-Wife Swap: Cullen vs. Wickers-

-Chapter IX-

I was beginning to believe that volunteering may not be so bad. It was my third day with the Wickers family and this happened yesterday. I had been in the soup kitchen, lazily stirring a bowl of chicken soup. The doors had opened and mother and child came in. They wore rags and had dirt smeared on all of their bare skin. They were obviously cold and underfed. My heart went out to that woman. The same thing had happened later that day at the retirement home. I was sweeping one of the halls when I heard a women begin to scream. I ran to see what the matter was. It turned out she broke her hip trying to get out of bed. She called me an angel and thanked me when I helped her. I had felt so good then, I could have cried.

My time with the Wickers, well… it's not so fun. I absolutely detest Benjamin. Every moment I have to spend with him irks me. He makes me so angry, and the way he speaks to me, it is like I do not have the same intelligence as he. Malcolm worries me. He is a nice kid, both of them are, the problem is he scares me sometimes. He doesn't look like a cold blooded killer and yet he wishes to be one. Kathy, on the other hand, is a treat to be around. She is like a calm Alice, calm but still hyper and happy. The days weren't to bad. The worst parts are eating.

My attention was snapped back to the present when I heard a plate shatter. It has fallen from Malcolm's hands. The glass shards fell all over the place. The biggest pieces lay near the young boy's feet. Benjamin looked up from the newspaper and began yelling. It was surely an accident. There was no reason to yell. Malcolm stood there, glass so near, and his face looked like he was going to cry. His eyes told a different tale. The murky green color was hard and murderous. He stepped over the glass and opened a drawer. He pulled a knife out of the drawer and held it up. I took a deep breath, just in case, and held it. Benjamin stopped yelling and glared at Malcolm. "Now, just what do you think you are doing with that knife?" He sounded tired and impatient. I looked at Kathy. The poor girl looked terrified.

Malcolm narrowed his eyes and brought the knife to his throat. "I'll do it, I swear to God I will," he warned. Benjamin dropped the paper.

"You put that knife down! What the hell do you think you are doing? Stop messing around and eat your breakfast," Benjamin hissed.

Malcolm cackled. "You know what, old man? I will. If not now I will do it eventually." He paused, eyes thoughtful. "Maybe, to show you I'm seroius… I should do it somewhere else." He moved the knife down to his left wrist.

"Please don't," Kathy cried.

Malcolm smiled at her, "I have always loved you Kathy. You know that? The only one in the entire family I care about." He looked at me, "Esme, you are beautiful. I like you." He pressed the blade down.

I closed me eyes and ran upstairs. I was not breathing and not looking at it. Still, my throat pooled with venom and my limbs tensed, wanting to pounce. I heard Benjamin and Malcolm yelling and Kathy crying. The smell of Malcolms' blood drifted to my nose. I jumped out the window and ran. I ran until I could no longer smell the blood.

Looking around, I notice I am standing on the corner of some rundown part of town. I make my turn to leave. Just as I am I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Excuse me, is $50 enough?"

I wheeled around, "Excuse me?"

A man meekly held up two twenties and a ten." Is this enough?" He squeaked.

Then I understood. I started at him, outraged. I gnashed my teeth, "You think I am a hooker, don't you?"

He nodded, "You aren't? Oh… I'm sorry. I'll be going now." He put his money into his pocket, turned and fled.

Malcolm

I put my bleeding wrist under the stream of water. I was vaguely aware of Benjamin yelling about something. Esme had ran upstairs. She must be squeamish around blood. I felt the cameras on my back. Anxiously, I turned around. Wrapping a towel around my wound I sighed. Kathy was crying. I began to feel bad. I care about my little sister. "Please don't kill yourself," she blubbered. Benjamin screamed something about stupidity before grabbing his keys and storming out of the house.

Kathy got up and hugged me. "I love you, Malcolm," she sobbed. I hugged her back, feeling guilty.

Esme came down the stairs, ghost like. I never heard her walking and it unnerved me.

"Malcolm, honey, can I see you upstairs, please?" She asked. Esme looked at me through her eyelashes and smiled. I nodded, enthralled. I followed her to my room. We sat together on the bed and she pulled something out of her pocket.

