Every Happy Family by Dede Crane Page B

summer it hurt. But when she finally came home, he barely recognized her. Her face looked different. She was taller and she’d filled out in new places. Since then she’d filled out even more.
    Pema peeks at the screen and in the underwater light he sees someone other than his sister and a primitive thrill takes him by surprise.
    â€œGet off,” he says in his confusion and gently pushes her away.
    â€œIs it over?” she asks still clinging, still peeking, still pressing.
    He wrenches his shirt free. “Move over.”
    â€œDid you see that?” says Pema, scooting over, eyes glued to the TV. “Freak me out.”
    â€œYeah,” Beau lies.
    She stops the movie and jumps up on her knees. “Should we watch that part again?” She stares at him breathless and eager, and because he’s just got a glimpse down the gaping v-neck of her nightshirt, he keeps his eyes stiffly on her face. His neck burns with shame. He throws off the cover and is about to get up when Pema jumps on him, straddles his lap and straight-arms him back against the couch.
    â€œWhere do you think you’re going?”
    â€œBed. I’m tired.”
    â€œNo. You can’t go to bed,” she says in that despairing way she uses to make him do something. “I can’t watch this alone.”
    â€œWatch Glee .” He feels an erection starting and shoves her off him more forcefully than he meant to.
    â€œBeauuuu.”
    He’s up and moving towards the stairs.
    â€œI hate you,” she whines.
    â€œGood,” he says and takes the stairs two at a time, horrified she might see. The phone rings and, praying it’s not for him, he hurries into his room and locks the door.

    Quinn is in his room, putting the final touches to the figurine he made for Lauren, and can’t help answering the phone imagining it’s her. “Hello?”
    â€œIs that Quinn?”
    â€œHi Auntie Annie, how are you?”
    â€œOh god, you don’t want to know, it’s been a day, a week, totally wasted making a dress with a see-through waist out of six-pack rings, you know, the plastic circles? Was thinking sixties retro, bad idea, the edges curl and then pinch, but you don’t need me to dump on you. Heard about last weekend. A drunk and disorderly, huh? You? Did someone slip you a roofie or something? When I was your age, Jesus help us, we drank, popped Quaaludes, Orange Sunshine, mescaline...”
    His mom had talked Lauren and her parents into dropping the assault charge, convinced them that knocking her to the ground and dislocating her shoulder was a drunken stumble. An accident. He’d made a formal apology to Lauren’s roommate and parents – Lauren wouldn’t see him.
    â€œ...ecstasy, coke, Windowpane. That was back when you could trust what was in those things, more or less. Before the gangs got in on it. So how are you?”
    â€œI’m fine.”
    His aunt’s laugh is so loud it sounds more like an angry shout. He has no idea what’s so funny.
    â€œHeard you aced your exams.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œBurning the candle at both ends. Excellent.”
    Auntie Annie never fails to make him feel better about himself.
    â€œI’m looking for your dad. I tried his cell but no one answered. He’s at the new job?”
    â€œYeah, he’s at work.”
    â€œCan’t pick up the phone with a new boss looking over his shoulder. I think he just needs to be his own boss. I don’t blame him quitting that last place. I mean, at his age, having to take orders from a snotty thirty-year-old?”
    â€œHey, Mom’s here. You want to talk to her?”
    â€œOh, is Jill there? I’d love to talk to her but she’s probably busy and I’d hate to bother her... Is she there?”
    â€œHold on, I’ll go get her.” Unable to stomach the hurt on his mother’s face whenever she lays eyes on him, Quinn calls out for