The Long Run - An OBX Story

6. The Inevitable Argument

A couple hours later, at home.

I'm picking up the broken beer bottle shards off the floor when I hear Kit come through the door, followed by the sound of suitcase wheels dragging across the floor.

"Minnie? You better have fucking packed your bag!"
He shouts up the stairs.

I pause for a moment, trying to control my anger before going downstairs. Like always, it obviously doesn't work, as I come downstairs in a rage with the shards in my hand.

"You think I'm really gonna come along to your little 'Rafe-worshipping fan club' yacht trip? I thought you wanted me out of your shit, Kit?"

He looks distraught, as if he's just been in an argument. It was the first time I could actually see a slight resemblance of Uncle Dean's ruggedness in him.

"Well, now you've stuck your whole ass right in the middle of it, I have to sort it out before we lose all reputation that I, yes, me Minnie, have built up again for us!"

"You? Reputation? As if this family is anywhere near redeemable! Our reputation was done for the moment dad first laid a hand on mom! When are you gonna give up this pathetic little kook fantasy of yours, Kit?"

I take a step closer to him. He towers over me, but I lock my angered eyes with his, overcoming my intimidation of him.

"You think I'm the only pogue in this family, but behind all your golf clubs and cologne and knitted sweaters, you know that me and you? We are exactly the same."

The sound of his jaw clenching and the look of his muscles clenching snaps me away from my anger.

"You say that one more time."
This time he steps towards me. He looks like dad.

"What do you think I'm doing this for, Mins? You think I enjoy all of this? I don't care that you don't want this, I don't care that you're a pogue, I don't care about you and your fucking slut activities, and I don't care what you want! I want this, and I'm the man of the household now, so I'm going to take care of both our actions! And you, you are going to behave. Before I make you."
He scowls, body tense as if he's going to beat me.

He steps backwards and notices my fists clenched from fear, blood running from my hand that held the broken shards of glass.
He rips off some kitchen towel and slaps it against my chest, pointing to the suitcase in the hall. I look at him with glassy eyes, almost pleading with my glare.

"Just fucking take the suitcase Minnie."
He sighs, turning his back to me and lifting his hands to his face.

My body trembles as I drag the bag upstairs to my room, desperately trying to not make any extra noise. I don't know if anything might set him off at this point.

Flashbacks of my mom and dad scour my mind as I recklessly shove random clothes into the suitcase, tears beginning to stream down my face.
Was Kit beginning to turn into dad? Was I going to relive everything that mom went through? What if one day it was my friends who found me with a billet through my head, lying lifeless on the beach?

No. We were stronger than that. Kit's right, he's going to fix this family.

Right?