Parker's Here
Chapter 1
Parker’s Here
I took a deep breath as I stood at the front gate of our house. From afar it looked so nice, being three floors with beautiful white and blue paint, a picturistic yard surrounded by a white gate, freshly mowed grass, and flowers lining the freshly painted porch with a nice stone path leading up to it. But I knew that, despite it’s calm looks, this was currently a house of craziness.
“You ready?” I asked my sister Nelly who was next to me. Her blond-curls bounced as she nodded, her bright blue eyes showing that she was nervous. I was nervous as well, everyday was a new adventure, usually filled with quite a few fierce arguments.
We slowly walked up the stone pathway, walking onto the porch. Dad, tired of the family problems, had recently thrown himself into work around the house when he wasn’t at work. He had painted the porch, redone the yard, made a new shed for the backyard, and mowed the yard every time the grass grew just a little.
Even on the porch I could hear my Aunt Reina and mother going at it with a brand new argument, I didn’t know what about though.
Then I pushed the door open and entered.
On my right in the living room I saw my grandpa sitting on the couch, reading a book. Meanwhile to my left in the kitchen were my Aunt Reina and mother. I didn’t wait around to listen to what they were yelling about, but instead quickly walked to the middle of the house, past the dining room, and up the stairs.
When I got to my room I shut the door and face planted on my bed. It had been a long day for me. School was a lot harder now that I was in tenth grade, and the teachers always piled lots of work on us. I probably had around three hours worth of homework for tonight.
I sighed and walked to my desk, pulling out some papers to start working on an essay.
Several hours later I heard someone ring the dinner bell. I quickly ran downstairs, knowing that if I was late I would get a scolding from someone.
Dinner was mashed potatoes and chicken. I sat next to Nelly like always, and next to her were Dad and mom. On the other side of the table sat my grandparents, who were Mom’s parents, and my Aunt Reina, Mom’s sister.
We ate quietly for about five minutes before my Aunt Reina broke the silence.
“Parker dropped out of college,” she said. Nobody answered. The only sounds were of silverware clinking against plates.
Aunt Reina took a deep breath and continued. “He said he hates it because he has no friends, and he needs a place to stay. So I invited him to come here.”
Mom took sharp intake of breath. Parker was coming here?? It took a moment for that to sink in. Parker, the terrible kid who had tortured Nelly and I every time he came to visit. Parker, the kid who would beat me up when I didn’t agree with me. Parker, the kid who openly threatened my entire family and harrasses Nelly, the biggest reason why we had banned him from our house.
“No,” Mom suddenly said.
“What do you mean ‘no?“’ Aunt Reina asked.
“I mean no, that’s what I mean,” Mom replied, starting to raise her voice.
“You can’t say no, I already invited him. I can’t take that invitation back. Anyways, he will be here tonight.”
“Well when he gets here you are going to tell him to find someplace else to stay!” Mom screamed at her.
“I can’t do that! He needs a place to stay, and he’s my son. You invited me to come here, and as part of the family he has the right to come as well.” Aunt Reina looked at Mom smugly, thinking that she had won the battle.
“Your son is not welcome here because he has hurt my family in so many ways. And if he dropped out of college because he doesn’t want to stay there, that’s his fault. I am not welcoming a disrespectful, disobedient, kid who isn’t even a kid anymore into my house!” Mom screamed at Aunt Reina.
Dad put his hand on Mom’s shoulder to calm her down. Luckily it worked.
My grandparents, Nelly and I just silently watched.
Then the doorbell rang and Aunt Reina ran to open up the door.
When she opened it we all gasped. There stood Parker, but he had changed. His arms were littered with tattoos, and his hair, once blond like mine, was now black. I wondered how he had gotten it that color. I had heard of people changing their hair, but out in Winscousin we never really saw anything like it.
“I thought I told you to wait to eat dinner until I got here? Did I not?” Parker said, looking at his mom with a glare that any normal mother would have punished their son for.
“Oh, I wanted to wait. But everyone really wanted to eat,” Aunt Reina told him, as though we were the bad ones here.
Everyone was too shocked by Parker’s appearance that they didn’t say anything about his rude comment. Mom did send a glare at Aunt Reina though.
Then they walked to the table and both of them sat down. I then realized that there was no plate for Parker, and that since it seemed like he would be staying for the moment, he needed one.
