CHAPTER 14 - HEAVEN AND HELL

KITCHEN - TWO HOURS LATER

NYA

“Good morning.” Justin says as he comes in with Brian.

“Afternoon.” We all chorus back at them.

“So did you have a nice talk?” Gus asks cheekily, making us snicker and garnering baleful looks from his Dad and Papa J.

“Yes thank you, Gus. What’s for breakfast?” Brian asks, not meeting anybody’s eye.

“Lunch, Dad. It’s gone twelve.” Kemi smirks. “Oh dad, did you fall?”

“No. Why?”

“You've got a bruise on your neck... well a couple of them…”

“Justin!” Brian leaps up and starts to leave, presumably, to try find a mirror.

“Here Brian, use mine.” Aunt Jennifer says solicitously, a smile playing round her lips.

“Thank you.” He mumbles reluctantly, taking it off her and checking his neck.

“So did he, Justin?” I ask, looking him dead in the eye.

“Did who and did he what?” He replied, dropping his eyes and starting to blush.

“Jesus. Did he want you for a sunbeam?” I grin.

“NYA!” He exclaims and we all burst out laughing at their red faces.

“Oh God! You heard that?” Brian cringes.

“Yep, though that was all we heard. Honest. And by all, I mean all of us heard it. Unfortunately for you two, there was a delay in us lighting up and you lighting him up!” Hunter guffaws.

“Can we please stop?!” Justin squirms and buries his head in a napkin.

Aunt Jennifer clears her throat with a faint smirk. “Yes, we can. The only people who should discuss those cummings and goings between you two, is you two.”

“MOTHER, STOP!” Justin has gone beyond crimson and Brian has his head in his hands.

“Nya…” Tobias turns to me. “...all this talk has caused quite a stir in my…”

“Upstairs now!” I order and grinning lasciviously, I start to follow him out but pause and lean down to whisper in Brian’s ear. “I heard the other things you said, but will let you tell them.” He gives a shy smile and takes Justin’s hand under the table to give it a squeeze.

“Nya!” Tobias yells from the top of the stairs. “Are you coming?!”

“That depends on you!” I shout as I take the stairs two at a time.

BRIAN

As she swiftly departs, all eyes return to us. “Just to be clear…” Kendi begins. “...last night was not a one-off thing?”

“No, it wasn’t.” I reply, looking at a smiling Justin. “Definitely not.”

“Great!” She grins as does everyone else. “So how much trouble do you think Jenny got in with Aunt Mel then?”

“Kendi!” Jennifer gasps. “It is bad form to laugh at the misfortune of others…” She takes a sip of her drink. “...unless they got wasted on Mint Juleps because her friends were having a better time without her!”

“How on earth did she get the drinks though? That’s what I don’t understand.” Hunter asks.

“Uncle Michael. He was first.” Kemi answers.

“First? What do you mean?” I frown.

“She offered to get a drink for him. I couldn’t believe she was being so helpful. So I watched her and when she got two, she put one of them to the side. At first, I thought she was going to give it to someone else, but then I saw her take it and go into the kitchen. I didn’t see her drink the first one. But then I kept an eye on her and when she asked someone else, I made sure to follow her and that time I saw her so I told her to stop.” She sniffs and clears her throat. “Then….then she said something to upset me. So I told Aunt Lindsay, but she had drunk it before she could stop her.”

“You ratted her...?” Kendi looks surprised. “Wait, what did she say to upset you?”

“It wasn’t very nice.” She replies quietly and our normally tough daughter looks like she wants to cry. “They always say that booze releases your inner truth…”

“Kemi, what did she say?” I demand.

That Uncle Michael was right...” She replies and sniffs.

“About?” I get up and kneel in front of her. “Kemi, what did she say that he said?” I ask gently.

“That I shouldn’t have survived.” She whispers and then breaks down entirely.

“Oh my god!” Kendi whispers.

“If he said that, I am going to fucking kill him!” Gus snarls and pulls out his phone then starts to dial.

“Gus, hang up.” Justin orders quietly.

“But Papa J…!” He protests.

