CHAPTER 18 - HOME SWEET HOME...PART 1

PITTSBURGH AIRPORT - FOUR HOURS LATER

NYA

“Guys, over here!” I yell as I spot them, well Brian and Emmylou first, in the crowd, as they are just so tall!

“Are we all set?” Brian demands. “I need...we need to get out of here.” He jerks his head behind him and I look at Gus, who looks wrung out. “She struck again.”

“I see.” I whisper and feel good about what I have done. “Everyone board please!” I put my hand on Brian’s arm and shake my head. “Kids first!”

Gus and Kendi pass me in silence, with Kendi giving me a worried look. “5, 4, 3, 2…”

“What the fuck are you doing here?!” Gus shouts in surprise, alarming Brian.

“Who’s here?!” Brian demands.

“Hunter, and after some very quick booking, Kemi. And the FunGirl 3.”

Brian’s jaw drops while Justin just gives me a kiss on my nose. “Thank you.”

“What can I say, except that he doesn’t deserve this shit. He’s a good kid. Now come on, let’s go.”

Soon the dark clouds that haunted Gus’s face upon boarding have gone and he looks a bit happier, not all the way there, but definitely happier. When Aunt Jennifer told me what happened in the diner, I knew what had to be done. As the flight progressed, he’s gotten more and more relaxed and has finally convinced Gretchen that Emmy Lou is in fact, gay...now she’s determined to get him a husband!

“Okay people, let’s buckle up. We’re going to be landing soon.” I order.

CAR TO THE FOX-WORTHY RESIDENCE -- AN HOUR LATER

NYA

I am being stared at incredulously by 11 pairs of eyes. “We have the internet...we’re not totally in the boondocks.” I point out. “I told your parents where you were going, but asked them not to tell you.” I tell the FunGirl 3 and their eyes widen further. “It’s only for a couple of days and we come back via New York, but folks have been biting my ear off to meet you. All of you. Anybody that does right by Kemi, well...”

“You’re going to love Aunt Abi.” Kendi is now out of her shocked stupor as we pull up outside the house. “Come on, guys!” She yells as she pulls open the door. “Let’s get the cases first.”

“Seriously, we’re in Alabama as in Alabama?” Gus demands as he gets out.

“Yep, my hometown.” I follow him out and stretch. “Kemi and Gus front and centre for a minute and brace yourselves!”

“Oh, this is going to be great!” Kendi giggles.

I walk up to the door, but don’t even get my foot on the first step before the door is flung open and the blur of Mom, comes flying down the stairs. “Which one?!” She shouts over her shoulder.

“Standing next to the boy!” I shout back.

“Oh my days! Oh my days!” She takes Kemi’s chin gently in her hands. “Absolutely the same, apart from her eyes. Hi Kemi, I’m your Aunt...ooof!” Her sentence is cut off as Kemi hugs her tightly and bursts into tears. “Hush now.”

I take my dad’s hand and lead him gently down the stairs. “You good?”

“I’m good baby, I’m good. Now where they at? First, the boy.”

“Gus, can you come here please?” I order gently and he nervously approaches.

“Bow your head.” I tell him and as my Dad’s hands connect with his face, his eyes widens.

“A handsome man you will be. You have good strong bones.” He laughs heartily. “Relax, son I am not going to hurt you. But someone has, you are so tense. We will talk later just you and me, you hear.”

“Uh okay. Sir, I mean okay, sir!”

“Uncle Earl and Aunt Abi; that’s what you call us. Now give me your arm and lead me back into the house then you can introduce me to everyone else.”

An hour later, everyone has been introduced and we have seven tired teenagers, trying to stay awake and failing.

“Okay, that’s it up you guys go! I am not being sucked into the maw of you guys yawning anymore!” Mom declares. “I will make hot malt chocolate, you guys can have that and then sleep.”

Another hour passes before she comes back in and softly closes the door. She sits next to Dad and stretches her feet over his lap.

“I am not your prop, woman!” He grouses even though he starts to massage her ankles.

“Shut up and rub, old man!” She orders before turning to look at Debs. “Why did you keep quiet?” This clearly takes Debs by surprise and to be honest, I have been curious too. “You say they are both your sons, according to my baby, but you kept quiet. Why?”

