My stomach churning and my palms sweating I moved the chewed up lump of dough, sauce and cheese around on my tongue unable to swallow the hunk of pizza.
Feeling sick I looked from Destiny who was sitting on my left, to Michael, then Jess who were sitting on my right. The four of us were gathered in a circle around Jess and Michael’s Ikea coffee table watching White Chicks.
Laughing loudly, Michael started to wipe his greasy fingertips on the white carpet, however thinking better of it at the last minute, wiped them on his sweatpants.
Chewing my lower lip I looked around Michael’s man cave which he had spent the weekend construction. Painting the walls white, picking out a couch, buying a new TV since the five seven he had already clearly weren’t enough.
“So,” Jess said suddenly, startling me so badly I jumped as a commercial for toenail fungus cream came on the screen, “How’s Andy doing?”
“He’s good.” Destiny answered, trying to move into a comfortable position on top of the pillow where she was sitting since her, down there, was still recovering from pushing an a nine and a half pound human being into the world, “He doesn’t sleep though. Ever.”
“Are you making Ashton stay up with him?” Jess demanded.
“He does sometimes.” She yawned.
Rolling her eyes, Jess shot me a look which clearly said, ‘either you start waking up with the kid your little oopsie in the bedroom made or you’re going to get it.’
“I get up with him a lot!” I said defensively, “I’m the one that taught you how to change his diaper!”
“How was I supposed to know he’d pee as soon as I took it off.”
“Everyone knows that.” Michael laughed, “It’s like common knowledge.”
“What you need to do is teach Minnie how to do it.” Jess laughed.
“She’s five!” Destiny cried.
“So,” Michael laughed, “Stella changed your diapers.”
“I changed my brother’s diapers.” Jess noted.
“I didn’t know you have a brother!” Destiny gasped.
“Never came up.” Jess shrugged.
“How in five years of knowing you did your siblings never come up?” Destiny asked.
Jess shrugged, “We don’t talk.”
“Why not?” Destiny pressed.
“Last I heard he was locked up at Weckdale.” Jess sighed.
“The mental hospital?” Michael breathed.
Reaching for another slice of pizza, Jess nodded.
“Why?” Destiny demanded.
“Can we not talk about this right now?” Jess sighed.
“Yeah, of course.” Michael said quickly leaning down and kissing her lightly on the temple.
“So.” Jess laughed awkwardly, “Subject change. You guys said you had something important to tell us.”
Her eyes widening, Destiny looked at me.
Alarmed I tried to swallow my pizza however it just got stuck bellow my atoms apple where I proceeded to choke on it, causing quite the scene. It was when Michael was moving behind me to start the Heimlich that I finally spat it out like a hairball into my napkin.
