The Bad Boy Next Door: Lance & Chastity (36 page)

Charity cocks her head to the side and narrows her eyes, “She’s only semi-cool. And that’s only because of you.”

I roll my eyes and shake my hair.

She swats my knee. “JK.”

I laugh, “No wonder Mom is sick of you.”

“She’s so sick of things, she’s sick of herself.”

“I never thought of that.” I stop and stare at my kid sister, marveling at how smart she’s getting. “But you know what? You’re right.”

Lance nods, “I’ve said it before. That woman needs to get lai—” He stops short when he realizes what he’s saying in front of Charity.

“That’s for sure,” Charity sighs.

He chuckles nervously, “I meant, loosen up.”

He’s right on both counts. I sigh. “If only she would.”

Bing-bong!

The doorbell.

“That’s probably her,” Charity groans.

Whir.

I hope Charity’s wrong.

“I’ll get it,” Lance says, hopping up from the armrest.

Charity and I stare at each other, listening to the sound of the door opening.

“Hey,” Lance mutters in the entryway.

“
WHERE IS SHE?!
” Mom shouts outside. “
I KNOW SHE’S HERE!!
”

“Who?”

“My DAUGHTER!! THAT’S WHO!! WHERE IS SHE?!!” Clicking heels on the floor tiles.

Here she comes.

Whir!

Mom marches up to Charity, her face boiling with rage, and shoots a finger at her. “You get back in the house RIGHT NOW!! You’re GROUNDED, young lady!!”

Charity’s face pinches into a scowl. “NO!”

“Get back in the house! RIGHT!! NOW!!!!” Mom is furious.

WHIR!!

My entire body vibrates in response. I think it’s the adrenalin kicking in because I know Mom is primed for a huge fight.

“Calm down, Mrs. Shields,” Lance says quietly behind her.

She whirls around and shoots him with another finger. “YOU shut up!! I don’t want to hear anything from YOU!!!! YOU made this mess!! Every bit of it!!!!”

Lance is shocked silent.

Mom spins back on Charity. “Get back in the house before I make you!!” Her face twists in a horrid knot. She ignores me, which is good, because I barely recognize her.

“
NOW, CHARITY!!!!
” she shouts.

Charity stares at Mom, her face red, eyes wide, lips tight. “
No!! Get out of here, you BITCH!!
”

Mom’s eyes pop with rage. “What did you call me?” Her voice is low and dangerous.

“
You’re a BITCH! Now leave me alone! I HATE you! Get out of here!!
”

Mom lashes out and claws at Charity’s arm. “
You do what I say, you little MONSTER!!
”

“
NO!
” Charity shrieks. “
Let go of me!
” She flails on the couch, kicking her legs at Mom.

Mom recoils, her face scrunched as she avoids Charity’s Skechers. “
Stop FIGHTING me, Charity!!
”

I can’t take it any more. “STOP, MOM!!”

She doesn’t even hear me.

“
STOP!!!!
”

Mom wrestles with Charity, holding on tight to her ankles.

I dive between them.

Charity kicks me in the face, on accident. I see stars and clap my hands to my face. I fall back on the couch cushions.

Lance grabs Mom from behind in a bear hug, surprising her. When he pins her arms to her sides, she releases Charity. He walks her backward.

“
Let GO of ME!!
” Mom screams.

Charity is tipped back on the couch cushions, her feet still cocked to kick, breathing hard, teeth bared, ready to fight for her life.

“Ow!” I moan. “My nose!” I pull my fingers away and they’re covered with blood.

“
YOU LET GO OF ME!!
” Mom shouts. Lance doesn’t. She kicks the air, but she can’t break free of his grip.

“Relax, Mrs. Shields! Everybody just relax!”

I touch my nose carefully. “I can’t feel my nose!”

Charity’s eyes goggle. “You’re bleeding!”

“You kicked me!”

She winces. “Sorry.” She reaches over to touch me.

I pull away instantly. “Don’t! I think it might be broken.”

“I’m so sorry, Chaz!” Her eyes are wet with tears. “I didn’t mean it! Mom was—!”

“
Put me down, GOD DAMN IT!!!!
” Mom screams and everyone freezes. She stops kicking, but her legs dangle off the floor because Lance is so tall.

He says quietly, “I’ll put you down if you promise to stay calm.”

