Sticks and Stones and Occasionally Leather

Chapter 3

With all the kids finally home and doing homework, I rushed to try and get some sort of coherent plan for dinner now that we had an unexpected guest making an appearance. Normally I'd just cook something that the kids requested or throw together some mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. However, with Archer already being on my case, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of thinking any less of how I did my job.

I flipped from page to page, from cookbook to cookbook searching for recipes that used ingredients I had, but I kept turning up with nothing. It was Monday so groceries were low since I normally took Reese to go shopping on Tuesday afternoons.

"Say Say what's for dinner? I'm hungry." Reese whined and my stress levels hit an all-new high.

"I don't know little dude, maybe you should come up with something since you love inviting guests over so much." I sighed.

"Okay, what about pizza! or Chinese food!" Reese suggested, jumping up and down with excitement about his food options.

"No, we get pizza on Fridays and it's too late to order Chinese." I scolded and he whined at me, now including the twins in his little complaining party.

"Did someone say Chinese?" Came a voice from down the hall and I tensed at the thought of Archer already being here.

So help me, lord.

"Uncle Archer!" the boys yelled, making their way down the hall to greet Archer.

"Uncle Archer save us!" Alex pleaded.

"Saylor is starving us!" Caleb added, to which I rolled my eyes.

Gee, thanks, boys. Really feeling the love.

"I was in the middle of making dinner," I informed as Archer held up a take-out bag to me.

"Too late, I got Chinese." He handed the bag off to the boys who ran into the kitchen as they began to dig in.

"Let Emily know that food is here please." I reminded the boys, although I doubt they heard or cared.

"I was making dinner," I began sternly, "You could've at least let me known you were bringing food." Archer cocked his head around to peer into the kitchen before responding.

"Well, that air your cooking up does look delicious, but I think I'll stick to the Chinese food. Thanks though, really." He chuckled at my anger and then made his way into the kitchen to catch up with the other boys, leaving me in the foyer alone.

Dirtbag.

"Emily, Dinner!" I called up the stairs but got no response. I called again but with no response, I figured she probably had headphones in and couldn't hear me so I walked up to go grab her. I knocked twice before opening her door.

"Hey Em I- Oh sorry." I turned my face away as Emily put a shirt back on, my brain reeling at the scene in front of me.

Was she just? No. She couldn't be. Well... they were kind of staring at me...

Emily was standing in front of a mirror, now putting a shirt back on. Her phone sitting on the desk next to her; the camera app open.

"Jesus, knock next time will you?" Emily seethed, her face beet red.

"I-I did, I thought you heard." I stuttered, not knowing how to approach the situation.

"Well, I didn't. You can go, I'm not hungry." She glared at me, frustrated.

"Sorry Em but you have to eat, Moms orders. And Archer is here so it would be rude to not show." I shot back, a tad bit annoyed at her attitude. She was always such an easy-going quiet kid. Seeing her act like this was different.