The Dysfunctional Affair

Melina

Raucous laughter emanated from the downstairs, wrenching me from the narcotic-induced dreams I was having. I wasn't sure being woken up was a bad thing. I was sure that the laughter was, it belonged to my mother.

Dragging myself from bed, I looked at my pajamas. They covered all the important bits. They'd do to go downstairs and kick my mother out of my house. Of course, I wouldn't actually kick her out, that was impossible, but I would fantasize about it. The fantasy was always better than the reality anyway.

I limp-skipped to the top of the stairs. Once there, I just stared. Normally, I'd sit on my butt and just scoot down the stairs. However, my arm was also injured, so that didn't seem like an option. That left two options; limp skipping down them or yelling for help. I really didn't want to yell for help, but I figured I'd be back in the hospital if I attempted the other.

"Uh, could someone come get me?" I yelled down the stairs. Zeke appeared at the bottom. "Someone with more muscle?" Zeke was thin and muscular. Anthony was wide and muscular. Considering the feat included stairs, I wanted wide and muscular.

"I can carry you down a flight of steps," Zeke frowned at me.

"I'm sure you can, but I'm already injured so why take chances?" I asked. Zeke shook his head and walked up the stairs. He grabbed me, sweeping me off my feet, pivoted like a dancer, and we headed down the stairs. I closed my eyes for the adventure, not wanting to see the hardwood floor rushing up at me when we fell. With one movement, my feet were on the floor.

"See?" Zeke put me down on the floor without injury.

"Well, I'm shocked," I admitted. My mother was cooking. This was a really bad sign. My mother only cooked when she was up to something.

"Nadine," she cooed at me. I felt like throwing up, and I didn't think it was the narcotics or the pain.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"Cooking," she spread her arms wide. "Alex and Sebastian are on their way. You girls have really gotten yourselves into a mess this time." I looked at Anthony. Anthony would not meet my gaze.

"We usually eat junk food and pizza on football days," I told her.

"I'm making pizza," she answered. It didn't smell like pizza. "Oh my goodness!" She suddenly shouted.

"What?" We all three turned and started looking around for some type of danger.

"Nadine Duscha Daniels! How could you?" She scolded me while walking towards me.

"I didn't do anything!" I defended myself, not sure what I was being accused of.

"You introduced him as your roommate!" My mother looked like she was going to cry. I was still confused.

"He is my roommate!" I looked at Zeke for help. He suddenly paled.

"You and your roommate wear matching wedding rings?" She snapped, grabbing my hand. I had forgotten all about the wedding ring. I was in trouble, thankfully, I was bringing Zeke with me.

"I can explain," I started.

"I can't believe you eloped!" She did start crying now. "Your grandfather will be so disappointed. And what about the rest of us? We didn't get to see you walk down the aisle or anything. Does Alex know about this? She does, doesn't she? She probably got to attend." My grandfather was a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church. He'd become a priest after leaving Russia. My grandmother had already died and he said he would never find another woman to love like her, so he took orders instead. My family might have a few crazy genes.