Get a Life (boyxboy)

Chapter 18 - Our Troubles Will Be....

Ben's stomach sank and he approached the front door. People shouted and screamed on the other side. Ben pushed down the doorbell and a small ring sounded. A few moments later the door swung open. Gwen's younger sister, Gail, answered.

"Who are you?" Gail asked. She was a teenager.

Ben noticed her hair was dyed black with a large pink streak down one of her sideband.

"Ben, remember me Gail? You…used to have dirty blond hair and pigtails…" Ben chuckled and looked at the teen.

"No, I don't remember you. Gwen, some gay guy is here to see you." Gail shouted and disappeared behind the doorway.

"Merry Christmas," Ben greeted as Gwen appeared.

"What are you doing here?" Gwen replied, frantic. "Oh, and Merry Christmas to you too, what's up?"

"Well, Colby had to take her mother to rehab…and I don't want to spend Christmas alone." Ben leaned forward to look into the house. The shouting came from the kitchen and continued.

Gwen pushed Ben back and stepped outside shutting the front door behind her.

"You can't spend Christmas here." Gwen put a hand on an objective hip.

"Gwen…if I wanted to spend Christmas alone, I could have done that in England." Ben complained. He looked at his roommate with puppy dog eyes.

Gwen shrugged, "In case you haven't already observed, my family argues a lot…and I can't handle you today. Plus, didn't your mother invite you to Christmas yesterday?"

"Yes," Ben rolled his eyes, "but you are joking right? Do you remember what happened in England?"

"I do, but…the holidays are a time where we all have to deal with out families." The sound of shattering glass came from inside. "No matter how horrible, goodbye Ben." Gwen ducked inside and shut the door.

Ben felt the cold surround him outside. He had two choices: go back to Colby's or go to his parent's.

***

Gwen sat at the kitchen table. A large kitchen/living room combination lay out before her. Her mother and stepmother argued over how to cook prime rib, while her father argued at both of them for their incompetence.

Gail sat on the couch with her laptop, updating her on-line journal. She looked up and shook her head at her family. Gwen stood up and tapped her sister's shoulder.

"Want to go for a walk?" Gwen offered. "Get out of the house? Get some air?" Gwen smiled at the younger girl.

"Not with you," Gail shot back. Gail stood up and walked down the hallway.

Gwen furrowed her brow and followed her younger sister to the foot of the staircase.

"What's the problem here?" Gwen said in a firm voice. "Why are you so grouchy? I don't think I deserve to be chastised for inviting you on a walk." The older sister wanted an answer for this unacceptable behavior.

Gail cursed and shook her head. "Great, you are arguing too. You are just pissed off because I don't conform and assimilate to society like you. Here is a tip, don't come into a house which you haven't been apart of for years and act like you're the boss. You only come off like an ass."

"What is wrong with you? Where is this attitude from? You never used to be like this?" Gwen retorted more comforting than conflicting.

"Oh yeah, god forbid I dye my hair and have an opinion now. Gee, just because I didn't want to go on a stupid walk you have to make a big deal. Leave me alone." Gail shouted and pulled herself up the staircase. Her room door slammed a second later.