“Hang up.” He says firmly. We all turn to him; Kemi is still quietly sobbing. “We have no proof that he said it. We have the drunken word of a nasty little girl, who is taking after her mother in every way.”

“Justin, we have to say something! She cannot....” I declare.

“And she won’t, but we have to be very careful here. As I said, we have no proof, but we are going to see her and her mothers. Mom, can you stay with the rest of them and whatever you do don’t tell…” The door slamming hard makes him wince. “Nya.” He runs to the front door, shouting her name.

“Oh fuck!” Kendi breathes. “If either of them did say it, death won’t save them from her!”

MEL AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - AN HOUR LATER

JENNY’S ROOM

JENNY

My head is pounding and I have been sick a couple more times. I open my eyes and want to cry as it hurts to do even that. My mouth feels like it’s filled with vinegar and I make the mistake of swallowing instead of spitting into the bucket that Mommy put by my bed. I look up when the door opens.

“Drink this and take these! Get washed and dressed then come downstairs in the next half an hour!” Momma puts the glass and pills down and storms out, slamming the door hard.

“Oh god!” I groan and make my way to the bathroom. I slowly manage to brush my teeth, almost vomiting with each pass of the brush. Then I head back to my bedroom and take the pills and water before sorting myself out.

“You have five minutes!!” Mom bellows up the stairs. “You do not want me to come and get you!!”

“Coming!” I call down and wince as that radiates round my head. “Please, please, please God, let her still let me go to the cotillion? All I did was get drunk. It isn’t as if I said anything bad! Right?” I pray.

TAYLOR RESIDENCE - SAME TIME

HALLWAY

TOBIAS

I am just in my jeans. She had gone down to get some ice cream and suddenly came flying back into the room, grabbed her keys, then rushed back down the hall, cursing in French. I managed to haul her back from the car door, while Justin wrested the keys out of her hand. So right now, I have an incandescent Nya pinned to the wall. Brian is behind me and Justin is in front of the door. It took me, Justin, Gus and Hunter to get her back into the house...we actually had to carry her!

“Fucking hell, you were not kidding about brawling!” Brian exclaims.

“Yeah, when she gets this mad it is like wrestling a greased and very angry alligator.” I keep my eyes locked onto the love of my life. “Can I let go now?” She shakes her head and tries to even out her breathing. Soon I hear it slow and her expression begins to soften “I can do it now?” She slowly nods and I lower my arms and start to peel myself off her.

“Where’s Kemi?” She asks quietly, wrapping her arms round me.

“Upstairs with the others.” I reply and start to rub her back.

“Aunt Jennifer?”

“With them.” Justin slowly approaches. “I think it would be best if we called…”

“No, Justin is right. We have to have categorical proof that she repeated what he said, and that he said it in the first place.” Aunt Jennifer declares, coming down the stairs. “They strike me as the type to bluster and bluff. I mean, look at Lindsay now. She has to know that I remember her and what she said about you, yet she is still behaving like she didn’t say it.”

“So we just wait?” Gus growls as he comes down, still looking furious.

“For now. But I promise you, if there is anything left by the time they have been BAB’d then you can have at them...okay, Gus?” Nya smiles.

“Okay, but try to leave me something.”

“I promise.” She rolls her neck, sighs and then frowns. “What happened to her friends?”

“Oh they went home with Emmy.” Hunter snickers as he comes down with Kemi and Kendi.

“Oh God, yes!” Kemi snorts. “He was like the Pied Piper with them, especially Gretchen. Talk about mooning...!”

“And she’s back!” Brian laughs and she gives a small nod. “So how about, we go rescue your Auntie Emmy from his first girl crush?”

“Yeah. She didn’t believe me when I said he’s gay.” Kemi continues to chuckle. “Said it was impossible for him to be gay!”

“Oh, don’t be so silly! Surely she can’t believe that?!” I snicker. “Even Ray Charles could see that and he’s blind and dead!”

“I dunno though, she did ask what time his wife was getting to the BBQ. And when he said he didn’t have a wife, she was sad.” Kendi smiles.  “She said he’s too sweet to not have a wife, but until such time as he found one, she would be his Junior Wife. And then spent about an hour going to every woman she thought was single and getting their number for him!”

