shed behind the house and grabbed her bike and helmet.

Dorothy watched, making sure we stayed hydrated. I tried not to say anything, besides I didn’t know Dorothy’s middle name. I had finished packing the last box and had closed the tailgate. Dorothy grabbed Dawn and shoved her into their car, a boxy Jetta. They were loaded up with bowls and tupperware.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s what Kate negotiated,” Jesse said. “Get in the cab.”

“OK, but what did mom agree to?” I asked, buckling my seatbelt.

“Weekly dinners, Tuesdays. Apparently that’s when your schedules are least fucked up,” Jesse said. “I get to check in on Dawn. She also keeps a 4.0 GPA or I don’t pay her rent.”

Dawn was being charged rent? Mom probably didn’t care but knew that Jesse would.

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want Jesse in my house, even one day a week. I was a bit fatherphobic. I didn’t want him, or Jesse, touching my mom. I would’ve been OK holding off until June when we all moved out for college. I didn’t know if my mom’s ass was still part of the agreement. I had suspicions. I had Ryan to blame.

Isabel Cherry Day.

I was seeing red. I couldn’t focus beyond keeping my tongue in check or unloading the boxes when we arrived. Mom was waiting on the step. She kissed my cheek as I reached the door. “Put her stuff in my office. Your old bed’s in there.”

“Jesse! Dorothy cooked so much!” Mom said, worriedly.

“Men like to eat!” Dorothy shouted from the kitchen.

“She overdoes it,” Jesse said. I didn’t look at their shared look. I didn’t want my stomach to churn. I hurried down to the end of the hall, the door across from mom’s bedroom was the office.

The office had been cluttered to hell. It had been more of an extended closet than a functional room. She did most of her accounting and paperwork at the salon. Still, it was nice seeing the carpet again. I hadn’t remembered that the desk in here was black. My old twin bed, dressed in pale pink sheets, seemed off. Even if it had my old Batman comforter across it.

Jesse focused on the dresser, setting that up next to Mom’s filing cabinet.

“Kate?” he shouted. “You sure you’re planning to keep this stuff in here?”

“For now Jesse!” Mom shouted back. “I’ll find places for everything soon enough.”

“We’re here to be muscle.” Jesse tapped my chest as we walked by the girls in the kitchen. “Just say the word.”

I looked in my room on the next trip. That was a king and it took up so much of my room. Everything I owned had been forced tighter against the walls. I frowned. I didn’t stop. I didn’t want to be calling attention to myself.

When the last box was in the room, we all went to the table. Jesse and Dorothy insisted we say grace. I had never done it before, but I couldn’t help but share a smile with Dawn as I held hands with her and Mom. Dawn kept banging her knee on mine all dinner.

Mom’s alright in the kitchen. She has three things she likes to cook, and she did those amazingly. But, all of those are for breakfast. Dorothy had brought over an incredible chicken white sauce pasta thing. It was amazing. Jesse and I had six full plates between and the women managed just a bit more than two.

“You’ve been on your best behavior, Lucas,” Jesse said, when the food was gone. He looked like he might shed a tear when he smiled at Dawn. “I never understood why you liked this boy.”

“Because he’s handsome and makes her feel like a woman,” Mom said, kissing the back of my head. I swatted her away as she laid out a lemon meringue pie on the table. She started handing out the slices. Dorothy was handing mom the forks and plates.

If I wasn’t terrified of Jesse, it could have been what a real family meal felt like. A real family, not a fake one made out of love potion. Dawn held my hand under the table. Luckily, I was right handed and she was left. We managed to eat our pie without issue.

“Hey!” Emi singsonged as she barged in the front door. She stopped and Anna walked straight into Emi’s back. “Oh, why’re you here?”

“You don’t knock?” Jesse frowned.

“The door’s always open for family,” Mom said. I frowned at that, hoping Jesse didn’t take it as a surprise inspection rule. I’d hate to have him find me and Anna double teaming his daughter. Dawn would explode being interrupted like that.

“What are you smirking at?” Dawn asked me. I leaned over and kissed her.

“I thought you had a girlfriend, Lucas,” Jesse said.

“Um...” I thought you weren’t a naive idiot as to what would happen when your daughter moved in with me? I thought you had a wife and you still banged my mom? Fuck off. “I do. I love Iggy very much.”

I squeezed Dawn’s hand through every syllable of it.

