Carrington (Wattpad version)

There's more to life than pranks or is there?

After the school lifted my suspension, Mason threatened me with military school is I didn't get my shit together.  Yeah, okay, I would be going to college and wreaking havoc in the process. Joseph, Theresa, and Christine are there to keep an eye on things. Kate was moving closer to the college to open a bakery. Charles was marrying at the end of summer.

Charles is dating a woman named Maggie. Theresa is dating a guy named Grant. Christine is dating a guy named Troy.  Joseph is dating a woman named Mary.  My siblings were set to marry as they graduated from college. Kate was engaged to a guy, but he got killed in the service. She refused to date anyone after the guy. I didn't blame her.

I graduated by the grace of God and accepted to Saintwood College. It's because my family owns a damn school. Out parents helped build it, considering they were wealthy. Mason invested as did Kate. Eventually, all of us would be partners in the school. I thought it was ridiculous.

That summer, I pranked my siblings, earning their wrath, and throwing a knife at my head. Thanks Elliot. Mason punished me, making me do a brutal training with a former drill instructor. I swear my family has no sense of humor.

Why couldn't I have fun? Is that too much to ask?

"Carri!" I heard Charles yell as I groaned.

I strolled into the living room with my hands in my pockets.

"Maurice tells me you were fighting with his brother," Charles said, looking displeased.

"Maurice's brother is an idiot, as is the rest of his damn family. He deserved to get his ass beat. How the hell are you friends with him? Better yet, how the hell is Mason doing business with Marty Frazier?" I questioned Charles.

"That's none of your business," Mason announced as he entered the living room.

"The Frazier's are scum, and you know it," I told Mason.

Mason looked at me disapprovingly. "Carri, there are things you don't understand, and when you get into the business, you will learn. Now excuse me, I have a meeting with Edward Morgan." Mason left.

That was the problem with this family. They had their hands in shit they shouldn't. Our parents would turn over in their graves if they knew what my brothers were doing. Mason is smart. He knows the game, but Charles was making the wrong choices.

"Look, I know you don't care for Frazier's, but Maurice is my best friend. He's not into anything his family is doing," Charles said.

I had my doubts. The rotten apple doesn't fall too far from the corrupt apple tree. Maurice was crooked, as was Frank Shaw.

"You need better friends," I commented to Joseph, who looked at me disapprovingly. He walked away as I shook my head.

Charles forgets I went to school with his friends. They were squeaky clean. Greg had a gambling problem, Maurice had a temper and a drinking issue, and Frank enjoyed little girls. Yeah, those are great friends. God help it if they ever have kids.

I went to bother Joseph, who was communing with nature. I found him sitting in the backyard with his eyes closed, making some sound of an ohm. What is wrong with my family?

I grabbed an empty bucket, filled it with ice-cold water from the outside pocket and dumped it on Joseph.

"Carri!" Joseph yelled, standing up. I stood there, holding the empty bucket in my hand. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Joseph barked.

"This place bores me," I replied. That's all it took, and we duked it out in the backyard. Joseph got a fat lip, and I got a bloody nose out of the deal.

We sat there, and I handed him a handkerchief as I held a cloth my nose.

"Must you start shit to cure your boredom?" Joseph asked me.

"I have to do something. It pissed off Charles that I went after one of the Frazier brothers," I said.

Joseph looked at me. "Why did you do that?" He asked me.

"Because he's an idiot. I hate that family," I told Joseph.

"Yeah, well, Mason is meeting with Edward Morgan. I guess Frazier's decision to renege on a deal and pull some shit," Joseph told me.

"Then Mason should talk with the big brother because he's into some shit at the moment," I mentioned as Joseph looked at me with concern.

"What did Charles do?" Joseph asked.

"I don't know the details, but Marco Frazier let something slip about Charles negotiating a deal, and it's bad," I told Joseph.

"Christ," Joseph mumbled.

I wanted nothing to do with my brother's business, dealings. I knew I was going into the family business after I graduated, but whatever they are doing, that was on them.

"Stay out of it, Carri. I'll talk to Mason," Joseph warned me as I raised my hands in defeat. You didn't have to tell me twice. I had enough on my plate without involved with shady dealings.

********
Joseph talked to Mason, and I don't know what was said, but Mason warned Charles about his deal. Does my brother listen? No, he is an idiot.

Charles will do what he wants, dragging his idiot friends into the mix. God help us if he and his friends have kids one day. I'm sure the kids will have the idiot gene passed down to them.

Most of the summer, I spent harassing my siblings, who threatened to beat my ass. Mason forced me into hard labor to straighten my ass out before attending college. My family is the fun police. Is it my fault I put a cherry bomb in one of the billion bathrooms that Mason has in the house? No, it's not, although I got yelled at for doing it while Christine was in one of the bathrooms, using it.

Theresa has to keep us separated because I'm sure Christine wants to hurt me. Elliot is the brother she wants to destroy the most, especially when he flung a knife at Christine, and she beat the hell out of him. Kate played a mediator with all of us. It's a good thing she didn't run off, getting married, and having kids. We need her here to play peacemaker.

*******
The summer ended, and I was on my way to college with Theresa, Joseph, and Christine. We would return home around Christmas for Charles's wedding.

We arrived at the campus, and Joseph drove us to the house we were staying in while we attended college. It made me happy not to stay in a dorm room. I don't think I can deal with a stuffy roommate. I'm lucky to stay with my siblings. They are stuffy enough for me.

Joseph pulled into a driveway, and we got out of the car.

"Carri," Joseph said, getting my attention. I looked at him. "It isn't high school here. The school won't tolerate your obnoxious behavior."

"I'm surprised they tolerate your pompous behavior," I retorted as Theresa snickered, and Christine rolled her eyes. "Lighten up, Joseph. Our family is far from observed behavior."

"Don't make me call Mason," Joseph threatened.

"Go ahead and call him. Mason doesn't scare me, and neither does anyone else," I told Joseph, shrugging.

Christine walked over to me. "Carri, one day, you will understand why you properly conduct yourself," Christine said.

"Well, until then, I'm okay with having fun. The rest of you can worry about yourselves," I countered as I grabbed my bags.

That was the problem with my family. They worry too much about people's perceptions of us. People will think what they want, let them. One day, people will fear us, making us powerful in our own right.

Now, I intended to enjoy myself. I had a feeling my life would take a turn that I wasn't expecting.