“
I will promise NO SUCH THING!! And the moment you put me down, rest assured I am CALLING THE POLICE!!
”

I scoff, “For what?”

“
For EVERYTHING!!!!
” She screams in ragged voice. She’s not making any sense. But she’s desperate because she lost control of this situation and herself. I can’t believe she said God damn it.

She has never sworn in my entire life.

Something tells me today is doomsday.

“
You’re INSANE, Mom!!
” Charity screams from the couch, crying out every word. Tears stream down her face. “
Look what you made me do to Chaz!! I can’t live with you anymore!! I can’t wait to move in with Dad!!
”

Mom’s face explodes, yet she doesn’t say a word.

I’m paralyzed with fear.

In a friendly voice dripping with dangerous calm, Mom says, “You can put me down now.”

Lance releases her and takes a step back.

She smoothes her jeans and stares at the couch. Not at me or Charity, but the cushions between us, like she doesn’t want to meet our eyes. “Have you talked to your father about this?” Her calmness is the scariest thing ever.

“
Yuh-huh-yes,
” Charity stutters, sniffling more tears.

Mom nods slowly and smiles creepily. “Okay then.” She still isn’t looking at us, just smoothing her blouse. “I will be at home. I have to make a few phone calls. Charity, please come home for dinner at six.” She turns and walks silently out the front door without looking back.

I don’t even hear the door close.

I knew it.

Doomsday.

And I’m stuck in the middle of it.

++++8++++

CHASTITY

“I’m so sorry, Chazzy Wazzy,” Charity says sincerely. “I didn’t mean to do it.”

“It’s okay,” I sigh. “I blame Mom. But I still can’t feel my nose.”

“You will tomorrow,” Lance grimaces.

“Great,” I groan.

“I don’t think it’s broken,” he says as he leans over the couch and delicately touches the bridge of my nose. “And believe me, I know broken. This looks like it’ll be okay in a day or two.”

“How swollen is it?” I ask anxiously, still holding a wad of bloody tissues under my nostrils.

He grins, “Looks like a bent red banana stuck to your face.”

“More like a sweet potato,” Charity adds. “All crooked and warty.”

“Stop!” I giggle.

“You’re laughing, aren’t you?” Lance grins.

“I don’t want to laugh,” I pout and roll my eyes at Charity. “Does it look like a red banana or sweet potato or whatever?”

She giggles. “No. Sort of. Maybe a little?”

“Where’s a mirror?!” I grumble, jumping up from the couch, which makes my nose pound.

“You don’t wanna see it,” Lance warns ominously.

Charity grimaces, “It looks terrible, Chaz, seriously…”

“You guys!” I whine, heading toward the bathroom. I’m almost afraid to look in the mirror. I slowly pull the bloody tissues away.

“See?” Lance grins behind me, his arm around me. “Straight as an arrow.”

“It does not look like an arrow!”

Charity giggles, “I think Katniss used one just like it to kill Marvel from District One after he speared Rue.”

“What?” I gasp, horrified.

She shrugs, “I just re-read Hunger Games.”

Even Lance gives Charity a funny look in the mirror. After a moment, he turns me around and kisses my forehead. “It doesn’t look like an arrow or a spear or a hot dog.”

“Hot dog!” I whine.

Charity giggles.

Lance grins, “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine in a few days. But in the mean time it might feel a little better with some ketchup and mustard.”

“Don’t forget the bun,” Charity snickers. “And the relish.”

I growl, “I hate you both!” But I’m laughing, which makes me feel a little better about all of this.

Lance hugs me again. “Your nose is fine. I promise.”

I sigh. “I hope so. In the mean time, we better call Dad and warn him about Mom. Who knows what she’ll do now that she knows.”

“Yeah,” Charity shakes her head. “I wish I hadn’t said anything to her.”

“Too late now.”

Whir.

The first thing Dad says when I call is, “Take a picture of your nose.”

“Why?” I ask.

“In case I need it as evidence against your mother.”

Whir.

“It was an accident,” I say, defending Mom for some strange reason.

“I’m sure it was,” Dad says. “But it wouldn’t have happened if your mother hadn’t lost her temper.”

“Yeah.” I hate that he’s right. And I hate to see Mom and Dad fighting. Not that they are. Yet.

But they will.

Let the cold war begin.

++++8++++

CHASTITY

“So, if your mom and dad agree with what the mediator decides, this’ll all be over today?” Lance asks two weeks later.