“Jesse. You’re not an idiot,” Dorothy said. “She either makes this mistake and hates herself or she simply hates us.”

“It’s not a mistake!” Dawn shouted. Anna and Emi reinforced the words.

“Girls,” Mom walked over and grabbed Anna and Emi. “If you’re not gonna join us for pie, go into Lucas’s room and wait.”

Anna smiled and walked towards my room.

“What kind of pie?” Emi asked, brightly.

“Lemon meringue,” Mom said. Anna stopped and turned back around. “I thought so.”

Jesse got kicked by Dorothy when he tried to interrogate Emi and Anna. In the end, we just ate our slices and tried not to light any potential powderkegs.

“Alright,” Dorothy said, putting her fork down. She pushed the remaining third of her slice in front of Emi and it disappeared. “It’s time to trust our daughter.”

“I always hate this part,” Jesse said. Mom, Dawn, and Dorothy glared at him. I nodded understanding. He walked around, forced Dawn to her feet for a hug, and smiled.

“Look out for my girl, Kate,” he said.

“Any reason,” Dorothy said, hands on Dawn’s shoulders. “Call!”

“Sure,” Dawn said, curtly. We watched them leave. Mom slumped in her chair and sighed.

“What a fucking trial that man is.” Mom raked her hair back. “You girls gonna help him sort out his room? There are fresh condoms in his sock drawer.”

I looked wide-eyed at Mom.

“Rules in my house,” she put up a finger. “1. Honest about sex. 2. You keep grades up. 3. Your bedroom, the shower, the hot tub. Not in the kitchen, not in the living room, not in my room.”

“I can agree to that,” Dawn said.

“Good,” Kate stood up. She walked over Emi and sniffed her hair. “You don’t smell like weed.”

“Mom hates the stuff,” Emi said. “And it’s only kinda fun.”

I frowned, thinking about Emi’s father.

“Same rules for you Emi,” Kate said.

“Well, I’m only sleeping with Lucas now and whatever girls he wants to share me with,” she said. “I promise.”

Mom grabbed Emi’s shoulders and smiled at me. “Way to take control of your girls! That’s so sweet.”

“Kate?” Anna said.

“Yeah?”

“I tried the words on Mom after school. My brothers are Lucas’s brothers?” There were tears in her eyes.

“Ryan had learned that it was irresponsible to knock up women who aren’t gonna have Dads for their kids,” Kate said. “Your father’s a great man and a great dad to Kevin and Jimmy.”

Anna nodded. She thumbed away tears.

“Katelyn Marie Greentree.” I said, sharply.

Mom froze.

“Lucas?” Dawn whispered. I gestured her to be quiet.

“Mom, do not eavesdrop on anything that happens in the bedroom or in the hot tub,” I said. “And don’t tell Ryan what I talk about with the girls.”

“I won’t,” she said. “Until he realizes I’m not and makes me tell him.”

I frowned, having learned to keep expletives like “Shit!” and “Fuck!” out of my mouth while someone is entranced.

“What do you tell him?”

“Which girls you like, how well they’re treating you, and what I’m worried about each of them.”

“What do I make you worry about?” Dawn jumped in quickly.

“You’re shallow and selfish and you only put up with your girlfriends to stay close to my son.”

Dawn crossed her arms and frog-faced. I looked at Anna and Emi.

“Is it the drugs and stuff for me Kate?”

“You’re self-destructive and I don’t want you taking Lucas, Iggy, or Anna with you. I’m so happy your hair doesn’t smell of weed.”

I looked at Anna.

“I don’t wanna know,” Anna said.

Mom floated.

“Mom, only tell Ryan things that you’d normally tell him,” I said. “And don’t listen to any conversations in my bedroom.”

“Of course, Lucas,” she said smiling.

“Or the hot tub,” Emi said, filling in the part I had neglected this second time.

“Right, don’t eavesdrop on the hot tub, either,” I said. “Now, come out of the trance.”

Mom smiled broadly, her eyes rolled up and her cheeks scrunched as she thought. “I don’t know what you asked of me.”

“I’m selfish and don’t like my friends,” Dawn said, crossing her arms.

“Oh I didn’t need to be entranced to tell you that,” Kate said. “If it’s about Lucas, I’m not gonna pull punches on any of you.”

Dawn looked to me for rescue.