“He doesn’t have any friends.” She replies quietly. “Truthfully, he has no friends at all. Well, at all now.”

“I would’ve preferred to have heard it from you and not Kemi.” Brian tells her.

“The irony is I was going to tell you, but I knew what you would do. I kept an eye on his behavior and he was like he was before you got pregnant…”

“Not for the last two months of my pregnancy he wasn’t and now he’s been…”

“Enough. Stop swimming through shit, it’s done.” Dad interrupts calmly. “You can forgive her shielding you from the hurt, correct?” Brian nods and Dad laughs. “Son, I am blind so you need to speak!”

“Fuck! Sorry! Yes, I forgive her.” Brian smiles across at a relieved looking Debs.

“Good. Now, the next thing we need to discuss is Gus. Is he going to live with you?”

“How did…? We need to...I don’t…” Brian stammers.

“We talk as a family. And they are family. As of right now, they are to all intents and purposes my grandchildren. Therefore, I need to know that they are safe and ultimately happy, which he is not. Not by a long shot. So what you going to do about it?”

Silence.

“He’s goldfishing, ain’t he?”

“Yes he is, Dad.”

“This is something that needs to be discussed with his moms and…”

“I bet she’s already made her play from what you say about that little lady, Nya.” Mom grimaces. She’s still not feeling very forgiving.

“I think he should. And I also think that Kendi should too.” Justin asserts, looking at Brian.

“That would mean…”

“Yes Hot Rod; that would mean that.”

“But only for the summer. Give her time to realise what she’s missing and her to realise that she’s not got what she thought.” Mom says, earning a smile from Aunt Jennifer but a confused look from Debs.

“Lindsay will miss Gus, well we hope she will. And that little madam will soon realise that all that glitters is not gold.” Mom explains, but that still doesn’t clear the look. “From what Nya has said, she likes to get Gus in trouble and the like. Well she can’t blame him if he’s not there. She’ll soon find out that there’s a downside to being an only child.”

MEL AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - NEXT DAY

LOUNGE

LINDSAY

Poor Jenny, she’s just devastated that her friends are being presented and she’s not. Personally, I don’t see what they have done to deserve such an accolade; Jenny is family for heaven sake! Mel comes in with a pile of papers.

“Have you spoken to Gus today?” She asks, putting them down with a sigh.

“No, not yet. What’s that lot in aid of?”

“A mix of cotillion and court cases. I had no idea how much work was involved with the cotillion. It’s…”

“I can look after that, if you want. I know how busy you get.” I offer and sit next to her, starting to sift through the papers. “Which is which?”

“Lindsay!” She swats my hands away. “Stop it. I didn’t say I didn’t want to do it. I had no idea how fascinating it is. I might apply to go on the board for next year.”

“What? Why?” I am stunned.

“Because I like doing the work on it and as a previous chaperone, you get to go to the next one unencumbered.”

“Unen…” I start.

“Yes. A polite way of saying you can pitch up and get hammered. Nya and I have already made plans!” She giggles.

“Oh you have, have you? And where do Jenny and I fit in your plans?”

“Well as long as Jenny behaves and adheres to the rules, she could be presented next year.”

“What I don’t...well we don’t, understand is why Wendy, Sophia and Gretchen are being presented. They’ve only met Kendi and Kemi once. Also they are unrelated. Jenny is…”

“Unrelated, as well. Remember?”

“But why are they being presented and I’m not?!” Jenny demands, coming in looking tearful and combative.

“Because they are.” Mel replies simply and starts to sort through her papers.

“What does that mean?!” Jenny demands again.

“It means that they have been good and kind so can be presented, after Jennifer argued their case to the committee and…”

“Committee? There’s a committee? Why didn’t you argue Jenny’s case?!”

“Yes Mom, why didn’t you?”

“Argued is the wrong word. And I couldn’t. This was down to Jennifer. And she presented their cases to the committee when spaces become available.”

“But why didn’t you do the same for me, your daughter?!” Jenny demands.

“Because, once again, I couldn’t and besides you don’t deserve to be presented. You barely deserve to be attending as a guest right now.” She replies calmly. “And one more word from you on this subject and you won’t be going at all!”