I got up and walked over to the kitchen, grabbing a plate and utensils, taking a deep breath and walking over to Parker. I tried to hide my fear as I set them down in front of him. Fear would only encourage him.
“Why wasn’t this set for me before I got here?” Parker asked me, his evil eyes piercing my souls. I looked up nervously at my parents, and Mom was very stiff in her seat, seeing what would happen.
“We didn’t know you… were...um...coming until a few minutes… ago,” I gulped.
“You little liar, even if that’s true you could have quickly spent a few seconds and set my plate,” Parker growled back at me.
His response sparked anger deep inside me and I retorted, “Well you aren’t the king of this house, and just because you mom invited you here, doesn’t mean you get to stay.”
“What did you say?” Parker said, standing up and knocking his chair to the floor.
“I said that you are not welcome here.” If everyone was too nervous to say that, I would go ahead and do it.
A second later I found myself two feet off the ground, Parker’s fist clinging to my shirt. He held me right in front of his face and yelled “You don’t get to choose that you little twerp!”
“PARKER LET GO OF MY SON RIGHT THIS INSTANT!” I heard Mom scream.
Parker didn’t let go of me though and instead whispered “I’ll get you back for this, you little brat.” Then he dropped me right onto the floor, my leg crumbling under me. Then he let out one of his evil laughs before sitting back down.
“Parker, what Jimmy said was true. You are not welcome here, especially not after that performance of your,” Mom growled at him. “Get out.”
“Sorry Carol but you don’t make decisions for me. I do. And my decision is to stay,” Parker retorted.
My Grandpa, who usually didn’t say much, turned to Aunt Reina and whispered something to her.
“No, I don’t have to control my son, Dad! He is under control!” Aunt Reina screamed at Grandpa.
“Old man do you have something to say?” Parker asked.
“Yes I do! You are one nasty boy and you are out of control. This isn’t your house and I suggest you get out!” Grandpa told him in a stern voice.
Parker laughed. “You don’t make choices for me either, old man. I’m staying. And I’m staying in the master bedroom.” Then he got up, grabbing his bags that were still in the doorway, and marched upstairs.
As soon as he left Mom continued screaming at Aunt Reina.
“Reina your son may not stay! What he just did is not tolerable, I can’t except that behavior in my house! If you don’t get him out of this house, I will kick you both out!”
“Well too bad. Good luck getting him to leave, or me.” With that said, Aunt Reina went upstairs as well.
Mom buried her head in her hands and started to cry. Dad put his arms around her to comfort her. I looked over at Nelly who looked like she was also about to cry. She had worse experiences with Parker than I had. I put my arm around her and looked at my grandparents.
“All of Reina and Oscar’s worse qualities have been put into that boy,” Grandma mumbled.
“I know,” Mom sighed.
“It’ll be okay,” Dad said, the first words he had put into the conversation.
“Sorry to break it to you, Tom, but that boy is worse news than any of us are willing to admit,” Grandpa told him. “The best choice for us is to all leave and move all the way to New York where it’ll be too crowded for Reina and her wretched son to even have a chance of finding us.”
“I can’t believe that Reina stands by her son, despite all he’s done,” Mom muttered.
“Does she understand what he’s done?” Dad asked.
“Yes, but she doesn’t like to admit it. Barb and I made the same mistake with her. We didn’t acknowledge all the things she did, and the ways she hurt your wife. And so the behavior continued and now Reina isn’t the nicest person, if you know what I mean,” Grandpa responded.
“I’m going to go and finish my homework,” I said, getting up.
“Ya me to,” Nelly added.
We both ran upstairs to my room.
Nelly sat on the floor, burying her head in her hands. I sat across from her on my bed.
“Can I stay with you until he leaves,” Nelly asked, her voice muffled by her hands.
“Yes, of course. I hope he goes soon,” I told her.
“Jimmy I’m scared of what he might do,” Nelly said, looking up at me. Tears were now streaming down her face. “And whatever he does, Mom and Dad can’t do anything about it, because he’ll hurt them too.”
Now she was full out sobbing, and I got up and sat next to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder.
“I can’t say it will be okay, but we will fight threw it. Got it?”
She sniffled and nodded. “I’m going to go get some of my stuff.”
When she left the room I silently prayed that everything would turn out okay. I didn’t know if it would. I just had to hope.
