I'm Not Your Protege, Just Your Kid

Zack had just unlocked the front door and led us into the house when Gena came stalking through the family room.

“I’m going shopping,” she told Zack and left without waiting for an answer.

Zack just sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, making it wild and messy. Devon and I followed him into the family room and took a seat across from him. Even though I’m not exactly fond of him, I do have some sympathy for him. I mean he was just dumped with two kids and has a gold digging bitch as a girlfriend.

“Why don’t you end it?” I asked him.

“End what?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Break it off with Gena,” I answered.

“It’s not that simple,” he mumbled.

How the hell can breaking up with someone not be simple?

“Yes it is. If you want I’ll do it for you,” I shrugged having no problem with it. I would gladly tell Gena to pack her shit and go. Hell, I’d even help her pack.

“Just drop the subject okay? Now let’s talk about you guys punishment,” he said.

“Punishment?! You didn’t even get to hear our side of the story!” Devon angrily yelled, making me flinch.

“Regardless of that you still got in a fight, on your first day of school,” Zack stated.

The old man did have a point there, but come those kids deserved it.

“So what?! They deserved it,” Devon argued. I swear Devon takes the words right out of my mouth sometimes.

“Are you done? I want to get this over with and go to bed,” Zack asked in a bored tone.

Devon just huffed and sulked next to me, throwing him self back into the cushions.

“Okay so the guys agreed with me on this punishment. Starting tomorrow until you go back you two will be cleaning everyone’s house and mowing their lawn. However you guys split up the work is up to you but it is going to get done. You’ll start here tomorrow and go in whatever order you want until you’ve completed everyone’s house. Understand?” he asked.

Right than and there I wanted a large pit of fire to show itself in the middle of the family room and swallow Zack. What kind of punishment was this? I’d rather prance around in my underwear for the whole world to see than do housework and yard work.

“I hate you,” I said and stormed upstairs. I got into my room and slammed the door hard enough that one of the pictures outside in the hall crashed to the floor. I threw myself on my bed and decided to go to sleep since there was nothing else to do.

Someone started shaking me and I dug myself deeper in my sheets. I knew why I was being woken up and I wasn’t getting up without a fight. The person threw my sheets back and I groaned in annoyance. I clung to my pillow and just curled up into a ball.

“Jayden, get up,” I heard someone say. I couldn’t quite place the voice but I knew it wasn’t Zack or Devon.

“No,” I said and tightened my grip on my pillow.

“Get up,” the person argued.

“Fuck off,”

The person sighed and I inwardly grinned, thinking that I won this battle. A second later I felt a pair of hands on my ankles and they started dragging me down my bed.

“Get off!” I yelled and finally opened my eyes to see that it was Brian pulling me.

I heard Devon yelling curse words across the hall and I knew he was probably going through the same thing.

“Come on Jayden, Zack said it’s time for you to get up,” he said and tried to pry me off of my bed but I had a death grip on the mattress.

“Tell Zack that I’m going to fuck him up whenever I decide to grace him with my presence,” I shot back and started to pull myself up the bed.

“Guys! I need help!” Brian hollered.

I saw Devon being dragged by Jimmy outside my door towards his bathroom and I already knew that I wasn’t going to win. Devon was pretty strong, but if he was yanked out of his bed than there was no hope for me. Thundering footsteps came down the hallway and I saw Matt walk in.

Oh dear god, they brought in the fucking gorilla. I definitely had no chance if Matt was going to help. I scrambled up the bed when Brian wasn’t paying attention and used all my strength to hold onto the wooden headboard. Matt grabbed my other ankle and started to tug along with Brian.

“Jayden, quit making everything difficult and just get up,” Matt said.

“No, go fuck a dog and leave me alone!” I screamed, not really caring if what I said made sense or not.

My grip on the headboard was slowly starting to weaken. The more they pulled the more my fingers slipped. Matt and Brian used all their strength and finally dragged me out of bed and onto the floor.

I glared up at them and they each gave me a tiny grin. I gave them both the middle finger and got off the floor. I snatched some clothes and stormed out of my room so I could get ready.

Both Devon and I went down the stairs, wearing some black basketball shorts and wife beaters. We saw everyone sitting in the family room, enjoying whatever was on T.V while Devon and I got to work. We decided to start in the kitchen since that’s the easiest place in the house.

We walked in and sighed in relief when we saw that there were only a few dishes in the sink and hardly any mess on the floor. Devon took his position by the sink while I went in search of the broom. It wasn’t in the kitchen so I decided to check the small closet in the hallway.

