Living

Chapter 9

"Glad I brought a jacket this time," Damien said as they walked up to the house.

"You brought it last time. You were just being a baby."

"You know, you sure seem to call me baby a lot know, but not in a good way."

"You know, Damien, you're so observant and smart and went to college. How is it that you're just a tattoo artist?"

'Hey, that tattoo artist sure pays your bills so shut your mouth."

"Excuse me?"

Damien ignored her as her brother opened the door. Paul hugged Cameron.

"How are you?" He asked.

"Pregnant."

Paul rolled his eyes before letting her go. Jeffery, the butler, pushed past them to put the bags away. "The upstairs bedroom, sir?"

"Yeah," Paul said as Damien walked in, closing the door behind him. After hugging her nephew Derek, Cameron asked when Trent was supposed to come.

"I don't know," Paul said. "He didn't tell me other than to say that he was bringing Tommy."

Cameron shook her head before grabbing Damien's hand and leading him upstairs to the room they would be using.

"What?" Damien asked as he closed the door.

"Nothing. I just thought you were mad and wanted to finish our fight."

He frowned. "We were fighting?"

"About your job."

"That wasn't a fight," Damien said, sitting down on the bed. "It was you being mean even though you know that I make good money for what I do. I mean, sure, I'm no Brandon Bond but I think I do pretty well."

"I never said you didn't. I like your art."

"Then why-"

"It's just…my brother's don't really like what you do."

"And?" Damien laid down. "Your brothers hate me no matter what I do."

Cameron laid next to him. "They do not."

"Yes they do."

Yawning, she closed her eyes. "I'm tired."

"Yeah. Flying must take a lot out of you."

"Damien, I swear to-"

"Don't. That's not good."

"Damien."

"What?" He ran a hand down her evidently pregnant stomach. "How do you feel today?"

"I don't know. What time is it?"

"One fifteen."

"Then good, I guess."

Damien gave her a weird look. "What does that mean?"

"My stomach always feels this way around one so it's okay."

He rubbed her stomach for a minute before kissing it. "We're so close now, Cameron."

"Yeah," she mumbled, not nearly as excited.

Laughing, he kissed her stomach again.


It was the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I was stuck at Mom's while waiting for Ella. God...

"Me like me shoes, Mommy."

"What, Lucas?"

He held them up. "See?"

"Fang!"

He walking into the living room. "What?"

"Look what he did to his shoes."

Fang held down a laugh. "Lucas, that's bad."

"Color dem green!" He giggled. "Love green!"

"Who gave you markers?" Fang asked.

"Ig-gay!"

"Iggy. There is no gay in my name," Iggy said, coming into the room.

"Why would you give my two year old markers?" I asked, sitting up.

"Green, Mommy," Lucas said, crawling up onto the couch with me. "Me 'ike green!"

I groaned. "Fang, deal with this."

Sighing, Fang got onto his knees in front of the couch. Lucas patted his head. "'Ike me shoes?"

"Lucas, I know that you like them and I think that they're cute, but you can't do that to your shoes. We bought those shoes with money. You can't mess them up."

Lucas frowned. "Daddy no 'ike green?"

"I love green."

"Daddy no 'ike me shoes?"

Fang pulled him into a hug. "Of course I do, baby. I love them."

"Fang-"

"Max, he made a mistake. He's sorry," Fang told me, standing, taking Lucas and his once white, now green shoes with him. He was almost in the kitchen when the door opened. It was Ella. Lucas, excited about a new person, started bouncing in Fang's arms.

"Ella!" He clapped his hands. I got off the couch as she tried to take him from Fang.

"So that's not the only man in my life you try to take. Good to know."

My oh so lovely half sister didn't have to reply as Nudge took her attention.

"Hey, El," Nudge said, going over to her. "Can you say hi, Amber?"

"No," she said, turning her head into her mother's shoulder. Amber wasn't a social baby. She seemed to have forgotten all of us while she was living in California and had no intentions of remembering us. All of us except for Cody of course.

"Hi!" Cody yelled from the ground. Not at Ella though. At his new best friend, Amber. She removed her head from Nudge's shoulder to look down at him.

"Un!" She wiggled in Nudge's arms until she sat her on the ground. Cody patted Amber's head before crawling away to his blanket so he could nap, knowing that she would follow.

