When I woke up I was still on the couch, a blanket tucked around me. It was still early and the house was supremely quiet. I rolled into a sitting position and wrapped the blanket over my shoulders, I had never been a super thin girl, I was bulky, but I no longer gave a shit. The door to my room was closed and I just barely heard my brother's snore. Couldn't say that I blamed him, his room was storage now--Mom hadn't wanted to think about him leaving so she filled it with anything that didn't already have a place. There was no way that he would want to stay in Mom and Dad's old room after what happened, so I forgave him for leaving me on the couch. I sighed and walked into the kitchen and amazingly found some eggs and sausage that Donnie hadn't made disappear yet and began to cook. There was something about sizzling meat and stirring food in a pan that relaxed me. Before long I relaxed and let my shoulders hang. It was a cold morning and the heat of the stove warmed my hands.
Lost in my own world where there was no death but the pigs that contributed to the sausage, but at least I didn’t know them, I didn’t realize the house coming alive behind me. “Hey.” I jumped about three feet in the air and nearly dumped the breakfast all over. It was Hannah who was standing in the doorway. “Sorry,” she said again with a small smile.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said blinking.
“You didn’t have to do that you know.”
I frowned, “What?”
“Well, make a meal for us.”
A grin spread onto my face, “Who said it’s for you?”
She laughed, “So you’re sarcastic like your brother, too?”
“Yeah, sometimes, but don’t worry. I’m not as bad as him though.”
“I don’t think anyone is.”
I smiled to myself. “How long have you two been together?”
“Nearly seven months, we met when he and his posse came to my little town a while ago and we hit it off, as he would say.”
I couldn’t help but cock and eyebrow at seven months, not that I wasn’t happy. It was probably good for him. “So I take it you’ve met our father then?”
“No,” she said simply. “It was just him and a few others.”
“Like who, if you don’t mind me asking. I haven’t seen most the guys he would hang out with in a long time. Some of us were pretty tight.” I thought of one particular and smiled at the memories. I shook my head back to reality and set a plate in front of her.
“Um, there was Marty and Ricky-”
I snickered. “Ricky-Dick.”
She smiled wide, “That still bugs him.”
“Good,” I said felling accomplished that the nickname I gave him stuck through all this time.
“There was one more, too. Dang it, I can’t remember who though.”
“Who we talkin’ about?” Donnie was stumbling in the door.
Hannah spun around quickly, “Who were the guys you were with when we met? There was Marty and Ricky, but who was the third?”
“When we first met? You forgot? Well I feel special, I remember everything about that day.” He sat down next to her and pulled her close. She giggled. “You were wearing blue jeans that made your ass look amazing, even though it always does. The shirt was purple and you had a black coat on. You-”
She finally hit it in the arm, “Yeah, I think we get it. Now I was asking about your friends, smart ass. My mind was pretty fixed on you so excuse me if I don’t remember your pal’s name.”
“Don’t try to save yourself, the hurt has been made.”
“Donnie I didn’t mean to-”
He burst out laughing, “Chill, sugar. I’m just kidding. It was Ricky, Marty and Joey with me that time.”
Joey, I repeated in my head. God damn I missed him, I thought about him more than anyone, once my anger was averted to Donnie as well as my father. Joey was shy and sweet, but the greatest guy-friend I have ever had, not that the rest of them weren’t great. He just had always stood out. Mainly because he was never afraid to be seen with me and would give others hell if they took the teasing of me too far. No matter what I could trust that idiotic goofball. I found myself smiling as much as I could.
Donnie put his plate down, pulling me away from the memories I held dear. I looked at him and he grinned in a way that worried me, “Miss him don’t you?”
I nodded, failing to reduce my smile. Despite my best efforts I was blushing.
“He misses you, too.” My heart was pounding in my chest, why?
He chuckled at me. “Shut up,” I said grumpily.
“I didn’t say shit.”
“Oh my God,” Hannah mumbled suddenly, her mouth full of food.
“What,” Donnie said worried.
“These are the most amazing eggs EVER.”
I laughed, “Thanks.”
“No, seriously.”
“She’s right,” my brother said gulping. “They ain’t half bad.”
“Well, good,” was all I would say.
“How would you know,” Hannah said eyeing Donnie, “You just inhale them.”
I bust up and he gave her a look. Donnie stuck out his tongue and we continued to eat. I noticed my brother eying me suspiciously. I groaned, “What?”
“Since when do you wear make-up?”
Without a thought I responded, “Since I had to provide funds for myself and reverted to selling my body to any takers.”
He was choking on his enormous bite, coughing and wheezing. I tossed my head back cackling like mad, eventually curling in on myself nearly crying.
“What???!!!” He bellowed and shot a glance at me, sending me into another fit.
“Thought you would like that little bit of info.”
“Trista May Fraton, you better tell me what the fuck is going on here.”
I wiped the tears from my checks, still catching my breath. “Oh!”
“TRISTA!!!” He roared, standing.
“Take a chill pill, Donnie. I was just messing with you fragile morning brain.”
He gave me a stare that was anger mixed with concern. “You mean it?”
My eyes locked on him, “Promise.”
He sat back down, still staring at me, I rolled my eyes. From the other side of the table Hannah snorted. Donnie looked at her exasperated, “Really? You, too?”
She covered her mouth with her hands. “I’m so sorry; your face was just perfect.” She turned around to hide her laughing face from Donnie.
Irritated, he grumbled something under his breath. I got up and took the plates, stopping next to him, nudging him with my elbow. “Hey,” I said smiling gently, “You forgive me for this, and I’ll forgive you for ditching me to live my teenage life alone.”
Sadness and apologies filled his eyes. “No, not even that was enough to make up for what I did.”
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