Devil's Pawn (Completed)

20. (Caroline)

    River's room was now spotless, well everything except the closet and the bed. I was surprised that he actually knew how to clean up. He threw away all of the junk and recycled all of his glass bottles. (We counted them and in the end we had forty seven bottles). I won't mention the several year old chicken bone I found under an ACDC shirt either. It was gross. I didn't push him anymore about his friend from the photograph. I think they'd had a fight or something because the look on his face was different than the tone of his voice. He was unhappy. 

   "I have laundry baskets!" Caroline said as she burst in smiling. I paused from my job of seperating his whites and darks and smiled gratefully. 

"Thank you." I said laughing. "I asked the lazy one to get these an hour ago."

"I've been asking him to clean this for ages." she looked around the room. "Oh my goodness!" she shrieked. I followed her gaze to the trash bin where a picture lay. I didn't even notice it. "Why'd you toss this?" she asked accusingly. 

"I didn't want it." River mumbled from the bed. He didn't even have to look to know what she was talking about. 

"But you and J"-

"Get out now." River was now sitting up and glaring at his mom with a death stare. I had never seen him stare at someone with such hate in my life. He looked at her the way you look at someone who ran over your brand new puppy.

"I was just saying you should keep it. If you toss it now, you'll regret it later." she tried explaining in a softer tone, River wasn't buying it. It's like everything she said to make it better just fueled his anger at her. 

"Oh you mean like you do for tossing them?" He stood up and sneered at her. "I don't want to talk to you, why do you keep trying?" I saw how her once happy face was now fallen. I stood up. 

"River that's enough." he was killing her with his mean words. He was hurting her feelings. She looked like she was on the brink of tears, 

"No Joe. Stay out of it." he didn't even look at me. I knew he was angry about something but that is no reason to disrespect your mother. 

"No you stop." I said over him. I stood in front of him and grabbed his shirt. "That's enough." I said softer. "You don't need to do that." He brought his eyes down to me and nodded before he walked away. 

"I'll be back." he mumbled. I knew he needed a minute to blow of some steam so I let him go. We would talk later.

"He's just angry with me. It will pass eventually." I looked at her and nodded knowing she was trying to convince herself more than she tried convincing me. 

"That's no excuse." I shook my head. I picked the picture up from the ground. It was a painting of a sunset. It was simple but the up close design was amazing and intricate. 

"He painted this?" I asked stunned. I didn't even know he painted. It was shocking. 

"Not alone." she said smiling over me at the picture. "He was offered 5,000 dollars for it and he turned it down, to see it in the trash...,it doesn't make sense." she shook her head. "He's not wrong to be angry with me Joe. It's okay. Don't beat him up over it." 

"He needs to know he can't express himself violently. That's not okay." I repeated. She nodded sadly and I wanted nothing more than to hug her. She looked like she needed. I walked over to the shelf and sat the picture on top. 

"He's in the garden. That's where he always goes to calm down. He needs to tell you the truth."  I nodded  as she walked away. I decided to stall as long as I could knowing he'd be out there for a minute. I had never seen River so angry. I was almost scared that he'd kick me out again like he did the first time I'd come over. I shuddered and decided to finish separating his clothes and fixing the closet.  Then sat the remaining laundry in the baskets and closed the door to his room behind me. 

"Is River okay?" I looked down at the five year old at my legs and smiled. I nodded. "Yeah. He's just being a monster." 

"He's not bad Joey. He just pretends...he's like Lightening."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "How is he like lightening?"

He sighed as he started walking to his room. He opened the door and I followed him in. Inside his room was covered with Cars and Cars 2 posters. He even had a Lightening Mcqueen shaped bed. 

"Like him." he clarified. 

"Oh McQueen!" I said face palming. "How?"

"Well, remember in the beginning he was all by his-self and he was what Luke calls an "asshole". I gasped at his language. 

"You can't say that!" I scolded. 

He blushed red looking like a puppy who'd been caught wrecking the house while his owners were out. "Please don't tell River. He doesn't like my bad words. He tells dad and I get a spanking." I tried to refrain from laughing. 

"I won't but don't curse again. Okay?" he nodded and pulled out his pinky.

"Scout's honor." he said saluting me. I laughed. 

"Come on. Let's go to bed." he nodded and marched to his bed and tucked himself in. "Good night Joe." 

"Night Riles." I turned off the light and quietly left his room and decided I should look for Lightening McQueen himself. I walked down the spiral staircase and into the kitchen when I found a patio door. I saw him sitting there just rocking in a swing. For the second time tonight. 

He must have heard me because before I could even get a word out he was talking. "I'm guessing she told you." 

I came next to him. "Nope. She just said she deserved it. I disagreed." he turned to look at me with a scowl. 

"You don't know what she did!" he accused turning red. 

"I know she hurt you and you're lashing out at her, but I also know you're not that guy and you still love her regardless of what she did or didn't do."

He turned away from me and crossed his arms over his chest. I know he wanted to continue going back and forth with me, most likely until I walked away with tears streaming from my eyes but instead he stood, "Let's go for a walk." 

"It's like 3 am." I said laughing. 

"I'm aware of the face of the moon." he snapped dryly. "Just please walk with me." I stood and pulled my dress up over my shoes so I wouldn't fall as I followed him deep into his backyard.