Teacher and the Thief

Chapter 16

"What are you trying to do to this family?" Alex shot at her, and everyone at the table focused on him as I put the fork down. " I don't see why you're here. All you do is torment and torture them. Well, I'm not letting that happen. Not this time."

"Alex." Uncle Mark warned, and Aunt Abby gave him a stern look as well.

"No, Dad. I need to hear the answer." He argued as he rested his elbows on the table, his head on his knuckles. "Go on, Grandma. Tell us."

Grandma was thinking of a way out of it. It was her nature, her go-to plan when something didn't go her way. She was evil like that. And when she thought of something, of course it was aimed at my mother.

"Look at you, Cindy. Starving your child." Grandma accused, shaking her head. "Not like I'd ever believe you were a good mother, but this is taking it too far."

"That's it!" Mom screamed, slamming her glass drink down on the table. "I want you out. Gone. I don't care where you go. I'm through with you." And then she looked over at my grandfather, who was speechless through the whole thing. "Not you, you're fine."

"Lucas, you're not going to let your crazy wife talk to me like that, are you?" She gave him her innocent eyes, but  he was now to the point where he wasn't taking any more shit.

"Mom, I think you should leave." Dad stated, getting up. "I'll show you the door."

"You are not kicking me out on Thanksgiving!" She sounded so offended, but didn't budge. "No, I don't think so."

"Then you better goddamn behave yourself." Dad said lowly and quickly so the kids at the other table couldn't hear. Mom gave him an 'are you serious' look, but it was still Thanksgiving. We couldn't kick anyone out.

When everyone settled down and were almost halfway through their meal, the doorbell rang. We all exchanged looks over the table, wondering who it was.

"Were we expecting anyone else?" Alex asked me, but I shrugged.

"Cindy, go make yourself useful and go get it." Grandma ordered, and Dad was about to lash out at her, but Cindy got up anyway. We went back to eating, but as soon as I heard the door open, nothing happened. It was complete silence.

"Hello, Cindy." I heard the voice of a woman, one that made both my father and I jump. I knew that voice. I heard it before, talking in English and Russian.

"Trisha?" Mom asked weakly, and then everyone else at the table stopped. Dad and I jumped up and pretty much sprinted to the door, where Mom stood with the blonde I now knew.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dad shot lowly, throwing Mom and I behind him. "You have no reason to be here."

"What? It's Thanksgiving. I came to spend it with my family. And besides," She raised one corner of her mouth in her smile, "I was invited."

"By who!?" Dad ordered, but she walked right past him.

"Thanks, Belle." She smirked, heading into the dining room.

"You invited her!?" Dad shot at me, his eyes flaring. "That woman almost had Cindy killed."

"How many years ago?" I asked, but got back to my argument. "But I didn't invite her! She just… showed up, just like before."

"Just like before? You met her before?" He questioned, and Mom left to go back in the dining room. "You're going to tell me everything later."

"Fine." I agreed, and when I went in, I saw Mom hugging her sister tightly, and even if she was evil before, I believed she could change. Even Mark and Abby stood up and gave their thanks to their sister they now had back in their life. But Dad, sitting all the way across from Mom, did not look convinced.

"So, Trisha." Mom started as everyone sat down and grabbed another chair for her. "Where… have you been? I mean, you were gone for eighteen years."

"Oh, I kept myself busy." Trisha replied, but she dodged the question. "I've been out… traveling."

"Ooh, traveling?" Abby asked, leaning in. "To where? Paris? London? Athens?"

"Oh sure, I've been lots of places." She replied, again avoiding the question. "But let me know what's been going on with everyone! I see a kids table in the corner."

"Oh, well those are my two sons." Mom stated, pointing to Phillip and Eric.

"Aren't you a little old for the kids table?" Trisha asked Phillip, but he shrugged.

"Yeah, I told them that last year, but no one listened." He stated, turning back around.

"And those two are ours." Abby added, holding  hand and gesturing to Jessica and Kyle, who didn't even acknowledge her yet. Smart move.

"Oh, that's nice." Trisha quipped, her gaze landing on Alex. "And, I'm sorry, I don't think we've met."

"Oh, this is Alex." Mark introduced, "You met him when he was a baby."

"Oh, that's right! I totally forgot you two had a kid." She reached her hand across the table, and he shook it hesitantly. "Nice to see you again."

"Likewise." He muttered, jerking his hand away.

"Let me grab you a plate." Mom said, grabbing her a plate from the counter. "It's so… amazing to see you again."

"I'm glad to be back." Her smile was sweet, fooling most of my family, but I could see that Alex and I weren't so easily fooled.

"So, since Belle ran into you before any of us did." Dad started, "Where exactly did you meet her?"

Trisha and I both shared a panicked glance, as well as Alex, but I finally picked something. "She, um, shopped at Mervyn's. I was working the register that day."

"And I noticed that she had a striking resemblance to Cindy," Trisha added, "And, of course, being named after a Disney princess, I put the pieces together."

"When did you meet her?" Dad questioned, unwilling to just let it go.

"A month, maybe two ago." I replied, thinking, but since it was so brief I did not remember.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." She agreed.

"Then why now?" Mom asked, "Then what made you surface? Why do you decide to show up now?"

"Because-" Her sweet smile faded fast as she whipped out a small black pistol, aiming it right at my father, "I'm ending something that started eighteen years ago.

I heard Mom scream first. Once everyone saw the black gun they either screamed for froze as well. The kids at the other table also started freaking out. But the only one who looked calm here was Dad.

"I knew you couldn't be here without a reason." Dad growled lowly, "Coming after my family again?"

"No, not your family. Just you." She stated, and that's when both Alex and I whipped out our guns, and even more screaming.

"Put the gun down." Alex ordered, both our guns steadied. "I don't care if you're my aunt, I will shoot you so fast."

"Trisha, what are you doing!?" Mom cried, but was more focused on us. "Why do you two have guns!?"

"Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to." Alex and I replied in unison, eyes locked on Trisha.

"Look, here's how this is going to go." Trisha started, "I'm going to shoot you, Lucas, and finish what started eighteen years ago, or-" he aimed it right at Mom, "I kill her."

"Your own sister?" Dad shook his head, throwing his arm out in front of Mom. "No, she has nothing to do with this. Kill me."

"I'm just going to shoot her." Alex stated, and I waved my other family away, and as they stealthily got up from the table, grabbing their kids, getting out of here. I hoped they would leave and call the police.

"Trisha?" Mom was panicking because of the gun in her face. "I really thought you changed."

"Well, I'm sorry sis, but you're wrong." And she stared at my father, loaded the gun, and all of them fired at once.