Family Above All

66. Secrets and Lies

Pairing: Klaus/Enzo-Kol-Damon (M/MmM) hand, ping pong paddle

Note: I have been very busy and am still not taking requests at this time. Thanks to all readers who have stuck with this story. I also had a bit of a writer's block, but I hope that is over now. There is nothing worse than staring at a blank page!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Salvatore Boarding House

Vicki slipped into Annabelle's room quietly, the salve hidden in her pocket.
"Hey," Annabelle hissed, as she jerked to look behind her, the movement exacerbating the pain in her rump.

"Sorry, it's just me. I thought I would bring you a little something," Vicki said with a grin. She produced the vial of salve. "I made it myself. Your mom is actually a really good teacher."

"Yeah, thanks," Annabelle said weakly, trying to grab the covers to pull over her behind.

"Ouch! Whoa, she really did beat your butt with that old stick," Vicki lamented. Pearl had threatened her with the cane when had tried to skip out on some chores, but Vicki thought it was a bluff. She now saw that Pearl wasn't bluffing. Annabelle's bottom was red and there were scarlet weals where the cane had landed.

"It's not the first time Mother took a cane to me...I wish Katherine hadn't burned that spoon! I think I'm healing a little, but the salve will help. Thank you," Annabelle mumbled. "I think I can do it."
"Nah, it's okay. We're both girls," Vicki said. She put on the gloves and gently started to work in the thick salve carefully.

Annabelle hissed, but then relaxed. "Oh, yeah, that's good. Right there. She really got that side..."

"I think she got both equally," Vicki muttered. "I'm gonna remember this the next time I bitch about ironing all that shit. I never heard of ironing like sheets and jeans. We were lucky if our clothes got washed with my mom."

Annabelle grunted again. "Oh, wow. It's working. Um, where is your mom? Have you heard from her?"

Vicki tried not to pause, but dropped the vial on the bed cover.

"Shit, sorry," Vicki cursed, picking it up. The gloves were slippery now. "Matty tried to call her. I hate to say it but this isn't the longest we haven't heard from her. Once, she met a long haul trucker and was gone for like six months."

"Six months? Oh my, how old were you?" Annabelle gasped. She couldn't imagine Pearl ever doing that. Aside from the Johnathan Gilbert, Pearl hadn't ever even expressed interest in a man. And that had ended so badly.

"Fourteen maybe?" Vicki said. "But Matt really stepped up. He's the one who arranged for extensions on the rent and started doing odd jobs. I think Tyler also gave him money. I know those two morons got you into this mess with your mom, but overall, they are good guys. They shouldn't have let you take the fall. There, I think that is good."

"No, they offered to step up. Really, they did. I told them it was over and done with. I also heard they would get kicked off the baseball team," Annabelle protested, turning to look at Vicki, who was taking off the gloves. "Vicki, I'm not like you. I don't always know what to say to people and...I've never been good at making friends."

Annabelle was on her side now. Her backside felt a lot better and the throbbing had ebbed.

Vicki smiled, "Honestly, Annabelle, I don't even know who I really am. Yeah, I might have been fun and all that, but I was always wasted on boozer or pills or worse. I never even knew what I was interested in...I guess we are both kinda starting over, huh? Maybe we can help each other? Have you thought about going back to school?"