My Mother's house

18

The boys all came over, everyone of them, and cleaned up the barn and yard.  Chuck got Rachel's truck out of the ditch with the tractor, and I made David wash my truck since he decided to loose his virginity in the back of it.  At least he was safe, who knew what this girl had.
Rachel didn't stick around after her truck was free.  She high tailed it out of there, which made me like her even less.  Once they all left, I knocked on David's door.
"What do you want?" he yelled viciously.
I opened the door and stepped in.  "I'm just inviting you to your girlfriends house for dinner.  Nath invited us both to go."
"This is some sort of trick, isn't it?"
"No, I'm really inviting you.  I don't care if you come or not, but Nath is picking us up at five if you want to go."
I walked out of his room and into my own.  I wanted to look presentable tonight.  I was going to a girl's house that used to watch us when we were little.  We used to torture her.  Plus she might know about Nath's bruises.  She had to have known.  They lived together.  I doubt I would feel anymore comfortable asking her questions than I would Nath.
My outfit was lacking, having only a few pieces to chose from, but I made it up with my hair and makeup.  I curled my blonde locks in soft tendrils and my makeup was fresh faced and light.
Nath was right on time.  He wasn't dressed as nicely as I thought he would be, but he still had on a button up.  David decided to go with us last minute, not wearing anything nice at all.  A pair of ripped up old jeans and a geek shirt.  I'm sure he would impress this girl sober.
I sat in the middle, squished between the two men.  Nath shifted gears, running his hand over my leg when he could.  David just looked out the window the whole time.  Nath's sister's house was farther down the road from his, and it looked a lot like mine, old.
"When Dad died, Nat got the house.  She split the land with me and I took the part a little closer to work."
Natalie.  That was his sister's name. I remembered it.  I got out of the truck after David and followed Nath up the steps.  He didn't bother to ring the door bell, and walked right in.  The inside of this house looked like the inside of mine when I first got it.  I kept my thoughts to myself and followed Nath into the dinning room.
"Sorry I'm late, I picked up some stragglers." 
Natalie put down the dish she was carrying in on the table and stared between me and David.  "Oh my word, I haven't seen you two in almost fifteen years.  And look how handsome you are David."
Oh I so badly wanted to bust him out and say, your daughter sure thought so last night, but I kept my comments to myself.
"And Alexis, I always knew you would be a pretty girl. Oh look at me gawking, come sit.  I was just finishing with the table.  The kids should be down in a minute."
In a minute, this would all be worth it.  David sat on one side of me, Nath on the other.  An older guy walked in, followed by Chuck, Rachel, and a younger girl.
"Good evening Larry, how's work been?"
I tuned the conversation out and took in what was before me.  Two horrified faces on top of Sunday's best.  Slacks and a button up tucked in with hair slicked back on Chuck and Rachel, what a dime.  She had on what could be considered a mormon dress.  It went tight around her neck all the way down to mid calf.  Her hair was curled and in bows, and no make up.  I think David might have died.  I caught his face at the corner of my eye and his mouth was wide open.
They took their seats and soon dinner was in full swing.  The adults talked about work and gossip while the children sat quietly.  After seeing her kids, I knew I wouldn't be able to ask Natalie about Nath.
Dinner concluded, with little input from me or David.  I did however thank Natalie for inviting us over and praised her cooking.  I also offered to help clean up.  She obliged and instructed the children to go play along.
I gathered plates and dishes and took them to the kitchen, setting them on the counter, unsure of where things were located.
"The tupperware is in that cabinet there, if you could just put everything left over in the fridge."
I got to work on that and was two dishes in when Natalie asked.  "So you and my brother huh?"
"Um it's not really like that.  He's been helping me with the house and sometimes it's just easier for him to stay over.  There are plenty of rooms."
"But something tells me he's been sleeping in yours."  She glanced over and saw how red my face was.  I let my hair fall to hide my face.  "Even if you aren't doing the dirty.  You know, I could never figure out why a boy that age would want to hang out with someone so much younger, but then I met you.  You were wild and spunky, but you were full of emotion too.  Cared too much."  She went back to rinsing dishes and putting them in the dishwasher.  "I never had that problem, about caring too much.  Losing first our mother then father takes that thing out of you.  It didn't for Johnathan though.  He just hid that emotion away.  I knew, knew the very day you came back by how he acted.  Like the damn rainbow had finally came out after a hundred year rain."  She sighed and we continued in silence.  I wasn't really too sure what to say.  I finished and handed her the bowls and plates that needed to be washed and excused myself to check on the 'children'.
