My Mother's house

16

   Friday had come and gone, along with Dad.  All the big things in the house were fixed, and it was nice to have a day off and not have to worry about remodeling.  I did have to worry about the party tonight, and the start of school on Monday.  I also had to worry about what I would do with my time.  Maybe I could take Nath up on the job at the hotel and bar?  Just something to keep me busy with the added benefit of being closer to him to find out his secrets.
I had gone to town and gotten a few new clothes.  I felt like a fool driving with my back straight and butt barely on the seat, but I managed just fine.  While I was gone, David and his friends were in the barn, getting things ready for their back to school party.  They moved the tractor out along with some of the other equipment.  Someone had brought square bales of hay to sit on and they had strung white Christmas lights around the outside.  It actually looked kinda nice and would look much better once the sun had gone down.
I walked up to the group of them, setting up a radio and spreading out speakers.  "The kegs should be here in thirty minutes.  But before anyone starts drinking I have a few rules.  You clean up after, completely.  No drunk driving.  No hey misters to me later.  No fights.  No fucking.  No drugs.  And I get free drinks all night if I want.  Not a rude word to me."  I faced David with the last part.
"I guess making love is still in."  Chuck said and winked at me. 
"No fornication of any kind."  I tried to get out firmly but failed.  My voice quivered a bit and my face heated.  "And no country music."  With that I walked out and back to the house to finish getting ready.  I don't know why, it's not like I was going to meet anyone here.  I'm sure all the kids that got invited were still in high school and mostly illegal. 
By the time I had fixed my hair and did my makeup, I could hear the speakers thumping.  The windows upstairs rattled and it just reminded me that I hadn't gotten that done yet.  I changed into a cute blue jean skirt and boots.  I opted for an off the shoulder shirt.  It was light and flowy and still looked girly enough. 
I headed downstairs and out to the back, stunned as soon as I opened the door.  Half the damn town was in my back yard.  People had brought coolers packed with beer, lawn chairs to sit in.  Someone had even brought a fire pit and wood.  People out in the country knew how to do it big, that was for sure. 
I didn't recognize a single face and made my way over the the keg.  Dan greeted me, slapping me across the back and eliciting a screech from my lips. 
"Shit sorry.  I just wanted to thank you for the party."  He grabbed my cup and filled it with beer.  "This should help with the pain."
I took the red solo cup and guzzled down half of it. 
"Damn I heard college girls knew how to drink, how about a keg stand?"  Chuck came up from behind me, his arm wrapped around some skinny girl with next to nothing on, a short skirt and a tube top.
"Only if you go first.  I need to know how many seconds to beat."  I hadn't done a keg stand in so long.  This party really wasn't just for them, it was to help me flush out my past so I can start a new life fresh.  The life of a mother, taking care of David.  Okay so I didn't plan on being in full time Mom mode, more like overprotective sister.  He was almost 18 any way.
Chuck was being held by Dan and some other guy I hadn't met.  A circle had formed around us and they were counting in a chant.  At 17 Chuck's face grew red and at 26, he tapped out.
"You didn't put the bar up that high."  I gave him a gentle shove and put my hands on the keg, waiting for someone to take my feet.
Dan grabbed one along with the nozzle and Chuck grabbed the other, lifting me up.  I took in a deep breath and nodded, then the counting started. 
I didn't tell Chuck I was all time raining champ at the frat parties I went to, but I also forgot to remind myself not to stay on too long.  I tend to get drunk fast doing my record keg stands.  At 43 I tapped out, a little early for me but still pretty good since I haven't been running in the mornings.
I was still a little dizzy from being put right side up, but I heard someone yell, "Oh she owned you dude!" and Chuck reply, "Let's see you give it a shot dildo."  I giggled and walked away with someone's full cup of beer.
I wanted to find my little brother and check on him.  I didn't think he had ever been drunk before and I wanted him to have a good first time.  I found him, on the other side of the barn, playing beer pong, losing his ass.
"Hey little brother, want some pointers?"  I placed my hand on his shoulder and he gave me a disgusted look before shrugging me off.  "I'm pretty good at this game."
"Nah I got this." He said as he completely missed all of the other teams cups and the ball bounced off the table.
"Yeah you so totally got this, let's do teams.  I'll be on yours and someone can be on theirs."
"But it's the middle of the game."  His voice almost whined and the other guy made the ball into a cup.
"So, how about for every shot I miss, is one less chore you have to do next week."
He looked at me questioningly, then handed me the cup with the ball in it.  "Deal, and you have to drink every shot he makes."
I smiled at my little brother and told the blonde haired guy at the other side of the table, "Get a partner, this is going to be fun."  I pulled the ball out and tipped the cup up wondering why it was so light.  The first drop of liquid hit my tongue and I knew.  They were playing with whiskey.  I chased it with my beer.  My little brother always liked to get right to things.
I made every shot, gave some pointers to my little brother and he was making almost half of his.  The other guy made almost all of his, which meant I was drunk by the end of the game.  They won, but only because David had given them such a big head start.  I left and walked back to the center of the barn, where a dance floor had started.  Girls were grinding up on guys and things were getting way too heated for high school kids.  I kept walking right through them, getting bumped into on occasion.  Someone had even managed to grab my ass, but I was too drunk to find out who.
