Chapter 4
Lying, Cheating
...two weeks before the trip
It was a Saturday afternoon and Megan Parker was deciding between going to oboe practice or
staying at home and not helping her mother bake her double chocolate brownies.
That was the triple the double lame attempt to gloss over what was going on all around her.
Megan couldn't believe that her mother thought she was that vapid as to just take an out of the blue
suggestion that she visit her friend Jessica and that the Boobs go on their class trip. She had noticed
different behavior patterns in Audrey for awhile now. There was still no new kitchen floor and there
was still part of her dentist bill to be paid.
Megan wanted to see her friend and get out of his house for awhile,
but she still resented her mother treating her like she had a stump for a brain.
It was one thing for her to treat Drake and Josh like that, but not her, she was the SMART one of
the family for God's sake!
Something was obviously wrong between her mother and Walter, she just had no idea on what it
could be.
As painful as it was for her young brain to think it the question at the forefront was, did she even
care about was going on?
She sighed and decided to go bother her brother's.
It was the only thing she felt capable of doing.
Later
Audrey kissed the small patch of freckles that were on his shoulder.
"Are you sure it's all right?"
It really wasn't like Sidney to worry, but the last thing he needed was Walter Nichols playing the
"wronged, husband" card with them having an altercation outside fighting over the woman they both
loved.
As if.
Audrey slid her leg up and down his from under the haven of the soft blue covers.
"Of course. You weren't worried when I first told you, Sidney."
"I'm not worried about the kids," Well there was that one---, "I'm concerned about Walter."
"There's no need to be, honey. I went through his calendar he has many meetings and lunches
coming up. We will have the whole house to ourselves."
"How long are we going to be forbidden lovers like we're sixteen?"
"I know the wait is long. It's long for me as well."
"Are you sure it's just the----?"
Sidney trailed off his words.
"I just don't think we should rush into anything. I may not love Walter anymore, I don't think I ever
did, Sidney, but I don't want to hurt him more than necessary."
That was funny in an ironic sense considering all that has happened so far.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
It was the truth, but sometimes even the truth will have consequences.
Dinner time
Walter didn't know how he was keeping it together. It was to partly trap the lying, cheating...
He couldn't finish the thought it was too cruel. He really didn't want to get on HER level.
It had to be because of three people named: Drake, Josh, and Megan.
How were they going to react to this once it was all out in the open?
Did Walter even want to suggest that they try marital counseling?
He didn't know what he was going to do other than to keep the pork chops from burning.
Josh didn't have work tonight, Drake was waiting for a phone call from a "new, hot girl"
(oh, to be that young again!), and Megan was on the computer in her room.
They would all be eating dinner with each other.
That's why he kept it together.
Upstairs in the loft
"Drake, how do you get yourself into these predicaments?" Josh asked wanting to read his O
magazine in peace.
Oprah was wearing a sleeveless dress at some swanky Hollywood to-do.
That's what dreams were made of.
"You saw the girl who moved next store!"
If he looked out of the big window above his bed. He could see her bedroom window. Too bad the
blinds were drawn.
"Do you know, or most importantly do you care how many girls you'd promised you'd hang out
with on the trip?"
Maybe, Audrey was right, Josh needed to be there.
Drake was going to do something stupid on this trip.
"I'll find time for all of them."
Josh rolled his eyes once more.
"Bro, do you think there's something wrong with Mom?"
"No. Why? She's not sick."
Josh got up from his bed to get a soda out of the mini fridge.
"I didn't say that Mom was sick. She's just been acting strange lately. If you weren't so
self-centered you'd see it."
But all Drake heard was that he was self-centered.
"I'm----"
Walter opened the door, "Dinner's ready."
"Good. I'm starved." Drake said.
He didn't want to have this argument with Josh and he walked right past him without
saying a word.
If something was wrong with his Mother didn't his brother think he'd see it?
Drake knew Audrey longer than Josh did!
He didn't need Josh calling him self-centered just because he didn't think anything was out of the
ordinary.
Josh was always one for the DRA-MA and Drake thought his brother's life would be better if he just
knew how to loosen up and have fun.
Step number one would be to dump the whacko Mindy and play the field like he specialized in.
You don't stay when a girl tells you she loves you.
You cut and run.
Megan really didn't like pork chops much, but she cut a little piece off to make Walter happy and
she didn't know why.
She dunked it in her mashed potatoes and gravy to make it edible.
"No fair, you always take the big piece!" Josh responded like he was five years old.
"I think Josh needs to break-up with Mindy so he can finally learn how to have fun and not be so
Josh-ish."
"Boys, can we not do this at the dinner table?"
Walter didn't want to yell at his sons. He didn't want to take anything out on them
when the one he clearly wanted to scream at wasn't even home.
Whatever she was doing and whoever she was doing it with had better be WORTH it.
3:45 a.m.
He swore he wasn't going to do it.
After all he had to be out the door ten minutes ago really be
ready for the six a.m. news, but, all that mattered was seeing Audrey walk though the door thinking
he was gone and the kid's were all in their beds. Well the latter might have been in their beds, but
Walter Nichols certainly didn't leave the house yet.
Ah ha!
She thought she was going to be above it all and come in through the kitchen door.
Audrey was startled to see Walter standing in front of her as soon as she entered the room.
Shouldn't he have left the house already?
"Walter! You scared me, shouldn't you have left already?"
"Where were you, Audrey? You left as soon as you finished making brownies."
The brownies that only Drake seemed to be eating.
Should he bring up that Megan didn't want to help her?
No. He didn't want to put her in the middle.
"At the office."
How could she say that with a straight face? How could she lie to him like that?
"I'm sure you are tired. I'm going to work."
For the time being Walter bit his tongue and refrained from telling her off like he really wanted to.
He had to wait for Drake and Josh to be in Vegas and for Megan to be in Colorado before he
confronted his wife on this delicate matter—and there would be no way she would be able to lie in
front of his face about her whereabouts ever again.
"Goodbye, Walter."
Audrey said, trying not to feel guilt, but it was best that Walter Nichols never know what was going
on, at least not now.
He didn't look back as he grabbed his briefcase off the table and closed the door behind him.
"Three forty-five?" Megan whispered to herself. If she didn't have to wake up in the middle of the
night to use the bathroom she'd have been spared such details.
How she was beginning to the loathe the woman that gave birth to her.
Breakfast
She couldn't believe she was reduced to talking to one of the Boobs. It's not like she hated him, but
who else was Megan going to talk to? Obviously not Walter and she didn't want anyone outside of
the family to know.
Drake was too busy skirt chasing to notice what was happening.
So, Josh was the only one she felt she could confide in.
Megan ate her two slices of MICROWAVEABLE pre-cooked bacon, but she didn't feel like
touching the scrambled eggs even if Josh did go through the trouble of shredding a block of cheddar
cheese and slicing what was left of the ham they had for dinner a few days ago.
"Where's Drake?"
"Sleeping in. He told me he didn't want to get up until noon."
"Good. If I ask you something you have to swear to keep it between the two of us."
Megan took a sip of her V-8.
"Of course, Megs. What is it?"
She didn't even bother to whisper it. "Do you think Mom is having an affair?"
Josh dropped his fork. He too lost his appetite.
He knew Drake would eat any and all leftover food.
"Yes," He sighed, not knowing what to do next, "Yes, I do."