Bloody Story 1987

Page 38

I shake my head as he leaves without even saying goodbye, my grandfather slinking away as I appear back in the doorway quickly. Max enters, surprising my mom with a few words, "hello Lucy," I see her jump and in the corner my pops watches like a scarecrow as he slowly closes his sliding doors to the taxidermy room. "Is it okay for the guest to see the food before the dinner?" I licked my lips moving to sit at the dinner table, "You're thinking of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding." I can hear their conversation clearly, "oh, right. I always get those two confused." She brings the pot deciding it's done cooking and places at the table with him trailing behind her, his hands behind his back suspiciously but I can see the hint of flowers behind him as he walks, "these ar for you," he shoves them out to her and she's once again surprised, "oh, thank you, they're beautiful, he suddenly puts his arms around her waist and nuzzles her neck. I pause, my eyes widened and my brows turned up slightly, Max is about to kiss her when Sam appears saving me from the sight, "Mom..." I turn before they do and see the three boys from earlier all together in our dining room, "These are my dinner guests. Edgar and Alan. The Frog Brothers." I sighed instantly knowing she felt upset that he did this tonight, "Ah... I didn't know you were having guests..."

I catch Alan's eye's when I scour over the brother and he doesn't bother snarling at me this time, simply not looking away, "well if we're in your way we can just eat peanut butter out of the jar in the kitchen." I turn to look at Sam with his words, knowing his manipulation tactic that she couldn't defeat, "No, no... there's plenty for everybody... Oh, Max, this is Sam... and the Frog Brothers..." She looks them over strangely but The Frogs and Sam only have their eyes on Max, until I look right back at Alan and he has the audacity to smirk at me. My eyes narrowed and I licked my lips noticing how his eyes narrowed at the action, smiling I turned back around and folded my hands in my lap.

Everyone is seated around the table after a few minutes and soon everyone has food on their plates. Edgar and Alan are sat on each side of me, Edgar's attention fully on Max who's sat beside Sam on the other side. "This looks terrific, Lucy." I watch from the corner of my eye as he leans close to her and she smiles only when he pulls back does she speak, "Boy! Somebody around here sure has bad breath!" The boys all look directly at Max and he looks up confused and slightly insulted looking when she waves her hand shoving the large dog, "Nanook, stop breathin' on me." Sam is sighing and annoyed now looking over at the dog, "c'mere, Nanook." The Frog brothers exchanged disappointed expressions from behind me as I rolled my eyes taking a bit of saucy spaghetti noodles. Sam starts nodding towards Max's large plate of spaghetti and speaks to him, "how about a little Parmesan cheese on that?"

"Okay, Sam. Thanks." Max takes the container and sprinkles some of the grated cheese onto his spaghetti after smiling at my little brother. Sam exchanges a conspiratorial look with the brothers on my sides as Max takes a mouthful of spaghetti and nearly spits it out. "Max! What's wrong?" My mother became concerned about the choking cough, "it's garlic!!" Sam almost yells at him next, "I bet you hate garlic don'tcha?" I looked at him in ridicule saying his name, "I like garlic, but..." He sputters and coughs as Sam offers water, "Quick, drink some water!" I watch disinterested as he spills the water on the older man, intentionally, only to suddenly jump in my seat knocking my knee into the wood and surprising everyone who immediately turns back to Max. I don't even hear the yelling or the concerned voices as I cough into my hand choking on a spaghetti noodle. Looking down I grasp onto the hand that's inching up towards my inner thigh only for Alan's hand to grip and make me jump again in my own surprise, once again hitting the table.

Suddenly the lights go out and the hand is gone, now I'm sitting heavily breathing and leaning over the table as Sam yells and chairs are shoved around people moving before the lights pop on and Max yells in surprise, "Sam! What's gotten into you tonight?!" Max gets up from the table and looks between my mother and Sam as Alan sneakily sneaks back into his seat next to me, Edgar doing the same. "I think I know what's going on here." Edgars voice pops back up just as Alan sneaks his hand back under the table and grasps my knee, "You do?!" Max nods and is still talking, only this time to both Sam and I, "Sure. I understand what you're thinking, Sam, Willow. But you're wrong."

"I am?" I look up confused but swallow as the hand slides again, Alan looking like he's totally innocent but glancing at me every few seconds, "Yeah. I'm not trying to replace your Dad... or steal your Mom. I just want to be your friend." Sam looks a little shame-faced and stands as our mom leads Max out of the room, Sam and Edgar standing to follow, another plan of apologies prepared.

"Alan... move your hand," looking at him his snarl pops up but weirdly, like it was a mix of a smirk as well, The hand does move again but further up my thigh until I'm jumping in my chair turning beat red while he yanks his hand away and cooling his expression just as Sam and Edgar walk back into the dining room, "Willow? Your face is like, really... red."