Esme

I am sitting on Malcolm's bed, trying to figure out how to start this. I had just hung up with Alice. She told me there was a sixty percent chance my plan would work. I unfolded the paper, I watched Malcolm's eyes widened and become angry. "What the hell were you doing in my room?" He screamed.

"Please don't shout, you don't want your sister to hear, do you?" I asked calmly. He glared at me but I wasn't intimidated.

I handed the sheet to him and he took it. "Why do you want to do this?" I asked.

"How is it any of your business?" Malcolm snarled.

"I care about you," I said simply.

He snorted. "Sure, sure."

"I do… and I don't want you to do something you will regret later. Armed robbery? What the hell makes you think it is okay to rob a donut shop?"

He sighed in desperation, "I don't know, Esme. I just… I have been so unhappy lately. That would be a thrill, right?"

I took a deep breath, "Yes, it would be a thrill. But this paper also says when you finish robbing the place, and this is so silly, you all are going to kill yourselves. I'm going to tell you something. I can't easily share this with anyone but I don't want you to hurt yourself. Before I begin, no, I haven't told anyone. Did you know I have been married two times? I married a man named Charles Evenson first. He abused me. When I got pregnant, against all odds, the abuse got worse. I left him and eventually I gave birth," my voice was beginning to falter, "and you know what? My baby, my beautiful little baby David died. He wasn't even one week old. So do you know what I did? I jumped off a cliff. I tried to kill myself. I was brought to the morgue, everyone thought I was dead. My current husband was working there and noticed I was still alive. If it wasn't for him I would be long gone. So I beg of you… please don't make the same mistake I made."

I placed my head into my hands and began to cry. Everytime of thought of my past I got the same reaction. Malcolm placed one of his hands on my shoulder. He moved to embrace me and I hugged him back. "I'll rethink it, okay?" he said. I wasn't stupid.

"Malcolm, honey, are you sure? Or are you just saying this so I won't worry?" I wiped away my nonexistent tears.

He looked up at me guilty. "You're pretty good at this mom stuff, huh?" He was nervous.

"I still wouldn't tell anyone. Please just promise me you won't do it," I begged. "I'll pay you. We can skip school and go shopping. Oh, I know, I'll buy you an island. No joke. Please don't do it?"

He grinned. "Pay me?"

"Why you little…" I started, "Yeah, I have two thousand dollars in my purse. Just for future reference, if you are going to rob a place, it would be a good idea to rob somewhere that has a lot of money. Not a dinky little donut shop. Rob a bank if you want some money."

Malcolm smiled, "Are you joking?"

"I will pay you. About the robbing, yes, please, just don't rob anything." I think I made ground with him. "Can we do that?"

He nodded. "I think so. You don't have to pay me. Can you just talk to my mom and dad at the table meeting and get them to be nicer?"

"I planned on that all along. No please, fix your arm. You need to get to school." He groaned and did as I told him.

Downstairs Kathy sat at the table. She had cleaned up the mess and stopped crying. "Everything is going to be okay honey. I talked to Malcolm and everything is going to be just fine."

She looked at me with hopeful blue eyes. "Really?"

I nodded. "Get your bag; it is time for school."

Later that evening, at around ten, I was sitting on the couch with Benjamin. The kids are in bed and the day is winding into a close. "Benjamin, I need to speak with you about this morning."

He looked me over like I was pesky bug. "What about it?"

"Why did you yell at Malcolm? Dropping the plate was an accident," I quizzed.

"He could have avoided it. Accident or not, it doesn't matter."

"How can you be so cold hearted?" I asked. "Everybody makes mistakes. It just a part of life. I have learned that when you listen to them and be calm you get much better results."

He stood. "I am forty-five years old. I am twice your age and have tons more life experience. What do you have to say about that?" He smirked at me.

"I am the mother to six, hormonal adopted teenagers! Not one of them has the same personality as the other. They are very smart and witty. I want to see you survive one day in my home. Age and life experience have nothing to do with parenting." And if it did I would still be the better parent.

"I do not need to have this conversation with you." Benjamin sighed haughtily.

I glared at his retreating form. "You run from your problems. You know I am a better parent and you have nothing to say. That is why you walk away." I sank down into the couch. I just want this week to be over.


This chapter was so stupid and hard to write. Malcolm made me so sad. I kind of wish I didn't have him cut himself. Please no flames on that. Alright? :)

-Portrait-