Sequel: Shorts from Spinning at the Seams ›
Spinning at the Seams
Chapter 11
“Of course you’re welcome for dinner, I’ll grab a plate for you,” I said as I pried my sister’s arms off my leg. Marc’s head whipped up at this, and he sent me a glare. Boys are so strange, one minute their willing to admit their deepest darkest secrets, and the next they’re right back to hating you. They have more mood swings then girls do. Julia finally let go, and trailed after me as I set the extra plate on the table. Hunter stood at the side of the kitchen I was cutting the garlic bread on, looking very uncomfortable.
“Hey Hunter,” he turned to look at me, his eyes relieved, “could you go upstairs and tell my sisters dinner is ready, and if they tell you that they aren’t hungry or are too busy to eat, could you please remind them, that if I’m not too busy than neither are they.” Hunter nodded and walked quickly towards the stairs avoiding my brother’s glare. I looked down at Julia, “Hey go with Hunter, make sure Olivia listens.” I knew Di would come down no problem, but Olivia might need some convincing, and what was more convincing then Julia’s round brown eyes? She nodded and ran in the direction Hunter had just gone. I turned on my brother. “What in the world is your problem?”
Marc just looked at me, “You know what my problem is,”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I was getting annoyed, Hunter was one of my best friends, and Marc was being a jerk to him. I wasn’t going to stand for this, Marc can be a jerk at school, but at home manners were called for, especially in front of Julia.
“You know what that means, you can’t really be that blind, Toni.” I knew what he was talking about, but it never bothered me, I hated when it bothered guys like Marc, they really needed to grow up and move on.
“Marc, I really don’t care, okay, and neither should you. If you want to be a masochistic jerk, do it alone, you are not going to do it here, you are not going to do it to his face, and you are certainly not going to do it in front of Julia. If you have a problem with that you are more then welcome to eat dinner in your room. But if your going to eat with us, you are going to be on your best behavior, is that clear?” I glared at Marc, who was glaring back. Marc looked about to respond when suddenly Di came prancing into the room, Olivia behind her. Di looked around and seeing Marc’s death glare, and mine mimicking his, she froze. Olivia sensing the tension froze beside her sister, looking between Marc and me.
“Fine, I’ll be nice, but just remember you can’t watch him forever Toni.” The way he said that made my blood run cold.
“What is that supposed to mean? I swear if you touch him Marc, you will never see it coming, I will promise you that. He is my BEST FRIEND he has been there through everything, and you. Will. Leave. Him. Alone.” I glared harder at him, and he suddenly backed down, walking to the table.
Dinner was cold, and uncomfortable. Marc refused to talk, or look at anyone, and the second he was done he rushed off to his room. Olivia and Di were uneasy about the fight they had witnessed, and Julia could sense the tension but just couldn’t place it, she looked worried the entire time. That was what I was trying to avoid, and Hunter just kept shifting in his seat looking at me with that ‘help me please’ look on his face. Once Marc left the room settled, and the tension dissipated.
“Olivia, Di, I signed you guys up for a creative writing class on Mondays, it will be at 5:30, so I’ll take you, then take you home after my dance class.” They looked excited at this, and proceeded to tell a curious Hunter about the stories they were writing.
After dinner, Hunter took off telling me that I’d better be online tonight, and the twins disappeared back upstairs, apparently Hunter had given them some inspiration. I gave Julia her bath, and as I finished her story and tucked her in, she surprised me.
“Why does Markey hate me?” I looked at her shocked.
“Marc doesn’t hate you, Jules.” The sad look on her face still didn’t go away.
“Does he blame me for daddy leaving?” The conversation replayed in my head, and I didn’t know the honest answer to that. So I went with the one she needed to hear.
“No, he doesn’t blame you. He blames a lot of people, but he could never blame you, okay?” She nodded and hugged her stuffed dog closer.
“Night, Toni.”
“Night, Jules” I smiled at her as I turned off the lights, and resisted the urge to go give my brother a piece of my mind. But I managed to resist, I had promised Hunter, I’d be online.
“Hey Hunter,” he turned to look at me, his eyes relieved, “could you go upstairs and tell my sisters dinner is ready, and if they tell you that they aren’t hungry or are too busy to eat, could you please remind them, that if I’m not too busy than neither are they.” Hunter nodded and walked quickly towards the stairs avoiding my brother’s glare. I looked down at Julia, “Hey go with Hunter, make sure Olivia listens.” I knew Di would come down no problem, but Olivia might need some convincing, and what was more convincing then Julia’s round brown eyes? She nodded and ran in the direction Hunter had just gone. I turned on my brother. “What in the world is your problem?”
Marc just looked at me, “You know what my problem is,”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I was getting annoyed, Hunter was one of my best friends, and Marc was being a jerk to him. I wasn’t going to stand for this, Marc can be a jerk at school, but at home manners were called for, especially in front of Julia.
“You know what that means, you can’t really be that blind, Toni.” I knew what he was talking about, but it never bothered me, I hated when it bothered guys like Marc, they really needed to grow up and move on.
“Marc, I really don’t care, okay, and neither should you. If you want to be a masochistic jerk, do it alone, you are not going to do it here, you are not going to do it to his face, and you are certainly not going to do it in front of Julia. If you have a problem with that you are more then welcome to eat dinner in your room. But if your going to eat with us, you are going to be on your best behavior, is that clear?” I glared at Marc, who was glaring back. Marc looked about to respond when suddenly Di came prancing into the room, Olivia behind her. Di looked around and seeing Marc’s death glare, and mine mimicking his, she froze. Olivia sensing the tension froze beside her sister, looking between Marc and me.
“Fine, I’ll be nice, but just remember you can’t watch him forever Toni.” The way he said that made my blood run cold.
“What is that supposed to mean? I swear if you touch him Marc, you will never see it coming, I will promise you that. He is my BEST FRIEND he has been there through everything, and you. Will. Leave. Him. Alone.” I glared harder at him, and he suddenly backed down, walking to the table.
Dinner was cold, and uncomfortable. Marc refused to talk, or look at anyone, and the second he was done he rushed off to his room. Olivia and Di were uneasy about the fight they had witnessed, and Julia could sense the tension but just couldn’t place it, she looked worried the entire time. That was what I was trying to avoid, and Hunter just kept shifting in his seat looking at me with that ‘help me please’ look on his face. Once Marc left the room settled, and the tension dissipated.
“Olivia, Di, I signed you guys up for a creative writing class on Mondays, it will be at 5:30, so I’ll take you, then take you home after my dance class.” They looked excited at this, and proceeded to tell a curious Hunter about the stories they were writing.
After dinner, Hunter took off telling me that I’d better be online tonight, and the twins disappeared back upstairs, apparently Hunter had given them some inspiration. I gave Julia her bath, and as I finished her story and tucked her in, she surprised me.
“Why does Markey hate me?” I looked at her shocked.
“Marc doesn’t hate you, Jules.” The sad look on her face still didn’t go away.
“Does he blame me for daddy leaving?” The conversation replayed in my head, and I didn’t know the honest answer to that. So I went with the one she needed to hear.
“No, he doesn’t blame you. He blames a lot of people, but he could never blame you, okay?” She nodded and hugged her stuffed dog closer.
“Night, Toni.”
“Night, Jules” I smiled at her as I turned off the lights, and resisted the urge to go give my brother a piece of my mind. But I managed to resist, I had promised Hunter, I’d be online.