“But Mel…”

“Either of you!” She says brusquely. “Now have you spoken to Gus, Lindsay?”

“No. He’s most likely still asleep…”

“He’s not. He texted me this morning. Why haven’t you reached out to him? I mean, after yesterday’s unpleasantness and all...”

“He was incredibly rude to Mommy and all because...”

“Stop it, Jenny! I mean it! You have done nothing but bait Gus since the day you could and you, Lindsay, have done nothing but let her. We were supposed to start afresh, but it’s clear to me that you two…”

“Now just a minute, Mel. That’s not fair! You weren’t there yesterday; you don’t know how rude Gus was to me!”

“And he had every right to be upset! You told him that he didn’t need new things despite the fact that Jenny had destroyed his clothes. You dismissed his feelings about her behaviour as inconsequential. Isn’t that what happened?” She glares at me before turning to Jenny. “And you have still to write that letter for him.”

Jenny looks appalled. “I was a little drunk and I didn’t do it deliberately!”

“You weren’t and you did. So that letter will be written. Now I am going to air out his room as it still smells a bit.” She grabs the papers and starts to leave before she pauses. “And just so you two know, I will be organising for Gus to have a lock put on his door. We don’t want any more accidents, do we? And, Jenny, no matter where he lives, this summer, and for however long, you are not getting his room!”

JENNY

I watch her leave feeling more resentful than ever, though I do give Mommy a small smile. When we, as in Mommy and I, first picked this house, I had said specifically that I wanted that room. But lo and behold when we got here, Gus got it! Mommy caved to Mom’s reasoning that he was older. He may be older but I am better and I will get that room, I will!

“Come here, darling.” Mommy opens her and I sniffle as I settle in her arms. “I know it seems unfair right now, but it will work out in the end. Everything will work out. You want to watch some TV?” I nod and she reaches for the remote. I'm not sure how long we were sitting there, but judging by the expression on Mom’s face, it has been too long.

“Have you two been like that since I went upstairs?”

“You say it like we have been doing nothing. Unless you hadn’t noticed, Jenny is very upset about the recent turn of events.”

“As is Gus, but I don’t see you rushing to his aid to give succour and support.”

“A little difficult when he’s in New York!” Mommy points out and I hide my smile.

She’s got you there, Mother Dearest!

“For the second time, he is in Alabama…”

“What?” I sit up and stare at Mom incredulously. “Why is he there?”

“Meeting Nya’s family. They wanted to meet Kemi and she finally caved, well it was the threat of her dad driving down to the Pitts.”

“Meet Kemi…” I echo. “So she’s with him too?” I stare accusingly at her.

“What does her location have to do with you?” She demands coolly.

“I was just asking.” I backtrack quickly.

“Like I said, they wanted to meet Kemi so her trip to Canada was cut short…”

“Poor Sophie, Wendy and Gretchen, they must be so upset.” I say snidely, thinking it serves the traitorous BUBs right.

“They went with him.” Mom tells me. “And will be getting their dresses in New York on the way back home.” My mouth just hangs open in shock. “Kleinfeld to be precise. Seems that Nya has taken quite a shine to the FunGirl 3 and will be buying their dresses etc.”

“Can’t you see she is doing this deliberately?” Mommy objects.

“Oh so now Nya is against her too, is she?” Mom sighs.

“Well, she’s not exactly been friendly towards her, has she?”

“She’s not given her a reason to be.”

“I am here you know. And Mommy is right; she’s been playing favourites.”

“Of course, she is. Such a shame you’ve not made a single attempt to be one of them! Now enough of this. Lindsay, call your son and Jenny, come with me. You are writing that letter now.”

“Yes, Mom.” I reply and get up quickly to follow her to the office. I grab some paper and a pen and start to write.

“No, I have changed my mind!” I jump out of my skin. “Let’s use modern technology. You will do a video apology instead. Won't that be fun?”

My heart sinks. “Yes, Mom.”

“While I go get the camera, you harness those acting skills that you have been using when you feel the need.”

As I watch her leave, I make it my mission to make Gus, Kemi and the FunGirl 3 pay. Kendi, I need, but the rest I don’t!