“Damn!” Hunter gasps. “For real?”

“For real!” She nods and then frowns as Nya starts to giggle, then laugh and finally she’s guffawing. “What? What’s so funny?!”

“Emmy is going to have m-more s-so-society con-contacts than Lindsay!” She splutters. “She only got one phone number and even then, she had to remind the woman who she was!”

“Oh then we must make sure he tells her!” Brian smirks.

MEL AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE

LOUNGE

JENNY

Nobody says a word. Mom has told me what I did last night and I can safely say I don’t remember too much of anything after the first half of the second drink. “I did that?” I mutter.

“Yes. You threw up in the car and you will be the one cleaning it up!” Mom snaps and I want to cry as her voice is too loud. “And you will also clean up Gus’s closet! Thank goodness he took his laptop with him. God knows what you would’ve done with that!”

“What did I do to Gus’s room?” I cringe as I vaguely remember going in there.

“The same thing you did in the car.” Mommy replies, grimacing. “And no, he doesn’t know about it and I don’t think it would…”

“She will tell him, apologise and replace the damaged items!” Mom snaps.

“But they are from Brian! They will cost a fortune for her to replace!” Mommy objects and I feel a bit better. She’s still defending me.

“Tough fucking shit! You will call him now!” She orders and hands me my phone.

“What happened to the screen?” I frown.

“You dropped it.” She retorts.

“No, this phone is very important to me and I look after my things! Someone else must have done it. Mommy, we have to find out who did this and get them to replace it.” I plead.

“It was you, Jenny.” Mommy replies. “You threw it to the floor when your friends and Gus were allowed to stay at the BBQ while I got you home.”

“So where are they now?” I demand, fuming, despite my headache and queasiness, that my friends abandoned me.

“With Auntie Emmy.” Mom gives a small smile before she glares at me. “Call Gus now and put it on speaker.”

It takes a few minutes for him to pick up. “What do you want?” He growls.

“Gus? It’s Momma, you okay?” There is muttering in the background. “Gus, are you okay?”

“Yes Momma, just speaking to Papa J. How are you...all, how are you all?”

“Fine. Jenny has something to say to you.”

“Okay.”

I look imploringly at Mom, but she merely points to the phone. “Gus, I threw up in your closet...”

“YOU FUCKING DID WHAT?!” He bellows and we all flinch.

“Gus, calm down!” Mommy shouts back. “For goodness sake, they are just things! You can easily get them either dry cleaned or...” There is more muttering and now swearing.

“Lindsay, it’s Brian. He will not be getting them dry cleaned. I will be there in an hour to check the damage. And Gus is staying at Britin tonight. Trust me, you don’t want him to come home!”

“Brian, it’s Mel...Brian? Brian? Hello?” Mom frowns before glaring at me again.

“Yes, I’m here.” He replies, but he sounds really angry.

“What’s wrong with Gus?”

“Just upset about what she’s done.” He replies.

“No, there’s something else. What is it? I’m an attorney, so I’ll be like a dog with a bone until you tell me.”

He’s really quiet before he sighs. “I can’t right now. I promised, but I will tell you, I can promise you that. Good enough?”

“Good enough.” She replies.

“I mean it, Mel. Don’t badger me when I get there. Okay?”

“I promise, I won’t.”

“So how bad are we talking? Need to prepare myself?”

“Let’s just say it is going to take her a lot of chores!”

“Fuck!” He growls.

“Exactly.”

EMMY’S HOUSE - AN HOUR LATER

EMMY

Oh dear sweet lord! My three sweet peas in a pod are just so adorable. They were my mini groupies last night, especially Gretchen! Kendi and Kemi are on their way with their Papa. Hunter and Gus have gone to Hunter’s house and Jennifer and Nya are going to do some restorative shopping.

I’m in the kitchen making some sweet tea when I hear harsh whispering and edge closer to the door.

“Do you think she’s going to get grounded?” Gretchen asks.

“Who?” Wendy sighs.

“Jenny, of course! She was really bad at the BBQ with the drinking and stuff. Can’t believe how mean she was!”

“What do you mean how mean she was?” Wendy demands.