I shake my head. “Dad said the mediator doesn’t decide anything. She just helps them come to an agreement on what they’re going to do about Charity. If they agree, then yeah, it’s all over today. Fingers crossed. They’re sure taking a long time.”

Lance squeezes my hand, which he has been holding for the past two hours. We sit in a lounge area in the office building where the mediator works. We’re around the corner from the room where they’re meeting. Dad flew into Burbank a few days ago. It’s like he never left. Since Charity is fourteen, she gets to express her preferences for living arrangements. Since I’m eighteen, they don’t need to talk to me.

Down the hall, a door bangs open. Mom’s barking voice echoes up to the lounge. “This meeting is OVER! I knew mediation would be pointless!”

“Please, Faith,” Dad says earnestly, “don’t walk out now. We were making progress. Let’s discuss this. We can figure this thing out.”

“The only
progress
you want is to take Charity away from me. I will never let that happen. We can finish this
discussion
in court and let the judge
figure it out
.” Her sarcasm is obvious. “Let’s go, Charity.” Mom’s heels click on the tiled floor then stop. “I said let’s go, Charity.”

“No, Mom,” Charity says calmly. “I want to stay here with Dad.” Before we drove here, Dad made a big point to Charity that she needed to keep it together during the mediation. It sounds like she listened.

“Fine,” Mom says. “John, make sure she’s home by six o’clock for dinner.” Her heels click and she storms toward the lounge area. She looks sharp in her gray power suit with her blonde hair up in a tight bun. Based on appearances, you might think she’s the kind of woman every other woman wishes she was: beautiful, confident, capable. What a joke. More like bitchy, selfish and short-tempered. Looks can be deceiving. She doesn’t spare a glance at me and Lance as she passes.

“Great,” I whisper to him. “I knew she would do this.”

Lance gives me a heavy look.

The past two weeks have been stressful on all of us. Charity has been at Lance’s house almost every day for moral support and to get away from Mom. She even does her homework in Lance’s living room. It drives Mom nuts, but I think she’s just tolerating it so she doesn’t look insane as far as the courts are concerned. I wish they could see her at her worst, not her best. But she’s got the appearances thing down pat.

A few minutes later, Dad and Charity walk around the corner looking haggard and defeated.

“I don’t want to live with her anymore,” Charity says pathetically. She’s near tears. “You know how crazy she is.”

“Your mother is not crazy, Charity. She’s just scared. And she deals with her fear by lashing out at everyone and everything.”

“Isn’t that the same as crazy?”

Dad doesn’t know what to say.

Charity sighs, “What do we do now?”

Dad catches my eye briefly before running his hand through Charity’s hair and placing it on her shoulder. “We do the best we can, Charity. With any luck, the judge will hear your side of the story and decide it’s time for you to come live with me.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

Dad looks pained. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, sweetheart. But I promise, I will do everything I can to make sure things do work out. And whatever happens, I want you to remember I love you more than anything.”

Charity glances over at me and winks. “Even more than Chaz?”

Dad smiles thinly, “Except that. I love you both the same.”

“Okay,” Charity sigh smiles. “I guess.”

When they walk toward us, Dad trails behind Charity slightly.

He looks broken.

Chapter 27

CHASTITY

“Where is she?” Mom growls in my face two weeks later.

“Not here,” I grumble, holding Lance’s front door open. She’s obviously talking about Charity, who spends as much time here at Lance’s house as Mom will let her. Ever since the mediation that went nowhere, it’s not as much time as Charity would like, but she’s back and forth so much, I don’t give it a second thought when she’s not around. “I thought she was at your house.”

“She’s not. She was supposed to be home an hour ago. Her dinner is getting cold.”

“She’s probably just avoiding you,” I say with disdain. “Anyway, it’s not my problem.”

“She’s your sister. Don’t you care about her?”

“Don’t you?” This is the first time Mom has said two words to me since the mediation. I was starting to think she’d forgotten I existed. Does she think I’m going to be on her side all of a sudden? Not gonna happen. “Charity wants to live with Dad.”

Mom snarls, “Over my dead body.”

“She cries about it to me every time she’s over here.”

Mom scowls but looks away.

I sigh, “Look, Mom. I don’t know where she is. But she’s not here. I haven’t seen her since last night. She’s probably at a friend’s house. Have you tried calling her or texting?”

“She won’t answer.”