All I Ever Wanted
Paint
Jerry didn't ask any questions on the way home. He left me be.
It was once we were at home that the questions began. Robbie and Landon noticed my mood instantly. They didn't question me, they questioned Jerry. He answered all the questions in a way to keep Robbie calm.
It worked.
I wasn't asked any questions personally.
The siding on the house was still in good condition. I was able to start painting right away. Jerry went back to organizing the garage, leaving me to paint alone.
Shingles were still flying. Robbie occasionally being able to catch one. Landon was carrying new shingles up to the top of the roof. He was being careful not to drop them.
By the time the sun set the roof was completely finished and the lawn was cleaned up. The front of the house was half painted. The bottom half to be precise. Landon was using the ladder, so I had to stick to areas I could reach my hand.
The garage looked worse than when I interrupted Jerry earlier. Jerry was getting picked on when the guys noticed.
"Leave him alone." I said, defending him, "He's not a neat freak like Landon."
They all started laughing. Landon just smiled.
The next day we worked on the outside of the house again.
Jerry and Landon worked on the garage. Getting it organized and clean. Chance wanted the van parked inside tonight.
Kenny and Robbie started repairing the windows. Replacing boards that were warped and cracked. Almost all of the windows needed help.
Chance helped me paint. We had gotten to the ladder first. Chance helped the bottom, making sure it didn't wobble or shake while I painted the high points. I was liking the color more and more.
"How's it going?" I heard Robbie ask.
"Good!" I shouted looked down at him.
Robbie started laughing. I raised an eyebrow and looked over at Chance. He was holding back laughter. I felt the ladder shaking lightly as he tried to maintain it.
"What?!"
They started laughing harder.
"Guys!"
Kenny came around to see what was up. He also started laughing when he looked up.
"What?"
"The paints supposed to go on the house!" Kenny said with a smile.
I put the paintbrush in the paint can. I made sure I had a good hold on the ladder before looking down at my arms and chest.
Sure enough I was covered with paint.
Good thing I'm wearing an old shirt. I thought with a smile.
"Oops!"
I climbed down the ladder with the paint. The guys had stopped their laughing.
"So I'm not the best painter."
Jerry and Landon had come to see what everyone was laughing about. Jerry smiled when he saw me. Landon looked a little upset. His neat-freak-ness was getting the best of him.
"I'll go shower and change."
I handed the paint can to Chance before walking into the house.
I was careful not to touch anything while making my way upstairs into the bathroom. It was easy enough, all I had to do was push open the doors. Luckily none of them had shut properly. Normally I would yell at my brothers for not shutting the doors properly, but at the moment I was grateful.
Once I had the paint all wash off, double checking twice, I got out of the shower.
I found another pair of old jeans and a wore shirt. It wasn't that hard, it was just how my closet looked.
When I got back outside Robbie was up on the ladder painting.
"You let Robbie up on a ladder with paint." I said standing next to Chance.
"It was him or Jerry." Chance said with a smile.
"You wouldn't get Jerry on a ladder if you paid him." I said, referring to his fear of heights.
I couldn't blame him for not liking heights. He fell off a ladder when he was seven. He was trying to help our dad fix a window. Nobody was supervising and the ladder slipped.
I spent the rest of the day holding the ladder steady. Robbie stayed cleaner than I did. He didn't ruin his shirt but he did get it all over his arms and face. Some of it even ended up in his hair.
Adding to the blonde highlight already there.
It was once we were at home that the questions began. Robbie and Landon noticed my mood instantly. They didn't question me, they questioned Jerry. He answered all the questions in a way to keep Robbie calm.
It worked.
I wasn't asked any questions personally.
The siding on the house was still in good condition. I was able to start painting right away. Jerry went back to organizing the garage, leaving me to paint alone.
Shingles were still flying. Robbie occasionally being able to catch one. Landon was carrying new shingles up to the top of the roof. He was being careful not to drop them.
By the time the sun set the roof was completely finished and the lawn was cleaned up. The front of the house was half painted. The bottom half to be precise. Landon was using the ladder, so I had to stick to areas I could reach my hand.
The garage looked worse than when I interrupted Jerry earlier. Jerry was getting picked on when the guys noticed.
"Leave him alone." I said, defending him, "He's not a neat freak like Landon."
They all started laughing. Landon just smiled.
The next day we worked on the outside of the house again.
Jerry and Landon worked on the garage. Getting it organized and clean. Chance wanted the van parked inside tonight.
Kenny and Robbie started repairing the windows. Replacing boards that were warped and cracked. Almost all of the windows needed help.
Chance helped me paint. We had gotten to the ladder first. Chance helped the bottom, making sure it didn't wobble or shake while I painted the high points. I was liking the color more and more.
"How's it going?" I heard Robbie ask.
"Good!" I shouted looked down at him.
Robbie started laughing. I raised an eyebrow and looked over at Chance. He was holding back laughter. I felt the ladder shaking lightly as he tried to maintain it.
"What?!"
They started laughing harder.
"Guys!"
Kenny came around to see what was up. He also started laughing when he looked up.
"What?"
"The paints supposed to go on the house!" Kenny said with a smile.
I put the paintbrush in the paint can. I made sure I had a good hold on the ladder before looking down at my arms and chest.
Sure enough I was covered with paint.
Good thing I'm wearing an old shirt. I thought with a smile.
"Oops!"
I climbed down the ladder with the paint. The guys had stopped their laughing.
"So I'm not the best painter."
Jerry and Landon had come to see what everyone was laughing about. Jerry smiled when he saw me. Landon looked a little upset. His neat-freak-ness was getting the best of him.
"I'll go shower and change."
I handed the paint can to Chance before walking into the house.
I was careful not to touch anything while making my way upstairs into the bathroom. It was easy enough, all I had to do was push open the doors. Luckily none of them had shut properly. Normally I would yell at my brothers for not shutting the doors properly, but at the moment I was grateful.
Once I had the paint all wash off, double checking twice, I got out of the shower.
I found another pair of old jeans and a wore shirt. It wasn't that hard, it was just how my closet looked.
When I got back outside Robbie was up on the ladder painting.
"You let Robbie up on a ladder with paint." I said standing next to Chance.
"It was him or Jerry." Chance said with a smile.
"You wouldn't get Jerry on a ladder if you paid him." I said, referring to his fear of heights.
I couldn't blame him for not liking heights. He fell off a ladder when he was seven. He was trying to help our dad fix a window. Nobody was supervising and the ladder slipped.
I spent the rest of the day holding the ladder steady. Robbie stayed cleaner than I did. He didn't ruin his shirt but he did get it all over his arms and face. Some of it even ended up in his hair.
Adding to the blonde highlight already there.