I Still Remember

“Well…here we are.”

I scan the room. I couldn’t believe I was back for good. I was home, in Thunder Bay, after everything that had happened, I was back. It had been atleast four in a half years since I had moved away, but I was back now.

It wouldn’t be for long though, I’d be sent back to Chicago after a few days for school but the few days I’d be here weren’t going to be a vacation. They were going to be the few days of hell that I didn’t want to encounter.

“OH MY GOD! MRS. PISANI!”

I turn to see Renee and Sydney walking in with duffles. There was no way in fucken hell these two were going to miss the explosions that were going to happen within a few days. There was only one reason I was home in Thunder Bay, which was for my sisters intervention.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love my sister to death and wish she didn’t do half the shit she did, but I was avoiding this day for only God knows how long. It was summertime, and I’ve been avoiding Thunder Bay since I moved to Chicago for pre-Law. I hardly came back in the summer and now that I was twenty-three and in law school, I had more of a reason to not come back at all.

It was HIM I was avoiding.

“When is this intervention going down?” I asked my mom as I opened the cabinet in hopes no one would warn me he was coming.
“Tonight.”
“Looking forward to it,” I mumble as the other two went into the other room to make phone calls.
“The Staals are coming too…”

I choke on my water as she says this. Yes, I know I grew up with all four of those boys. Yes, I know it is the off season from their jobs. Yes, I know they cared about my older sister, but why the hell would they come to this. I really wish she didn’t tell me this. “I know you didn’t want to hear thaty Gina,” mom tells me.

“Mom, I’ve done my very best to avoid Marc for the past four years, and now I have to face him…thanks!”
“Gina, they ask about you all the time. They miss you…especially Jared.”
“This is the point where I get up and go to the barn.”
“Gina don’t act like this,” my mom tells me.
“Is my horse still there?”
“Yes.”
“Renee! Syd! Barn!”

The three of us go to the barn and we sit there in silence, drinking beer. No one talks. I’m so pissed off right now I could punch something. “The Staals are coming,” I roll my eyes. Renee spits her beer out and Sydney has the can inches toward her lips. Renee is looking at me now and finally spits out, “Run that by me again…”

“My mother invited the Staals.”
“Why the hell would she do that? She knows you don’t wanna see that ginger!” Sydney yells.
“Because since Lindsy and I grew up with them, she wants the boys input…and to make my life a living hell.”
“Gina, you haven’t seen them since…well…you know…”
“I would like to keep it at that.”
“What even happened with you and Marc?” Renee asks me.
“I really don’t feel like talking about it, okay?”
“Okay, we can deal with that, but really Gina, you can’t be mad at all four of them,” Syd tells me.
“I’m not mad at three of them, it’s Marc I’m mad at.”
“Gina?”
“Renee?”
“I just think you and Marc need to fix your issue.”
“The way I see it is this, you can’t pick up where you left off…hell, I don’t even know where that ginger and I left off at.”

“When’s the intervention?”
“Tonight.”
“Maybe we should go get ready?” Sydney suggests.
“I wanna get piss ass drunk for this,” I mumble.
“You know whats funny? This is for Lindsys drinking issue, and you wanna get piss ass drunk for it?” Renee tells me.
“Okay lets go,” I mumble as we walk out of the barn.

We walk into the house and people are here. I catch Mrs. Staal then turn to walk away until I hear, “Gina, is that you?” come out of her mouth. I stop in my tracks. I couldn’t hide from this family forever. I force a fake smile on my face and turn to face her. “It’s been so long!” She tells me as she hugs me.

“Yeah,” I agree, even though I don’t want to talk to her or any of the Staals for that matter. “How are you?”
“I’ve been good. The boys miss you.”
“I’m sure they do,” I say as I see Jared from behind her.
“GINA!” Jared yells.
“Hi Jared,” I mumble as I catch Sydney and Renee give me death glares.
“Look who finally decided to come home,” Jared jokes but I know he’s serious.
“Yeah…I know.”
“I heard your in law school now, that’s awesome! Are you going to save mine and my brothers asses in the near future?”
“It’s a possibility….”

I stop talking and my eyes shift to behind Jared. He walks in. He who I wanted to avoid walks in. Marc fucken Staal walked into my house. I excuse myself and make my way for the kitchen. This wasn’t happening. I shouldn’t have come home. I look around the kitchen and try to calm myself down. I shouldn’t have come. I shouldn’t have waited around for a year for him.

I leave the kitchen. This was going to be the longest few days of my life. I take my seat and Marc takes the one across from me. For once, I was glad this wasn’t about me. I look up and catch Marc sending daggers with his eyes. I slunk down in my chair as Renee hits me upside the head. Lindsy walks in and sees everyone in our living room. I don’t know who’s more pissed about the situation, her or I. Everyone looks at me. “Lindsy, because I love you and you’re my sister, we all need to talk so sit down.”

Let the intervention begin.