Summer Relations

Chapter 3

The pic on the side is of Spencer. He's so hot.

~Sam

I was almost asleep when I was rudely woken by the guys begging for me to wake up.

I forced myself to.

"What do you guys want to do?" I asks, resting my head on Justice's shoulder, tired.

"Let's play a game, like-"

The front door slams.

"Natalie! Come down here!" Mom bellows.

I sit up, and then go downstairs after telling the guys to be good.

Mom is here, alright.

But my sister, Caitlyn, who I haven't seen since she left when I was fifteen.

She's three years older than I am, so she's twenty.

I gulp.

She looks shocked at how much I've grown.

Mom's drunk.

Drunk.

Shitfaced.

I take a step back.

I've never seen her drunk.

She stumbles to the fridge and grabs a beer and downs it in thirty seconds.

"Okay Mom." Caitlyn says. she takes the beer and tosses it in the garbage.

Mom slumps against the counter.

"You!" Mom points at me. "I hate-h-hate keeping secrets from you!" she giggles.

I look at Caitlyn.

"Rose, stop talking." Uncle Albert says, putting his hands on his sisters shoulders, steering Mom to the couch.

"But sometimes, I have to!" she gasps.

"Rose, stop talking." Uncle Albert says again.

"But your father!" she gasps, and then frowns, and gets up and grabs another beer. She grins. "He didn't leave!" she laughs. "He went into the Navy!" she takes a long swig from her bottle.

"Rose!" Uncle Albert snaps. "Shut up!"

"But he went missing in action." She takes another swig. "I thought he died, so I told you girls he left. I didn't want you to get your hopes up."

I'm silent and Caitlyn is silent, watching me closely.

A memory hits me, hard.

"Hey kid." Dad tickles me. I'm seven. "You sleep good, okay kid?"

I nod.

She's crying though.

"I love you girls." He kisses me head, and then Caitlyn's, and then he shuts the light off and walks out the door.

I never saw him again.

It's been ten years.

Caitlyn is having the same memory playing in her head.

"And then!" Mom continues, even thought my eyes are already filed with tears. "And then he showed up today! Goodness, we were so in love!" she takes another swig. "But I thought he was dead! I panicked and ran!"

The doorbell rings.

I can't handle all of this.

Numbly, I walk out that back door.