“We’re goin’ to bed,” I said.

“Breaking in a new bed is the best,” Mom said. “Are you guys sleeping over?”

“Yes,” Anna said.

“Mom’d prefer if I’m not out all night,” Emi said.

Dawn frowned at Anna.

“Good,” Kate said. “Is Iggy coming over?”

That’s when Ray walked in the door. “Jesus, you don’t have to cheer like that...” Her face went red as Emi, Mom, and I laughed.

“Lucas was just about to break in the new bed,” Mom said. “Vonnie said you got your implant?”

Ray squatted down and looked hard at her sneakers as she untied them.

“Good, you have a rule that these three don’t,” Mom said. “No babies.”

“We’re only 18!” Anna said, red to her ears. Mom hugged her.

“For now,” she said. “I meant ever with Ray. That wouldn’t be fair to the kid.”

Anna nodded. Mom spun Anna towards my bedroom and pushed her off first. I reached over and grabbed the leftovers of her pie at the same time as Emi.

“Rock paper scissors for it?” I asked.

“Or I could just blow you for it,” she said. I let go of the plate.

“Bed, showers, or hot tub,” Mom reminded Emi with another smell of her hair. “I’m gonna go read with a few doors closed between us.”

Mom left. Ray walked over to me.

“Were you serious about what you said about killing--”

Dawn reached over and clasped Ray’s lips closed. “Only in the bedroom.”

“Or the hot tub,” Emi said, chewing pie crust.

Dawn dragged Ray after Anna towards my room.

“There’s still slices left,” I said, looking at the second pie on the counter.

“One for Iggy, one for Ray,” Emi said. “Grab me a drink?”

I poured Emi a glass of juice and she washed down her dessert. She stood up, wrapped her arm in mine, and said, “C’mon Sex God.”

“After you, sex goddess,” I said, smiling.

Anna closed the door behind me and Emi with a slam. Mom shouted out a “Don’t break my house!” and received an appropriate “Sorry!” back from Anna.

“She might not’ve heard that with you in the bedroom,” Dawn said.

“Good point,” Anna said, as she stepped out into the hallway. “Sorry Kate!”

Anna came back in and closed the door quietly.

“So we’re gonna kill Uncle Ryan?” Ray asked. “I just learned I had a dad, a brother.”

“Brothers,” Anna said, darkly.

“Vonnie’s never found someone because he wouldn’t let her be gay,” I said.

“She’s in love with your mom. They’re together,” Ray said, defensively.

Anna and Dawn shared a look. Emi hugged Ray. I reached out and brushed her hair from her face and smiled.

“And Mom never got to fall in love because of him,” I said. “She’s been on call all of her life.”

“So what do we do about it?” Anna asked.

“We kill him,” I said. “Or I do.”

Dawn slapped me across the face. I was shocked by how hard and fast the blow came. I looked in her burning red eyes and flaring nostrils as she glared down at me. I had never seen Dawn angry like this before.

She reminded me of her Dad banging on the door. Just without the self control.

“No,” she said.

“You can’t kill somebody,” Anna said. “It’s fucking wrong.”

“No one gives a shit about that.” Dawn waved Anna away with the back of her hand. “The police are good at their job. You’ll go to prison! I’m not letting you be taken away from me. We’re not gonna kill him.”

She put her foot down, in a literal stamp, with her fists bundled up against her hips. Emi grabbed Dawn into a hug. She looked over Dawn’s shoulder at me.

“I don’t think we should kill anyone, like Anna said,” Emi said. “But Dawn’s more right. It’s more important that we get to be together.”

I sighed.

“It’s not OK what he did,” I said. “What I did to all of you.”

“Oh fuck off,” Ray said, rolling her eyes. “So you got a harem of girls who already loved you? Big fucking deal.”

“I like being in a harem,” Anna said. “I don’t have to worry about boys because you’re Lucas. I’d go in the hot tub again in a second.”

“All of us would,” Dawn said, pushing out of Emi’s arms.

“Iggy first,” Ray said.

“Iggy would’ve pulled all of us in with her,” Anna laughed. “You didn’t know what the potion did, what it was used for, and you wanted to get laid. And when it worked, you still put in the work for Iggy.”

“I know,” I said. “I don’t like what I did, but I love what happened. That’s why I’ve got the big bed.” I bounced my hands on the new comforter. “All of you get naked.”