“Sssh, Gretchen you can’t say. Jenny would be mad!” Sophia berates her.

“But she was horrible to Kemi! She was only telling her to stop doing something that she shouldn’t. You know if it was Kemi doing it, she would’ve gone straight to her Dad.”

“Yes, but she’s our friend…” Sophie argues.

“But Kemi’s our friend now too, isn’t she?” Gretchen argues.

“But Jenny was our friend first!” Sophie retorts before sighing. “But you’re right. We should tell someone. Maybe not her moms, but someone...”

“Who though?” Gretchen is almost wringing her hands.

“Nya?”

“Oh no, definitely not!” Wendy exclaims. “She says she hates her and…”

“Nya doesn’t hate her.” Gretchen protests. “She just thinks she’s spoilt and rude...and well sometimes, she is!”

“How about…” Sophie begins.

“Me. Tell your Auntie Emmy what happened?” I step out of the kitchen and they all jump before looking at each other worried. “Just spit it out, dear ones. You’re not the one that said it.” I cajole.

“Go on, Gretchen. He won’t yell at you; you’re his favourite.” Sophie nudges her.

“I’m not! I just want him to get married…”

“Darlings, we have gone off topic.” I interrupt gently. “What did she say?”

“She said...she said that Uncle Michael was right….” Sophia rushes out.

I swallow hard and pray. “Right about what?”

“...that she shouldn’t have survived the birth.” She finishes, looking disgusted.

“You were right to…”

“There’s more…” Gretchen looks at me, pitifully. “...but Kemi didn’t hear her as she walked off after that.”

“More? What more?” I ask taking her hand.

“Sh-she said that she’s...”

“What? Just say it, darling.”

“She called her a bub.”

“A bug?” I frown. “As insults go, it’s not that bad.”

“Not bug...bub and it’s all in capitals.” Gretchen explains. “It stand for Butt Ugly Bitch, she told me once.”

“Oh my. I need you all to be absolutely sure that’s what she said. Now are you?” All three nod. “Leave it with me and don’t worry. You did a good thing by telling me, but you must not tell anyone else. Okay? I promise you, I will handle it.”

“Okay, Auntie Emmy.” They all reply.

“Ah now, they’re here. Let me get my make-up and you girls can have a nice play around before you go back to Jen…”

“No!” Wendy states. “I am not going back there!”

“Why ever not?” I ask and she has tears in her eyes.

“She was calling me her dear BUB for months before she even left Toronto!”

DEBS HOUSE - FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER

KITCHEN

DEBS

“Oh hey Ems! How’s the groupies?” My laughter dies as he talks over me and when I hang up, I know it’s time...so I call Ted.

MEL AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - TWENTY MINUTES LATER

GUS’S ROOM

BRIAN

I got snarled up in traffic. Luckily for Jenny, this gave me time to calm down. Mel cocks an eyebrow when she opens the door and I can already hear the wailing apologies from Jenny.

“Don’t let Momma make me please, Mommy?! I feel really sick and am really sorry!”

“Get on with it!” Mel orders coldly. “The fact that you shut the door, means intent to me! Now open the door!”

The first thing that hits me is the smell and then the visual! Oh my fucking God! It looks like Jackson Pollock was let loose in here! Jenny is snivelling as she pulls out the stuff she was sick on and I am taking pictures so that we know what needs to be replaced.

“Brian, would you at least consider…” Lindsay begins.

“Replacement only.” I retort over my shoulder. My phone beeping heralds a message from Ted. I frown and text back that I will be another hour.

“But how are we going to afford this?!” She demands.

“Same way Gus and the girls afford things. Make her fucking work for it! Or…” I have a thought. “Send back the cotillion things. That should make a sizeable dent in the amount that is owed.”

The silence is deafening. She’s even stopped crying, she’s so stunned...they both are. I can see Mel is going to say something, but I give her a quick look and she stops.

“Chores or cotillion, there is no negotiation. Bear in mind Lindsay that if she doesn’t go, you won’t be able to go either.” I take great pleasure in pointing out. “So what’s it to be?”

“Chores!” Jenny exclaims before Lindsay can answer.

