"Are they always like this?" I yell over the immense noise coming the back seats.
"Only when they're conscious," Killer laughs, although her words intermingle with roar of the engine and the screeching of the demons in the back.
Both of the twins are screaming at the tops of their lungs, with no regard for the eardrums of anyone else in the car. But the weird thing is that Killer and her other brother in the back seem oblivious to the noise. The boy has both of his headphones in, staring out the window as he pretends none of us exist. And Killer is singing along quietly to the radio, although I can't hear any of the music over the screeching behind me. I turn to face Killer, the beginnings a faint headache starting to throb at my temples.
"How are you singing through all of this noise?" I yell at her, hoping she can hear me over the nonsensical babbling in the background. "How can you even hear the radio?"
Killer looks over and smiles at me briefly before she turns her attention back to the road, not answering my question. Maybe she didn't hear me?
I consider asking again but figure its best to just leave it alone until we get back to her house. The rest of the car ride is just as hectic and noisy as it was since we picked up the kids from afterschool care. But thankfully we're only in the car for another ten minutes before we pull up to her house. The older boy jumps out of the car before Killer's even come to a full stop, and is barreling up to the house with little regard for any of us. The twins aren't able to escape so quickly, since they're both still struggling to unbuckle their booster seats.
Killer reaches back to help the both of them, unclicking the seatbelts strapped across their chests before they too barrel out of the car and into the house, whose door now stands open.
"Well let's go," Killer smiles as she grabs her backpack from the hump behind the center console. "The longer we leave the alone the more we'll have to clean later."
I watch her as she gets out of the car and walks around the hood, talking sure steps up the front path as she doesn't even spare me a glance back. It takes a few seconds for me to get the will to follow her inside, hesitantly walking down the path and stepping through the front door.
The twins are still yelling. Bug is crying on the couch, high pitched wails echoing throughout the entire downstairs, as Bear yells from the opposite side of the room, his nose pushed far into the corner as he apparently stands in time out.
"Keep yelling like that and imma do more than just make you stand in the corner little boy!" Killer yells as she plops onto the couch.
I look around the room in pure confusion, seeing the mess of toys, pillows and clothes that are already on the floor. It's even louder in here than it was in the fucking van!
"I was gone for, like, 30 seconds." I say, my mouth gaping open. "What the hell happened?"
"Watch your language! And I told you a lot of stuff could happen in this house in the time it takes us to walk from the car to the door," Killer almost scolds me as she pulls the little girl into her lap, gently stroking the gigantic curly puff on top of Bug's hair. "You should have believed me."
I try to focus on what she's saying, but the yelling from the little boy keeps forcing my eyes to flicker to the corner. "And why is he yelling?"
"He always does that whenever gets put in the corner." She explains. "Don't worry, he'll probably pass out in a minute or two."
It takes me more than a few seconds to process exactly what she just said. My entire head whips over to stare at Killer, taking in the nonchalant smile on her face as she continues to calm the little girl. "Did you just say pas—"
The sound of something hitting the floor captures my attention, and one of yelling voices cuts out abruptly. Bear is no longer standing with his nose pressed into the corner, but is now sprawled out on some pillows haphazardly thrown onto the floor behind him, his eyes closed.
"What the fuck?" I yell, darting completely inside the house and running over to him. I gently cradle him in my arms, his eyelids fluttering slightly as I move him. "What's wrong with him? Call 911!!"
"Ooooooo Skills said a potty word!" Bug exclaims, no longer crying.
Killer laughs from beneath Bug, quirking an eyebrow at me as she watches me try to shake the boy awake.
"Why are you just sitting there?!" I screech, patting his face roughly to try and wake him up. "Do something!!"
"Calm down Shills, before you pass out too," she laughs again, leaning her head against Bug's. "I'm not freaking out because this isn't the first time this has happened. Why do you think I laid down the pillows?"
I look down at the pillows underneath the boy I hold limply in my arms. "This has happened before?"
"More than I care to admit," she laughs again, although she bites her lip nervously. "I told you my family was weird."
The boy starts to come around in my arms, his head tossing back and forth as he stretches his arms above his head. He groans quietly as he arches out of my arms and rolls onto his stomach.
"Is it snack time?" He mumbles, rubbing one of his eyes with his palm.
"No, but it's time for you to stand your butt in that corner again," Killer doesn't hesitate with her comeback, nodding to the corner Bear was just standing in.
My eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets, shocked Killer isn't letting him out of his punishment after he literally passed the fuck out.
"You don't think you should let hi—"
"No I don't," Killer interrupts, not even letting me finish my suggestion. "Reagan did chose to do something knowing he was going to get in trouble. So now he is going to deal with the consequences of his actions."
She looks pointedly at Bear as he slowly rolls to his knees and then his feet, unsteady on his short little legs. "Society isn't going to give you a get out of jail free card just because you scream and act a fool. So you need to stand in the corner silently for 3 minutes and then come apologize to Bug."
The boy grumbles something under his breath but then falls silent as he shoves his nose back into the corner. I look in amazement from Killer to Bear and then back again.
She's absolutely amazing.
I stand up from my awkward crouch on the floor and walk back over to the couch to sit next to Killer, almost afraid to make eye contact with her. Is this what having a family should be like?Holding people accountable like this?
The next three minutes pass by even more awkwardly than I expect, as Bug starts to subtly tease Bear that he got in trouble and Killer so graciously reminds her that there are plenty more corners in the house she can stand in too. Once the three minutes are up Bear trudges over to the couch, standing in front of Bug who is still sitting on Killer's lap.
"Amshowwymug," He grumbles, refusing to look at any of us.
"I'm sorry, what did you say? I couldn't hear you." Killer's face is stone cold as she glares expectantly at the little boy.
"I'm sorry, Bug!" He exclaims, crossing his arms over his chest as he still refuses to look at us.
"For?" Killer prompts.
"For pushing Bug down, grabbing her Barbie and shoving it down the garbage disposal before turning it on!" Bear continues exasperatedly.
Bug frowns as now she is the one to look away. "I accept your apology."
"See, that wasn't so hard!" Killer finally smiles, leaning over to kiss the boy on his forehead. "Now, go to your room until I call you back downstairs."
Bear groans loudly but moves toward the stairs without any obvious complaints, smart enough not to push her any further. Now that this situation is taken care of Killer turns on the television to some cartoon, and then picks Bug up from her lap and puts her on the couch before she moves to stand up.
"So Shills," Killer smiles at me deviously as she walks around the couch toward the kitchen. "Have you ever pulled doll hair out of a garbage disposal without breaking the blades?"
I stand up from the couch, moving to follow her into the kitchen. "I can confidently say I have not."
She stops in front of the sink, rolling up the sleeves on her jacket as she keeps grinning at me. "Wanna learn?"
"I'm pretty sure I'd have to learn sooner or later." I can't help but smile as I walk into the kitchen, stopping in right next to her in front of the sink. "Might as well make it sooner."
A/N New year, New Chapters!!
I know, I know, this chapter was kinda bland, but if y'all haven't noticed I'm definitely more of a slow burn author if you haven't noticed. I want y'all to fall in love with everyone! Well....not everyone. You already know who I don't want you to fall in love with lmao
But yeah here's the new chapter! Do you feel like Killer is getting a little more comfortable around Shills, and letting him see how her family really is? Do any of y'all have siblings that's that crazy? Because I have plenty of siblings and cousins that act like Bear and Bug!
Well, now that the holidays are over I'm trying to get back to my regular posting schedule! I'll let you know if anything changes!
Much Love,
Naomi