talking to me, I’m going to assume you haven’t been turned into a frog or anything.”
“Um.” Bailey tried to get his stammering under control. “I haven’t gone in yet. I can’t stop thinking I’m walking into a carnival of torture.”
Alexis sighed. “I’m sorry. I wish I could be there with you, but you’re going to be fine. These are your parents we’re talking about. They take care of you when you’re sick. They’re not going to do anything to you. And if they do, there are laws against that kind of thing. You could throw the book at them, maybe even knock one of their teeth out with it.”
Bailey snapped off a twig from the bush. “All right. But I want it noted for the record that I do this under protest.”
“Noted. Now, put on your big boy pants and go inside.”
“You have no idea how much I hate you right now.”
“You love me and you know it. Good luck.” Alexis ended the call.
Bailey peeked above the bushes toward his house. He didn’t see anyone through the windows, not even his parents. Maybe the party had cleared out. Only one way to know for sure.
“This sucks.”
Bailey walked to the front door, stopping only to make the sign of the cross before going inside, not that he thought the gesture would do a lot of good. His body tensed, expecting someone to choke slam him through the floor. Nobody did. Bailey thought about calling out to his parents, but thought better of it. They still hadn’t shown themselves as he entered the kitchen. Maybe they’d gone to bed, and the whole thing was much ado about nothing?
“We’re in the dining room, son,” his dad called out.
Then again, maybe they were in the dining room, waiting for the perfect moment to announce their presence like a villain hiding in the shadows.
Bailey’s heart turned to stone. It, along with the rest of his body, wanted to get as far from the dining room as possible. Despite the pleas from his body to run, Bailey forced himself to go into the dining room. The first thing that stood out to him was how spotless the room looked. Before parties, the room was covered in a thin layer of dust. After, his parents usually waited a day or two to clean up. Bailey found Wanda and Earl sitting at opposite ends of the table. Bailey sat down in the middle, making sure to keep an equal amount of distance from them. He prayed it would be a harmless conversation.
“Care to explain where you’ve been all night?” His father’s stern voice made Bailey’s spirits sink. Not even two seconds into the conversation, and it was getting ugly. “You’ve had your mother worried sick.”
His parents still wore their fancy party outfits. Dad, with his light blue sport coat and striped tie, and Mom with her red party dress that hung a little too low for Bailey’s comfort. He wondered why they didn’t bother to change. Based on the dining room’s cleanliness, the party ended a while ago.
Wait.
Could there be someone else there? His parents never cleaned in their nice clothes. Shit, shit, big massive titty shit.
“Did everybody leave the party?” Bailey asked.
“Don’t change the subject,” his dad said. “But yes.”
“This was supposed to be a grown up party,” Wanda said. “You said you’d be with your friends all night.”
“Were we wrong to assume that?” Earl asked with a condescending tone. “To take you at your word?”
“No. I’m sorry,” Bailey said softly. Shame swallowed up his fear. He wished this night would hurry up and end. He looked up at a portrait of his parents on their wedding day hanging on the opposite wall, like an extra pair of eyes looming over him.
“What was that?” His dad leaned forward.
The way he asked the question snapped Bailey out of his shame. Why rip my head off? I didn’t do anything wrong. I just wanted to pick up a stupid video game. It pissed him off.
“Who was that guy at the party I saw?” Bailey’s anger fueled his courage. He wanted to bring up the
“Um.” Bailey tried to get his stammering under control. “I haven’t gone in yet. I can’t stop thinking I’m walking into a carnival of torture.”
Alexis sighed. “I’m sorry. I wish I could be there with you, but you’re going to be fine. These are your parents we’re talking about. They take care of you when you’re sick. They’re not going to do anything to you. And if they do, there are laws against that kind of thing. You could throw the book at them, maybe even knock one of their teeth out with it.”
Bailey snapped off a twig from the bush. “All right. But I want it noted for the record that I do this under protest.”
“Noted. Now, put on your big boy pants and go inside.”
“You have no idea how much I hate you right now.”
“You love me and you know it. Good luck.” Alexis ended the call.
Bailey peeked above the bushes toward his house. He didn’t see anyone through the windows, not even his parents. Maybe the party had cleared out. Only one way to know for sure.
“This sucks.”
Bailey walked to the front door, stopping only to make the sign of the cross before going inside, not that he thought the gesture would do a lot of good. His body tensed, expecting someone to choke slam him through the floor. Nobody did. Bailey thought about calling out to his parents, but thought better of it. They still hadn’t shown themselves as he entered the kitchen. Maybe they’d gone to bed, and the whole thing was much ado about nothing?
“We’re in the dining room, son,” his dad called out.
Then again, maybe they were in the dining room, waiting for the perfect moment to announce their presence like a villain hiding in the shadows.
Bailey’s heart turned to stone. It, along with the rest of his body, wanted to get as far from the dining room as possible. Despite the pleas from his body to run, Bailey forced himself to go into the dining room. The first thing that stood out to him was how spotless the room looked. Before parties, the room was covered in a thin layer of dust. After, his parents usually waited a day or two to clean up. Bailey found Wanda and Earl sitting at opposite ends of the table. Bailey sat down in the middle, making sure to keep an equal amount of distance from them. He prayed it would be a harmless conversation.
“Care to explain where you’ve been all night?” His father’s stern voice made Bailey’s spirits sink. Not even two seconds into the conversation, and it was getting ugly. “You’ve had your mother worried sick.”
His parents still wore their fancy party outfits. Dad, with his light blue sport coat and striped tie, and Mom with her red party dress that hung a little too low for Bailey’s comfort. He wondered why they didn’t bother to change. Based on the dining room’s cleanliness, the party ended a while ago.
Wait.
Could there be someone else there? His parents never cleaned in their nice clothes. Shit, shit, big massive titty shit.
“Did everybody leave the party?” Bailey asked.
“Don’t change the subject,” his dad said. “But yes.”
“This was supposed to be a grown up party,” Wanda said. “You said you’d be with your friends all night.”
“Were we wrong to assume that?” Earl asked with a condescending tone. “To take you at your word?”
“No. I’m sorry,” Bailey said softly. Shame swallowed up his fear. He wished this night would hurry up and end. He looked up at a portrait of his parents on their wedding day hanging on the opposite wall, like an extra pair of eyes looming over him.
“What was that?” His dad leaned forward.
The way he asked the question snapped Bailey out of his shame. Why rip my head off? I didn’t do anything wrong. I just wanted to pick up a stupid video game. It pissed him off.
“Who was that guy at the party I saw?” Bailey’s anger fueled his courage. He wanted to bring up the
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