Chapter 25: New Trouble and The Deal

We were in for a shock that Thanksgiving. Mom told us that her boyfriend was coming over. Jane and I were stunned. We had not spent a Thanksgiving with her in years. Jane and I had our own traditions by that time and setting aside the implications of Mom's plan we resented her intruding. Mom had been with him for a year now. I think the only thing that held them back was neither of them had room for three kids. Neither Jane nor I liked him, John, or his son, John Junior. John was an alcoholic and an ass; his son was a younger version. He was a year younger than I and was a poor excuse for a human. He hung out with the drug-using crowd at school. Jane sort of panicked.

"Brett! What are we gonna do?"

"Nothing. Let's just wait and see."

"But they are going to do something I know it!"

I wrapped my arms around her saying, "relax sweetheart, it does not matter what she does; we are staying together. Long as we are together nothing else matters right?"

"Just don't leave me."

"Never, if I go you are going with me."

"Okay."

To say that Thanksgiving was awkward is an understatement. The food was average at best. The company was horrible. Jane and I decided not to be nasty, but we were very quiet. Mom and John did try their best though. Their best was not very good but it was an effort. Before we ate Jane and I sat on the couch watching the parades. John Jr. came in and sat next to Jane. He sat closer to her than I was and put his arm on the back of the couch. He could not have been more obvious. Jane gave me a pleading look, and I mouthed to her 'bathroom.' She got up and headed for the bathroom. I gave him a look as if he were an idiot and then got up to get a drink. When Jane came out of the bathroom I said, "Go sit where I was I will follow you and sit next to the jerk."

Jane went in a sat down on the end. Just as the jerk was getting up to move over I walked in and sat next to my sister. He gave me a dirty look, and I just frowned at him and watched TV. He tried to talk to Jane, but she mostly ignored him or gave short one-word responses. My favorite one was, "do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes," and would not tell him anymore.

I kind of liked her answer but it only served to encourage him somehow. When we went in to eat he actually brushed up against her and got a dirty look for his effort but he just smirked at her. From that point on I knew he would not leave her alone. I sat and stared blankly at the TV wishing Jane and I were alone. We would be on the couch naked cuddling having just made love watching the parades and chatting. I was startled out of my daydream by the call for dinner. My sister and I met eyes and I could tell she was thinking roughly the same thing, and we shared a smile.

Dinner conversation was strained. John Sr. was a loud mouth and a know-it-all. They dropped the bomb on us. They were getting married. Jane choked on her water, and I was silent.

"Aren't you going to congratulate us," the ass asked.

"Uh, congratulations." I said.

"When," was Jane's reply.

"We were planning on this April."

"Oh," we both said in stunned monotone voices.

John Jr. had a smirk on his face. He must have known. Dinner was not over soon enough. They said they planned to build another room onto our house this spring and live here. Until then they would live at their apartment but be over here most weekends starting with this one. I had enough.

I got Mom alone and told her what I thought.

"You know we don't really like John Sr. that much, but we both hate his son. The fat turd has been making passes at Jane all day, and I trust him as far as I can throw him. Your idea to have Jane sleep on the couch is not acceptable. She stays in our room period. I will not leave her alone with them in the house."

Mom got parental on me and said, "you will do as you're told in my house young man!"

I stopped her from going farther. "If you don't let Jane stay in our room we will make things so bad around here John will leave, I promise you that," I said menacingly.

She paused at this. I think she could tell I was serious. One good thing about Mom is that she generally let me have the final say with Jane.

"You can make up whatever excuse you like but until there is a room for Jane with a lock on it she stays with me."

"Okay."

"You might say something to John Sr. about his son, if he touches Jane I will beat him to an inch of his life."

She didn't respond to that and just went back into the living room. I followed her. Jane was sandwiched between John and his son. She looked about ready to chew her own arm off or cry. Mom kind of did a double take at that and then ignored it.

"Come on Jane, lets go say 'hi' to the G's."

She hopped up fast as can be, and we ignored John's attempt at being fatherly with lets stay and visit like a family thing. We just ignored him and left.

We told the G's the news and they just sort of 'tut tut'd' it in their disapproving way. I did ask them whether Jane could come over whenever I was not home, that I did not trust Jr. at all. Jane and I were almost attached at the hip and had been since she was born but once in a great while I would go somewhere without her in the past. Whether Jane could have looked out for herself then never entered my mind, although I suspect she was still too young and vulnerable at thirteen to fend off John and his son. My only thought was to protect her. Later in life I would learn my sister was tough as nails and perfectly capable of looking out for herself, even if she would rather have me do it. Depending on how you looked at it our closeness and need for each other was either unhealthy or just the bond of two people deeply in love.

When we came home later, the adults were in front of the TV but Jr. was not there. He was in our room snooping.

"Get out of our room," I said evenly.

"Hey, it will be my room too soon."

"No it won't, you're sleeping on the couch, now get out."

He just ignored me. I was about to haul off and hit him when Jane laid her hand on my arm. After having counted to ten I calmed and we turned and left. Outside I said, "I think I hate him."

"Me too and his dad," she shivered with disgust.

"Let's go see a movie."

"Okay."

"Tomorrow I am getting a dead bolt lock for our room."

"Good."

That night we came back around midnight. Jr. was watching TV and we went to our room. I could tell he had looked through everything. It was a good thing our money was in the garage. We were going to have to find a better place to keep it though. Our door locked from the inside, but all it took was a coat hanger or screwdriver to unlock it. Locked and with a chair in front of it was the best we could do and so we just cuddled and talked before falling asleep. We decided to ask whether we could keep our money over at the G's. I would go get a little lock box for it and take it over there.