I walked outside and once the warm summer air hit me, I knew I shouldn't have another drink.  I looked down to my hand and discovered a full cup and decided I would quit after this one.  I found an empty red chair and sat in it, close to the fire.  I inhaled deeply, letting the warmth into my lungs.
I smelled weed.  Are you fucking kidding me.  I sniffed again and it was there.  It wasn't strong and I only caught it with the breeze.  I was too drunk to go out and find the culprit, but the boys would hear about this tomorrow.  I leaned my head back and looked up to the sky.  It had to be around one in the morning.  The party was starting to wean just a little.  I closed my eyes for a moment.
"I thought you said a few drinks."  That deep voice was followed by the sound of fabric on fabric.  Nath had just sat down next to me.
"I had to show Chuck who was the all time raining champ on keg stands.  No one here has beat my record."  I turned to face him, sitting with one leg thrown over the arm of the chair.  "I didn't think you were coming."
"Changed my mind."  He was playing with a blade of grass.  He let it flutter to the ground and looked back to me.  "You want to go inside?  It looks like things are calming down."
I looked around, about to protest, but he was right.  I guess I had fallen asleep.  The party had turned into a get together, only about thirty or forty people left including David and his friends.  "Yeah, sure."  I went to stand, and started to stumble.  Nath steadied me for a moment before crouching down.
"Get on."
"What are you doing?  I can walk."
He pulled my arm over one of his shoulders.  "Get on, I'll carry you like I used to."
"You are not giving me a piggy back ride."  I laughed at how absurd it was.
"Just wait until you hit those stairs, you'll be begging."  He stood up straight, and placed an arm around my back, letting his hand rest on my hip while his arm didn't touch the messed up side of my body.  We started walking to the house.  More like I was wobbling and he was holding me straight.
"Are you spending the night?"  My words slurred a little and it reminded me of what some horny girl might ask of her boyfriend.  I meant it in an entirely different way.  I was drunk enough to ask some of the harder questions now.  I hoped he had drank a few and would be loose enough to give me the answers.
"I can, if you want me to."
We made it to the stairs, and my feet couldn't quite get high enough to make a step.  "Ah fuck."  I turned to Nath and gave him the pouty lip.  I didn't even have to say a word and he was turned around and crouched down.  I tried my best to hop on him, but my motor skills were shot right now.  He stood, then hoisted me up further on his back, and held on to my leg and arm across his chest. 
Being on him like this was unbelievably comfortable.  I laid my head down on his shoulder.  "Be my teddy bear for the night?"  We had made it to my room and he tapped my hand, signaling the ride was over, I slid off and went to take off my shoes to find them and my socks already gone.
I continued to undress, down to my panties and then slipped a shirt over my head.  I had forgotten Nath was in here with me, and by the look on his face, he had been watching me the whole time.  I padded over to the bed and sat down.  I wasn't sure if he was staying, so my questions started coming out.
"Did you know Mom has a bunch of pictures of us when we were little?  Dad said they were in the attic somewhere, but I haven't seen them."  Nath looked hesitant, like he wasn't sure he wanted to stay or not.  "If I find them maybe we can go through them together.  And you could tell me about them, what we were doing in the pictures."
He made up his mind and sat down on the bed next to me.  I leaned into him and he wrapped an arm around my shoulder.  "I just wish I remembered you, like you do me.  So I could treat you like I'm supposed to."
Nath kicked off his boots and laid down, taking me with him.  He kissed my forehead and pulled me into him.  "You treat me just how you're suppose to."
"But I don't ever kiss you back."  My hand was moving of its own accord playing with the buttons of his shirt.
"You never kissed me back then either.  Never on the lips."
"Is that why you got mad when I kissed you on the cheek the other day?"
His hand that was playing in my hair stopped, and his other rested over mine on his chest.  "I didn't get mad.  It just reminded me of when we were little.  You used to kiss me on the cheek when I felt bad and then you called me Nathy."
"Like when you got hurt or something?"
"Yeah, something."  Those words came out from a deeper place, and right then, I knew that I knew when I was little.  I knew he was being beat and I would kiss him on the cheek trying to help him the only way a little girl could.
"Is that why you like me now?  Because I used to kiss you all better?"  When he didn't answer I asked again in a different way.  "Is that why you touch me?"  He didn't say a word, his chest fell and rose, but it felt forced under my hand.  I felt a wetness in my hair and looked up to him.
Nath had his eyes shut tight, and a few tears had slipped from behind his shields.  I moved to get closer to him, and wiped his tears away with sweet caresses.   I kissed his cheek, right where a fresh tear had started to fall.  "It's okay Nathy, just stay here tonight and let me hold you."  I kissed him again and he squeezed me tight to his body.  He kissed my forehead and whispered in my ear.  "I love you."
Those three little words held so many different meanings.  This one, wasn't the one that held lust and hormones, it was one that held loyalty and faith.  It was a tying bond from his heart to mine.  I had helped him somehow through the hardest time in his life and he was trying to pay me back.  Pay me back with this house, with his touches, with anything he could give.  He didn't need to pay me back, him loving me was more than enough.