“Thought you might say that. They will be pleased!” I smirk and Mel bites her lip as she has guessed what I am going to say.

“They. Who is they?” Lindsay asks warily.

“Gus, Kemi and Kendi. You will do their chores for a month. Those shoes alone cost $250 and he hasn’t even worn them yet!” I snap.

“When does she start?” Mel asks.

“Tomorrow. Nice and early at 0800 sharp.”

“You’d best get the car cleaned after this, Jenny.” Mel glares at Lindsay, who is about to object. “She chose to do this and she has chosen her punishment. But, there is another way for her to repay this quicker.”

“And that is?” I sigh.

“Her trust fund.”

“I have a trust fund?!” She squeaks. “Why didn’t anybody tell me?! How much money is in there?!”

“Yes Lindsay, why didn’t you tell our daughter about the trust fund you set up for her?”

Lindsay’s pale with shock. “I-I…I didn’t want her to squander it.” She replies weakly.

“Of course. Well the $14,000 in there should cover that nicely, shouldn’t it? Don’t you think so too, Brian?” I look between Lindsay and Mel and nod. “So Lindsay, why not transfer that to Brian and after Jenny has written a suitably grovelling apology letter to Gus, we can draw a line under the matter. Agreed?”

“I…” Lindsay begins.

“Now, Lindsay!” Mel orders and opens the door, smiling tightly. “After you, dear. And Brian, could you make sure that Jenny bags up that mess and brings it down?”

“Yeah, sure.” I am completely confused, but turn back to an about to sit down Jenny. “Take off the gloves and get on with it!”

“Without gloves?!” She exclaims.

“What’s the problem? It came from you.” I snap.

OFFICE

LINDSAY

“Mel…”

“Give it back to him!” She hisses. “You had no fucking right, not a fucking one to do that! I am beyond pissed!”

“I don’t…”

“The bank called!” She snarls. “They wanted to know if you planned to transfer that account alongside our others to an American bank.” I rub my temple while she’s still ranting. “If there is another account that you have kept to yourself, tell me now.”

“There isn’t, I promise!” I exclaim and she looks incredulous. “Mel, are you going to tell Brian?”

“He’s getting his money back, so no.” I slump in relief. “But Jenny is going to do the chores around the house for the next two months, both hers and Gus’s...and you are going to tell her. Welcome to the bad cop world!”

I just nod. I don’t think I have ever seen Mel look so angry, disgusted and disappointed in my life.

DEBS HOUSE - EARLY EVENING

LOUNGE

TED

We’re waiting for Brian and Justin to come along; we asked them to come alone. The door knocks and Ems answers it and Brian just looks at us. “What the fuck is wrong?”  

“Sit down, the pair of you.” I order quietly and they do. They’re holding each other’s hands, which makes me smile. “Let me just say that what we did was coming from a good place, especially Debs. It took years for her to tell Ems but she’s still not told me, despite my efforts, about what was said, and even then, she was drunk and upset.”

“Seems to be a theme with people being drunk and running their mouths!” Justin comments dryly.

“Huh?” Ems frowns.

“Nothing. Carry on.” Brian sighs.

“My little sweetpeas heard Jenny say a couple of things to Kemi. One she heard but one she didn’t and they told me. I won’t repeat what it was that she heard but suffice to say it was nasty.”

“Jenny saying something nasty to Kemi is nothing new.” Justin grumbles. “They are all sure that they heard what they thought they heard?”

“Yes, they promised me.” Ems replies. “And after Wendy found out that Jenny had been calling her BUB for months before she moved from Toronto, I fully believe them.”

“BUB?” I query.

“Butt ugly bitch.” Ems grimaces.

“Where’s Debs?” Brian asks.

“Here. I’m sorry kiddo, but I couldn’t. I know you are angry and I understand that you will need distance and…”

“Who said what?” Justin demands.

“Please Justin, I can’t…” Debs weeps.

“Okay. It can’t be as bad as Michael allegedly telling Jenny that Kemi should’ve died in birth and Jenny repeating it to Kemi last night.” Justin sighs. “But we can’t prove it because she was drunk and he…”

“Ted! Teddy?!” I hear Ems shouting my name, but I keep going where I am going.