Maintaining Dominance

Chapter 4

I walk in the door of the house and my mother is waiting for me, leaning against the island with her arms crossed. "Hayden Grey, I got a call from the school today, specifically the school counselor. He was concerned and thought that I should know that you were almost in a fight today." She is pissed and I can see that.

"It doesn't matter, he was digging into things he shouldn't have been. He is a bully and needs to be knocked down a peg." I tell her as I begin my walk into the kitchen. She shakes her head at me and turns as I get closer to her. She sticks her finger up in my face and gives me a look that tells me I'm in trouble.

"I brought us here for a fresh start. If you act out as you did back home, our welcome won't be so warm." I move her hand from my face and look at her with a hard glare.

"You brought us halfway across the country to give us a fresh start, true, but the thing is is that you never asked either of us about it." Her face grows red and she looks at me with wide eyes, I have not spoken to her like this before.

"I am the parent. Now I have a meeting, you are in charge of Easton." She says quickly and heads towards the door, slamming it on the way out. Easton peaks out of the living room and looks from me to the door before speaking up.

"Mommy was mad about something. She told me to sit down and watch TV. Did something bad happen?" I look down at him and walk over, picking him up.

"I may have made her a bit mad, but it isn't anything to worry about," I tell him and sit him down on the barstool at the island. "Now, it's time to look at your homework. I will get you a snack." I grab his backpack and get the binder out that has all of his homework in it. I place it in front of him and he starts working.

I go to the cabinet and pull out a cereal bar. I set the bar down next to him and start picking the kitchen up. I do the dishes and set them in the dishrack before I head to the living room. I fix the cushions on the couch and chairs and vacuum the carpet. I turn the TV off and head back into the kitchen, wiping down the counters.

I start making dinner after a few hours of cleaning and my mother comes into the house, going straight to her study without saying a word to either of us. I glance in Easton's direction and he is staring at the area where our mother disappeared to.

I dish out his food and make a plate for myself, waiting until my mother comes down to put the food away. Easton and I eat in silence, but only because he is still looking at his homework while he is eating. I finish eating before he does and head to the counter to put the rest away. Mother must have gotten some extra work at her meeting today.

Easton finishes his food and I send him to the bathroom to get a shower. I dump the food into a bowl and place it in the fridge. I take a look over Easton's work before putting it back in his bag. I put his backpack on the hook by the door so he won't forget it in the morning.

I head towards the bathroom and Easton is out of the shower and already in his room, dressed and ready for bed.

"Do you want me to read to you again, I think that mother is busy right now?" I ask and he nods, smiling at me. I lean against his bookshelf, looking for a book I had not yet read him. I find one and sit down beside him on his bed.

I begin reading the book and finish in no time, as most of the book is pictures. Easton is fast asleep and I tuck him in before turning off his light and heading down the hallway

I am walking back to my room when I hear a strange noise coming from my mother's study. I stop and listen for a few moments, but hear nothing out of the ordinary. I reach for the doorknob and open it, feeling that something isn't right. I see my mother on the floor, beside her computer desk, her face buried in her knees.