Status: Taking a break to get things together again
It's a Good Year for a ***
Chapter 34
My eyes flutter open and I try to sit up, only to find Matt’s arms wrapped tightly around me. His head is leaned back against the wall and his eyes are closed.
“Matt.” I whisper. He makes a grunting sound but doesn’t wake.
Pushing his arms off me I slide out of his lap and sit on the floor beside him. Turning around, I’m surprised to find all the boys in the room, asleep and spread out on the floor. Carefully I navigate around them and leave the room, walking down the stairs to the kitchen. I grab a bowl and pour a fair amount of lucky charms in it. I pour the milk until the cereal reaches the brim and then I sit down at the table. The morning sun is shinnying through the window behind the sink, casting shadows across the floor. Staring absentmindedly at them as I eat, I can’t help but think back to yesterday. I killed a man. A bad man, but still I killed him nonetheless. I for sure am going to hell now. Maybe God would grant me some kind of pass or something. It was self-defense after all. Does God take those sorts of things into account? Do you get to explain yourself?
Someone yelling brings me out of my thoughts. I can’t make out what’s going on so I stay where I am, eating my cereal quietly. Johnny runs into the kitchen, skidding to a stop by the refrigerator.
“Found her!” he yells “Hi.”
“Hi Johnny. Whatcha doing?”
“Was looking for you, but here you are.”
“I was hungry.”
The other boys shuffle into room, each taking seats at the table. Zacky lifts me out of the chair and sits down, putting me in his lap.
“You scared me.” Zacky whispers into my ear.
“Sorry. I just wanted some breakfast.”
“I’m talking about last night.”
“I was scared too. I thought he was going to kill me.”
“You don’t remember?” Matt asks, joining our conversation.
“I remember. I killed him.”
“Do you remember what happened after we got home?” Johnny asks, all the guys looking me.
“I went to sleep.”
“You really don’t remember?” Zacky asks, his hands playing with the hem of my shirt.
“What?”
“You had a night terror.” Johnny answers me.
“Oh. Well, sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” Jimmy asks, sounding confused.
“Well I must’ve woken you all up; you were all lying on the floor.”
No one says anything so I hop off Zacky’s lap and wash my bowl in the sink. I dry it off and put it back in the cabinet, then I turn to face the guys. Each of them are staring off into space, obviously thinking hard about something.
“What are we doing today?”
“Tattoos.” Jimmy smiles at me
“Tattoos?”
All the guys disappear from the table and head off to get ready. Letting Stallion out of his cage I carry him downstairs and let him out into the yard. He pees on a bush and comes running back to me, whining at my feet. Leaning down I pick him up and snuggle into him fur. He licks my face making me laugh.
“He was mad that I put him in the cage. He didn’t want anyone to touch you.” Zacky says from behind me.
“That’s cause he loves his mama.” I say without turning around. “Can we take him with us?”
“If you want too.”
“Matt.” I whisper. He makes a grunting sound but doesn’t wake.
Pushing his arms off me I slide out of his lap and sit on the floor beside him. Turning around, I’m surprised to find all the boys in the room, asleep and spread out on the floor. Carefully I navigate around them and leave the room, walking down the stairs to the kitchen. I grab a bowl and pour a fair amount of lucky charms in it. I pour the milk until the cereal reaches the brim and then I sit down at the table. The morning sun is shinnying through the window behind the sink, casting shadows across the floor. Staring absentmindedly at them as I eat, I can’t help but think back to yesterday. I killed a man. A bad man, but still I killed him nonetheless. I for sure am going to hell now. Maybe God would grant me some kind of pass or something. It was self-defense after all. Does God take those sorts of things into account? Do you get to explain yourself?
Someone yelling brings me out of my thoughts. I can’t make out what’s going on so I stay where I am, eating my cereal quietly. Johnny runs into the kitchen, skidding to a stop by the refrigerator.
“Found her!” he yells “Hi.”
“Hi Johnny. Whatcha doing?”
“Was looking for you, but here you are.”
“I was hungry.”
The other boys shuffle into room, each taking seats at the table. Zacky lifts me out of the chair and sits down, putting me in his lap.
“You scared me.” Zacky whispers into my ear.
“Sorry. I just wanted some breakfast.”
“I’m talking about last night.”
“I was scared too. I thought he was going to kill me.”
“You don’t remember?” Matt asks, joining our conversation.
“I remember. I killed him.”
“Do you remember what happened after we got home?” Johnny asks, all the guys looking me.
“I went to sleep.”
“You really don’t remember?” Zacky asks, his hands playing with the hem of my shirt.
“What?”
“You had a night terror.” Johnny answers me.
“Oh. Well, sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” Jimmy asks, sounding confused.
“Well I must’ve woken you all up; you were all lying on the floor.”
No one says anything so I hop off Zacky’s lap and wash my bowl in the sink. I dry it off and put it back in the cabinet, then I turn to face the guys. Each of them are staring off into space, obviously thinking hard about something.
“What are we doing today?”
“Tattoos.” Jimmy smiles at me
“Tattoos?”
All the guys disappear from the table and head off to get ready. Letting Stallion out of his cage I carry him downstairs and let him out into the yard. He pees on a bush and comes running back to me, whining at my feet. Leaning down I pick him up and snuggle into him fur. He licks my face making me laugh.
“He was mad that I put him in the cage. He didn’t want anyone to touch you.” Zacky says from behind me.
“That’s cause he loves his mama.” I say without turning around. “Can we take him with us?”
“If you want too.”