THE MILLERS

CHAPTER EIGHT: Dollhouse

Tanner counted to three as he ran to dive off the diving board in his 10ft deep pool. There was one side low enough for the children to play in. He made his way into the water in a fancy manner, earning impressed looks from the twins and Caden. Their parents had a busy schedule in the afternoon, but their morning was free.

Katherine was sunbathing by one of her gold beach chairs. Theresa was back from her break, she was shocked to hear the news that had happened since she was gone, especially the vase incident.

"I'm so so sorry," she held the ten-year-old's arm gently.

"It's fine. I don't care anymore," Caden whispered to her. He has gotten over two hundred scars ever since he was three, but most of them healed while some remained visible marks on his skin.

"But it isn't, you shouldn't go through this, have you tried reporting it?" the woman asked.

"I can't, even if I wanted to, she will find out." he had an emotionless expression, and his entire face screamed 'tiredness'.

"Come on guys! The water feel fine!" Tanner's voice could be heard from the room the two were in.

"No thank you, I'm good!" Carl stepped away, while Khris insisted and jumped in the pool, creating a huge splash.

"You moron! You wet me up!" Katherine threw a tantrum over her freshly combed hair which was now drenched in water. Tanner rolled his eyes playfully, "You're acting like it's the first time you've gotten wet," he smirked as the woman flushed at that.

"Pervert..." she mumbled.

The two turned back to each other, "I don't want to go out there if you were about to ask," the grey-eyed boy frowned.

Theresa smiled at him, "What if your brothers want you out there? I know you don't want to be around your mother, but you can't distance yourself from them forever," she kept her eye contact with him.

"Well good for them! I'm not going out there-" he got cut off by a yell from Kori who was waving from outside.

"Hi, Cads! Can you come out, I want to play with you!" his voice muffled a bit against the window but they could hear him regardless. Carl turned the huge window, running towards it.

"Hi Ca-" he crashed into the window, thinking it was the door, making an 'oof' sound. The three burst into laughter as Carl picked himself up and fixed his glasses on, hoping it wasn't snapped.

Theresa turned to a cackling Caden, "Ha! See? They want you out there, they miss you,"

The boy calmed himself down, slyly smiling, "Oh, fine. Just for a few minutes," he got up as the woman cheered.

Kori and the seven-year-old rushed to hug him as soon as he stepped out, "Okay, okay! You guys are squeezing me!" he winced at the slight pain from the hug.

"Oops, sorry!" they had wide smiles and the child couldn't help but smile too.

Kevin was playing tag with Kayton, the both of them not paying attention to the fact that they splashed puddles of water with their feet, reaching toward Katherine every second. She ripped her soaked newspaper in half and stormed inside.

"Tag! You're it!" the four-year-old giggled as he lightly tapped the boy's shoulder.

"Heh, you're next!" the five-year-old ran after the giggling brunette.

Carl turned to the light brunette, "Can we play pirate?" he eagerly beamed, "Yeah! Please!" Khris begged as he poked his head from the surface of the water.

"Really? You want to?" Caden raised his brow. He could say he was dying from boredom.

Kori smirked, taking up a pool noodle and seizing it at him, "How dare you steal my precious gold!" he playfully winked at the ten-year-old, who kept laughing at his voice actor.