That woman was psycho.  It wouldn't surprise me at all if she was the one beating Nath and no one could tell because their Dad was protecting her.  I turned around the corner to the living room, where David sat across from Rachel with Chuck in the middle and the other little girl playing on the floor with a doll.  The tv was on, watching the news and they all looked bored out of their mind except the little girl.
"Hey Chuck.  When you going to be by to paint my house?"
Chuck straightened up, realizing I was in the room.  "I'll be by this weekend ma'am"
I couldn't help it, I giggled at him.  This is the same boy that hit on me every chance he could, and now he was showing me respect.  But then he turned into the Chuck I knew and kept talking.  "If you want me any sooner, let me know." He gave his signature Chuck wink and I rolled my eyes at him.
"What about you Rachel.  Will you be assisting your brother at my house?"
Rachel smoothed out her ugly dress, before meeting my eyes.  "Ladies do not do manual labor ma'am."
"Ah, but they do clean, and cook.  Perhaps you would like to come by, and cook for the boys while they paint?"  God I loved every second of this.  She looked to David and then back to me.
"I'm sorry, but I have another engagement that day."
"Very well.  Just remember what I asked of you next time you want to come over.  Charles and I have become very good friends and sometimes, we might want to celebrate that friendship."  I swung my arm around Chuck, who in turn pulled me towards him.  I will never be friendly towards Chuck, ever.  He turns everything into trying to get into my pants. 
"We can celebrate our friendship whenever you want."  He whispered in my ear.  I shoved him away and he chuckled at me, still trying to keep quiet.  Nath walked in and frowned at the scene.
"You two ready to go?"
David jumped up first and silently headed out to the door.  I don't know if it was from Chuck flirting with me, or if his new girlfriend had said something, or if it was just from the mormon dress.  I got up and nodded.  We walked out and thanked Natalie and Larry for the wonderful dinner then headed out to the truck.
"That was awesome.  God, payback feels so good right now.  But your sister is kind of scary."
"I told you seeing them like that would be amazing.  My sister has no idea how they really act."
David waited for me to get in silently, and then slammed to door after he got in.  I couldn't help myself.  "Trouble in paradise?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
I let him boil in his own anger on the ride home.  Nath dropped us off and as much as I wanted him to spend the night again, I didn't ask.  I needed to have a talk with my brother like an adult.  Like his caretaker.  I waited until he was showered and ready for bed and then knocked on his door.
"Hey can I come in?"
I was met with silence, so I did what I thought our mother would do, and walked in.  David was laying on his bed staring up at the ceiling.  I sat down on the edge and looked at him for a moment before speaking.
"You want to talk about it?  No bullshit this time."
He stayed silent and I turned more towards him, bringing my knee up to my chest.  "If you don't tell me, I can't try to help you.  I promise I won't poke fun.  It's just going to be us two for a while and sooner or later, you're going to have to share your problems with me."
He sighed.  "She said she was drunk and wouldn't have touched me sober.  That I was nerdy and she didn't like nerds at all.  That I was terrible in bed and she never wants to see me again."
Rachel was a bitch!  I can't believe she could be so mean on such short notice.  "You're not supposed to be good your first time, and if she was sober enough to tell, she was sober enough to choose to sleep with you.  Girls like that are a dime a dozen, and I'm kinda glad she's not sticking around.  She isn't really a good influence on you.  I like my nerdy brother.  I want you to stay that way."
"Hot girls don't like nerds Alexis, they like jocks with muscles.  That won't ever be me."
"No but women like a man with a job, preferably a good one.  That will be you one day.  You're not going to end up flipping burgers missing your popularity in high school.  You'll be a manager of some big business, thankful for everything you have.  You'll find a nice girl and have a family if that's what you want.  Don't let Rachel hold you back."
"I guess you're right.  I would never be able to keep up with her anyway."
"You know I am, and come on, Chuck's sister?  Next time don't pick your friend's sister, that's like breaking bro code or something."  David threw the pillow from behind his head at me.  I caught it and hit him in the stomach.  "Your first day of school is tomorrow.  You'll meet plenty of girls, just don't act like Chuck and you'll do fine."  I got up from the bed and walked to the door.
"Thanks Alexis."
I chunked up the deuce and closed his door behind me.  Being a parent thing was kinda easy.  Now I just had to figure out what to do about myself.