The four arrived at CJ's home where a stone faced woman clad in a cardigan and a tartan skirt over her stomach was sat in the living room.
To say the sight didn’t have him a little confused was the least of his worries. He looked to the other figure.
An equally displeased looking Anthony was accompanying her. Taylor and Neven were pardoned from the wrath of the two guardians. They were ushered to the kitchen while Doris and CJ shrunk down in the opposite chairs.
Sergeant Scrooge looked just as threatening as CJ had imagined. The woman was well into her late sixties, even bearing a wooden cane perched by her knees but didn’t look defenseless whatsoever. Her lean muscles were visible through her exposed toned calves. A crescent shaped scar lay beneath her left glassy eye which she hadn’t taken it off of Doris since they'd arrived.
As scary as it was, CJ still found it easier than looking to Anthony who had his arms crossed and features shadowed by disappointment. It turned out he'd made arrangements to get off work early to take CJ out as a surprise, only to return to find the house empty.
“I don’t have any issue with you coming by, Doris,” assured Anthony. Then he peered to CJ. “But you could at least have notified McGuire when she turned up.”
“He didn’t know I ran off,” Doris hastily said. “I told CJ that Sergeant— I mean, Ms. McGuire, let me come over.”
In a flash, Sergeant Scrooge grabbed the cane and with expert aim, struck the blunt end on Doris's shin. The dull sound of the thwack made CJ wince. Doris merely shut her eyes, sucking in a sharp breath.
“So I let you be excused from school, with those pathetic grades and this is how you show gratitude?!” Scrooge practically growled, nostrils flaring. “Sneaking out and lying?”
Doris flattened both hands out on her lap and deeply bowed her head. “Sorry, ma'am.”
Scrooge looked far from satisfied, boney fingers tightening around the cane. Just when CJ feared the nutjob would go for another strike, Anthony flagged his hand in front of the woman.
“Ms. McGuire, settle down.” His tone was gentle but the look he gave said it was nothing short of a command. “And you'd be wise to act with discernment that Doris is a child. They make mistakes.”
Scrooge’s hooked nose crinkled in disgust. With a huff, she shook her head. “I’d think it best you focus on disciplining your own youngin instead of criticizing how I bring up mine. It’s thanks me tracing the credit card transactions on a very peculiar purchase to The Fried Chicken Kingdom,” she spat the name with disdain, “… that I knew the trail would lead me to the gluttonous brat.”
CJ turned to the redhead who instinctively dodged his eyes. “You ordered takeout to my house?”
“Everything in your fridge was in a can and you were taking so long to get dressed. I mean, how much time do you need? It’s not like you have to put on a bra, slap chemicals on your face or anything.”
“Not everyone can just be satisfied throwing on the first thing they see, Doris. Some of us aren’t brave enough to walk around looking like a sewer rat.”
“CJ,” Anthony snapped. “Watch your mouth.”
There came a low hiss drew from the silver haired viper before them, “Oh, and I can only wonder where he gets it from.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Don’t act like you aren’t at any fault here, Mr. Romano. What measures of caution did you take? You left this foolish boy...” The cane was pointed at CJ. “Home alone. You have no spouse, leaving no maternal figure to attend to his needs. Neither do you put any security devices to ensure you aren’t being robbed blind or having your credit card stolen to be splurged on junk food.”
YOU ARE READING
Venus & Mars (Discontinued)
Teen FictionCJ, Taylor, Doris and Neven who were survivors of an abduction several years ago, find themselves jilted back to the past when the captor is suddenly released. They begin to take action to get to the bottom of it as it turns out, this was no ordinar...
