Walking Contradictions

"So where's your mom?" Brad asked Izzy as he walked her home from school one day. They had finally gotten to know each other and had more in common then they originally thought.

"She's in the army. Deployed right now." Izzy replied, adjusting the strap on her bookbag. "What about your mom?"

"Oh...she isn't in this universe anymore. Suicide."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Izzy gave a sympathetic look.

"Meh, she didn't want us anyway so I could care less. Better off without her," Brad stiffled a sigh and forced a smile, "so how was school?"

"Fucking boring man. You're so lucky you already graduated, I'd kill to get out of there."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," the pair turned the corner and started the long walk down Queen street, "Dad's philosophy is you either go to school or work."

"How's your job hunt coming?"

"Lack luster at best. Not a damn thing around here," Brad grunted, shifting the weight of Izzy's books that he carried in his arms. "So where are we headed?"

"Your house?" Izzy grinned, raising her eyebrows.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's hurry so we can beat the brat home."

"Brad!" Anna called out as she closed the front door that afternoon, locking out the freezing air. The house was so silent you could hear the air moving. "Brad?" She put her bag down and headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Hey dumbass where are you?" Something in the back of her head told her not to bother her brother, but she headed down the small hallway and turned the knob, 'Hey brad are y- OH MY GOD!"

"Close the door!" Brad barked as Izzy scrambled to cover herself.

"Sorry!" Anna slammed the door shut and held in a scream of terror, trying not to vomit. "Lock the door next time." She muttered before going to her room to do her homework and possibly slam her head against the wall until she forgot what her brother's ass or Izzy's bare tits looked like.

The family of three sat at the dining room table that night, eating take out. Brad and Anna were silent while their father rattled on about his day and the latest gossip. Anytime the siblings would make eye contact, Brad would blush and Anna would grin and make some obscene gesture with her tongue. After this happening several times however, the pair noticed their father had fallen silent and was watching them.

"Did I miss something?" Thomas asked, putting his chopsticks in the small white box in his hands. "The hell did you do Brad?"

"Not a damn thing!" Brad retorted, trying to look offended.

"He did the neighbor girl," Anna giggled.

"Oh what the fuck!" Thomas exclaimed.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Brad tried to launch himself across the table at his laughing sister. "Bitch!" He yelled, grabbing a handful of his sister's hair, who screamed in pain and swatted at him.

"Asshole!"

"Slut!"

"Takes one to know one!"

"Enough!" Thomas's voice was ear piercing and caused his children to freeze and let go of each other. "I have fucking had it with you two! We're finally outta that damn project, in a good town, and you two act like you've lost your god damn minds!" He glared at Brad. "You! You chose to skip college to help me out, but all you're doing is raising my damn stress level. Find a fuckin job, help me out, and chill the fuck out before I kill you! I don't give a fuck how, just do it! And you!' He turned his attention to Anna. "Whip that smirk off your face! Quit instigating shit and get a fucking hobby! You two aren't each other's punching bags, you're siblings! Now both of you shut the fuck up and act like you fucking love each other before I kill you both!" Thomas sat back, took a breath, and let his heart rate and blood pressure drop to normal levels before saying in an even voice, "Now both of you sit down and keep eating."

The rest of the night passed without any problems. The family finished their meal with basic conversation and then the siblings went their separate ways at the top of the stairs after sharing an apologetic hug.

"Love ya, bitch boy."

"You too, runt."

"What the hell am I gonna do with those two?" Thomas sighed to himself, flipping through channels on their new TV. The giant home had been furnished about a week now after Thomas and Andy made a trip to Elizabeth City with a giant moving truck. Thomas smiled to himself when he came across The Daily Show, sinking into the couch cushion.

There was a knock on the door that shattered the silence of the whole house. Thomas heard two bedroom doors open upstairs and looked at the clock on the wall. It was just past 11. Who the hell comes by someone's home at 11 at night? He got up and walked to the door, unlocked it and opened it. He was greeted with a swift punch to the face.

"You son of a bitch!" He attacker yelled in a hurt voice. "You left me without saying anything!"

"Oz!" Anna yelled with joy as she bolted down the stairs and hugging the drug dealer. "I missed you so much."

"Hey baby doll."

Thomas was still reeling from the punch. "How the fuck did you find us?" He coughed, holding his nose.

"When you started selling for me I put a tracker on yyour car so you couldn't run off with my supplies, you slippery shit." Oz growled, holding Anna tighter. "Instead you run off with my babies."

"You sound like my mother." Thomas rolled his eyes, pulling his friend and daughter inside and closing the door. "God you scared the hell out of me.. I thought you were Tony."