Not The One

Ch. 15

Reblogged Post:

hellomynameisdeviblaire

If you purposefully leave trash on the floor and say stupid shit like 'oh the janitor will get it' you need to reevaluate your entire life

lifeisforliving

say it for the PPL IN THE BACK!

On the drive to Dad and Maggie's, it began to drizzle. The moment I knocked on the door to announce my presence, the sky opened up and it poured. CJ opened the door, which was a surprise. Maggie babied him so much it passed the point of protective parent. "Where's the cat?" he leaned over to look through my legs, since I easily towered over him. "Hey, can I come in please?" I answered with a question, but CJ only moved just enough to let me through with all my stuff. "My mom is watching him. Maybe next time," I told CJ as I closed the front door. "Aww," he crossed his little bony arms and stalked off, mad at me. I shook my head. My dad must have said something to him and gotten his hopes up. Disappointment was a bitch. "Dad? Maggie?" One of them had to be home, especially if CJ was answering doors and inquiring after cats that didn't belong to him. A lone iPad lay on the couch, playing cartoons, and I watched as CJ climb onto the couch and lean forward, adjusting the tablet so it stood by itself. I headed to the guest room, but not before popping my face in Dominque's room.

"You're hopeless," I heard her groan, and when I peered inside I caught the confused look on Dad's face while he attempted to tame her hair. "No! I want Mommy to do it! Ugh!" She slid off the bed, her hair sticking out all over her head in weird angles. I snickered, and two heads swiveled in my direction. "Stop it!" Dominique tried to cover her head, running quickly into the closet to hide from me. "All those times doing my hair and this is the best you can do?" I struggled to keep standing as I laughed and I thought about dad's handiwork again. "And you ran away too," Dad pretended to sniff, and I came over to give him a gentle hug around his neck, resting my cheek against his. I couldn't remember the last time I'd done it.

"That's besides this point." He tickled my side causing me to yelp and let go. "I'd like to see you do better," he slapped a wide tooth comb into my hand. "Where's the kitty?" Dominque demanded, but she stayed where she was in the closet. "Oh yeah," Dad started scratching at the hair on his beard. I noticed a lot more grays and whites imbedded in the black. I flipped the comb in my hand, sitting next to Dad on the bed. "My mom's playing babysitter so Alley will just have to see you guys another time." I heard something hit the wall in the closet as Dominique adjusted herself.

"Who's Alley?"

"My kitten." I heard her smack her teeth. "That's a stupid name." I started towards the closet, ready to yank that girl by her hair. "Hey now, come back over here so I can finish your hair, and Georgia, don't," Dad ordered. Dominique peeked her head out the closet, giving me a stank look. I returned it with ease. "Let me do it Dad. I can help," I smiled sweetly. "Give you a few pointers," I added, but Dad shook his head and took the comb back from me. "I don't think so. You just tryna upstage me," he muttered as he stuck the comb in his own short afro. I plucked it out and started placing a stack of pillows on the floor for Dominque to sit on. "I would never. Hey, come here Dom, I'm gonna do your hair." If looks could kill, Dominque could have sent me six feet under.

Only with Dad's pushing did she finally plop onto the pillows. I began parting her thick hair straight down the middle, and Dominque squirmed and complained in my grasp. "If you don't hold still little girl," I forced my voice to sound cherry, but it sounded more strangled. I knew she was tender headed but I wasn't Maggie and refused to treat her any differently. "School going good?" I could always count on my dad to ask to ask one of three questions when I came over, sometimes all three. First, some variation on 'how is school?'. Then, 'have I gotten into any trouble with my car?' Finally, the king of all questions, how was Mom doing? He tried to act all unconcerned when he asked, but I couldn't help rolling my eyes. I loved him but it wasn't hard to see his ego complex was pacified by the confirmation that Mom was still single and it was just us women in the house.