Sweet Family Of War - Book 7

The Longest Night

"This is wild!! I mean are we supposed to sleep out here all night!? Is Mama Dukes loosing it!?" Corey says as Frankie shakes her head. The two of them had decided to walk to Julius' as it seemed that that was their safest bet. Frankie didn't want to see Tess by any means, Mike would instantly take them back most likely, and to catch a train or bus to Gary and Marty's would mean that somehow they'd have to sneak back in the house and find some money. That was NOT an option for neither of them wanted to face Stef again.

"This is all your fault, dummy! ALL OF IT!" Frankie scowled as she shoved her hands into her jean's pockets and the boy looks at her like she's lost her mind as they walk the half hour to Julius as it was starting to get chilly and Corey only had his shorts tee and flip flops on.

"How?? I didn't go all violent on Mama! And I didn't nearly get the police called on me! Mama Dukes deserved to know, and it didn't seem like Mom was gonna tell her!" Corey retorts as Frankie glares at him.

"No? You opened your big mouth at dinner!! And why did Mama Dukes need to know at all? It's not like she can control her temper anyway! As you can tell, we're kicked out the house! Or do you not see that!!?"

"Mama Dukes would find out anyway, because she finds out EVERYTHING. You know her and Mama tell each other everything. And I know I said that it didn't seem like Mom was gonna tell her, she probably would have," Corey begins to back track as Frankie slugs him in the arm growing even more frustrated not to mention hungry since she didn't really eat much of her dinner.

"OWWWWW! I'm sorry, okay? I really am! I'm kicked out too because I'm such an idiot and opened my mouth again! Mama Dukes smacked me upside the head too before kicking me out! Now I have a migraine to boot! AND a sore ass arm!  And I'm starving!!!Why is she so dang rough! She could have least let me get a jacket or something! I'm frozen!!"

"Do you think I care? I don't! You deserved to be smacked upside the head, Corey! You enjoy getting me in trouble all the fucking time, and I'm tired of it! SICK up to my nose!" Frankie spouts off as the pair finally reaches Julius' house and both walk up the steps.

"God don't ever talk about Mama Dukes temper because you got one big time!" The boy laughs as Frankie ignores his stupid comment.

"Now, please," Frankie lowers her voice as she turns to look at her brother. "Let ME handle this, big mouth," she says through gritted teeth. "Because if you handle it you will get us into even more trouble! Got it?"

"Fine!"

Frankie knocks softly as Corey steps from foot to foot, unable to get the nerves out of his body even though they had walked a couple of miles. He also wondered how much more trouble they would be in now since they left the backyard. "Oh my god! I see a light on!" Frankie tries not to panic as she begins pounding on the door even louder hoping either Julius or Phil were home.

"Why don't you just ring the bell, dummy!" Corey says now pressing the bell a hundred times as Frankie pushes his hand away.

"Idiot! Why do you need to be so obnoxious!!"

"I'm not but if they are sleeping no one is gonna hear you banging!" The boy shouts ringing the bell again.

"Lord have mercy, who is at my door at this hour knocking and ringing the bell like mad people????" Julius hurries to his front door as he had heard banging nonstop for over five minutes and was mid deep in his current issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine. The man had been doing a face scrub and had blue gel all over his face as well as his burgundy bathrobe as he slides on his fuzzy slippers and flings open the door.

"Uncle Julius, we're sorry to bother you but we have nowhere to stay!" Frankie cries out as she about falls inside when he had opened the door.

"Oh goodness dear! What in gods name are you TWO doing here. It's almost 9pm!" He says looking passed them to see if he saw any site of Stef or Lena. "And what do you mean you have nowhere to stay???"