The Stepfather (MxM) ✓

Chapter 8

The hair from Alice's dolls was long gone.

Several looked like they'd been butchered by a doll version of Sweeney Todd and others just looked like they'd been attacked by a lawn mower.

But Alice seemed content with our efforts and sweet talked me into playing a game with her after we had given them their new and improved hairstyles (with careful supervision of Alice using the scissors - I'm not that much of an asshole)

I had declined playing at first. But then she looked at me.

And looked.

And looked.

And ten minutes later I was picking out an outfit for Gemma. After picking out what I thought was a nice handbag for her plastic little hand, I glanced up to Alice who was attempting to spike up one of the doll's (remaining) hair with glue.

Maybe turning a sap wasn't so bad.

The game of dolls takes a turn towards the violent pretty quickly. Alice wanted them to battle to the death in some form of Karate tournament. And she really got into the game.

"You want to do Karate, huh?" I asked, pulling a doll's leg into a roundhouse kicking motion. Alice nodded enthusiastically at the very thought as she headbutted my doll. "Then why don't you sign up for classes?"

She put the doll down and looked down at it. "Mom says it's not ladylike."

My eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Don't listen to your mom," I spurted out, then composed myself. I couldn't tell an eight year old that her mom was being a bitch. "She's being silly," and sexist.

"I'll bring you."

The words left my mouth before I had the chance to acknowledge them.

"Really?" she looked back up at me, clearly pleased. I nodded, smiling and ignoring my mind asking me what the hell I'm doing.

The door swung open then, revealing a very pissed off looking Kelly. Alice and I looked to her from our cross legged positions on the floor. Kelly took one look at Alice and jerked her head towards the door.

Without a word, Alice scrambled out. Kelly had her well trained, clearly.

Her eyes locked with mine. Then she noticed the dolls, strewn out like a crime scene.

"Dolls? Really?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow. I stood up, now towering over her. I looked at her expectantly, waiting for whatever she came here to talk to me about. If she got Alice to leave, then it was about something in particular.

"How the hell do you know Austin?" she asked suddenly, hand on hip.

Then I was the one with a raised eyebrow. What did she even mean by that? I let my confused expression be answer enough for me.

She let out an exasperated noise of some sort and threw her hands in the air.

"Austin Summers. He goes to my school. He's pretty well known around here..?" she looked at me as though I was an idiot.

I was an idiot for not knowing of some guy that was popular in the area. Right. So I laughed, I couldn't help it.

"What?" she demanded once I started laughing, arms coming to cross over her chest then. "What?!" she asked again, even more exasperated.

I made myself stop laughing, because while it was funny it wasn't that funny. I hardly knew Austin, he could be anyone or anything.

"Austin? Popular? Really?" I asked, looking at her to see if she's bluffing in anyway.