I opened the door and a mountain of cleaning stuff toppled over on me. I shrieked and fell down with everything, including that damn broom, right on top of me. A pair of feet came into my line of vision and I saw Zack looking down at me.

“I see you found the cleaning stuff,” he said and walked away.

“Stupid fucking bastard,” I mumbled.

I dug my way out of the mess and grabbed the broom on my way back to the kitchen. Devon was done washing the dishes and was now wiping down the counters so I stared to sweep up.

“Why were you screaming?” Devon asked.

“All of Zack’s unused cleaning products fell on top of me,” I grumbled and continued sweeping.

“Did he help you?”

“Of course not because that would mean that he actually likes me in some way,” I snapped and swept the dust into the dust pan. I threw the crumbs and dust into the garbage can and placed the broom in the corner of the kitchen that way Zack will see it and get the hint to use it every once in a while.

“Alright Devon, you start dusting the family room and I vacuum,” I said.

“But they’re watching T.V out there,”

“I know,” I smirked and he got the idea. We shook hands on the plan and went into the family room.

Devon grabbed a rag and started to wipe down every surface within the family room. I plugged in the vacuum and turned it on. I started passing it underneath the couches, side table and coffee table and I smirked to myself when I heard the volume of the T.V go higher. I purposely took my time in front of the T.V, making sure to vacuum over spots that I already did.

“Jayden move we’re missing the game,” Zack said.

“What?” I yelled even though I heard him perfectly fine.

“Turn off the vacuum!” he yelled.

“I can’t hear you!” I shouted and went back to vacuuming. I turned to Devon and saw him laughing to himself in the corner where he was dusting. Whatever they were watching went to a commercial and I moved away from the front of the television. I finished vacuuming and finally shut it off. I turned around and saw everyone glaring at me, with the exception of Devon.

“What?” I innocently asked.

“You know what you did,” Brian huffed.

“I do. I was cleaning up the house like Zack ordered me to,” I shrugged and carried the noisy contraption out of the family room so I could put it back.

I smiled in happiness and continued to think of ways to piss off Zack.

It was nearly 4 in the damn afternoon and I was ready to pass out with Devon on the front lawn. We just finished cutting the lawn and clipping the bushes when the guys decided to haul their fat asses off the couch and come outside.

“We have stuff for you,” Zack called out, holding two big cups of water.

I looked at Devon whose face was covered in sweat and was red from working and having the sun constantly beating down on his face. Both of us walked over to the guys, ready to kill someone. I wiped the excessive amount of sweat off my forehead and wiped it on Zack before snatching the cup of water out of his hand.

I tried to regulate my breathing before I could drink any water but it was pretty difficult.

I had to quit smoking because those god damn cigarettes and everything else was making it harder for me to be active. I finally calmed down my breathing and started to gulp down the water. I could feel the cold water run down my throat, through my chest and into my stomach.

I plopped myself down on the grass and lied back with Devon by my side. I held the cup of water to my stomach and started to stare up at the light blue sky. I tuned everyone out and continued to look at the funny shaped clouds floating above in a lazy manner. As I was laying there a memory came into my head.

“Come back here Jayden,” mom yelled from behind me.

I squealed and started to run across the park as fast as my three year old legs could carry me. My pig tails swung around my face as I continued to run away from my mom. Devon was running right behind her, joining in on the fun of capturing me. I felt myself being scooped up and I laughed in excitement. She picked up Devon who was tugging on her pant leg and held each of us underneath her arms as if we were potato sacks.

Mine and Devon’s laughs filled the air as mom started to spin us around. I kicked my sandal covered feet and squealed as she collapsed on the ground with Devon and I on either side of her. All three of us were trying to catch our breath and just stared at the clouds above.

We were in a comfortable silence and my eyes started to droop when mom began to softly run her fingers through my hair.

“I love you guys,” she whispered and planted a kiss on each of our foreheads.

“We love you too mommy,” Devon and I said at the same time.

I felt someone shaking me and I snapped out of my daydreaming.

“Jayden, you okay?” Devon asked me.

“Yeah why?” I asked and sat up.

“All of us were yelling at you to come inside before it rains and you just stayed put on the grass,” he explained.

I looked up and saw that the sky had started to become gray during my little trip down memory lane. I didn’t say anything to Devon but instead got up from the lawn, brushed myself off and went inside the house. I put my cup in the sink and walked past everyone to the stairs. I walked upstairs to my room and softly shut the door. I threw myself on my bed and thought of my little memory outside.

In a way the sudden change of weather outside described my life. During my childhood everything was sunny but once mom gave Devon and I up everything turned into the stony gray color of the sky outside and it didn’t look like the sun was about to show up in my life again anytime soon.