Ella looked at me, about to say something when Mom came in, making another distraction. Whatever. I'll take the bitch out later.

"Was your trip good?" Mom asked her. "Driving all the way down here alone must be hard."

"Yeah, hard," I echoed. "Hey, El, did you blow something hard recently? I heard that you liked that a lot."

"Like a blow pop?" Tyler asked, walking into the room. "Am I getting candy? Ella, you shouldn't have."

"Tyler, shut up," Fang said before looking at me. "Max-"

"What are you even mad about?" Ella asked, looking hard at me. If this was any other time, I would laugh at how many times the word hard has come up. But this isn't any other time. This is kick Ella's ass time.

"Maybe the fact you never mentioned to tell me you tried to suck Fang's-"

"Max!"

I won't even attribute that because multiple people yelled my name before I could finish. I just crossed my arms. I was not backing down.

"Max, what are you even-"

"Oh, don't play like you don't remember," I said. "Or wait, maybe you do. I mean all the dicks you've-"

"Max," Fang grabbed my arm, pulling me back, further way from Ella. "Stop it. Now."

"What's a dick?" Alex asked. "Is it like a duck?"

Tyler fell over with giggles.

"No," I said, shrugging him off. "Come on, Ella. You want Fang? Wouldn't shock me. You always go after what I've had. What? You can't get a guy unless I've screwed them?"

"Maybe they just know when an upgrade is available."

"Explains why none of them ever go with you, huh?"

"Who says Fang didn't?"

I lunged at her and Drake of all people held me back. None too lightly, either. He wasn't stocky but I knew he was muscular. He ran track and cross country in high school or at least I think that's what Nudge said once.

"You need to calm the fuck down, girl," he said, pulling me back. I could have easily gotten away from him but I didn't.

"Ella, kitchen," Mom said, walking away. "Now!"

"I still don't get what a dick is," Alex complained.

"I'll show you-"

"Tyler, you stop it, now," Nudge told him. Drake let me go, only for Fang to hand Lucas to him and drag me out the front door.

"Max, what the hell was that?"

"What do you think it was?" I crossed my arms. "And thanks for just letting Drake grab me like that."

"You're lucky I didn't grab you because I wouldn't have been so nice about it," he said, glaring at me. "What are you going to tell Alex's parents?"

I frowned. "Why do they need to know that I have a sluty sister?"

"I meant about the dick thing."

Sighing, I pushed past him, going back inside. "We're leaving, kids."

"Why?" Tabitha whined. Tyler frowned.

"I haven't had my cake yet," he told me. "Or my candy. Where's my blow pop? Ella!"

Fang picked up Cody, making Amber scream at him.

"No," Cody complained. "Am!"

Drake picked up Amber. "Don't forget your shoes, Lucas."

Lucas picked them up and took them to Iggy. "Help."

"No, not now," Iggy said, picking him up. "You don't need them. We're just going to the car."

"Do dicks quack?"

"Alex, sweetie, stop, alright?" I looked down at her. "If you say that word again…you can't come to Thanksgiving over here."

Yes, Tyler and her had decided that this year it would be our job to watch them over the holiday. Joy.

She giggled, picking up Bear and Wa-wa. "Okay. Come on, Tyler."

He frowned, following her out of the house, complaining about his lack of candy.


"So, did Damien put up the crib yet?" Lacey, Paul's wife, asked Cameron.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "Yes. God, he is the most annoying man in the world."

"I doubt it."

"He is," Cameron said as they made a pie for Thanksgiving. "All he ever wants to talk about is the freaking baby."

"He's excited."

"He's annoying."

"He's in love with you, Cameron," Lacey said. "Be glad."

"I am, I guess," she said. "It's just that I can't deal with him sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"He's always asking me if I'm okay, always opening my door for me or pulling out my chair," she complained, knowing that he complaints sounded stupid. "If I need something, he'll do it without even being told twice."

Lacey glanced at the younger woman. "I don't know what you're complaining about exactly. I couldn't get Paul to do any of that if I threatened suicide."

Cameron rolled her eyes. "I know but I just get…pissed sometimes. He's always bothering me."

"Again, he loves you."

"Again, I know."

Lacey sighed. "I don't get it, Cameron."

"I don't either."


"You don't get it, Fang! She's my fucking sister."

"Max, that was a long time ago. You had been gone for-"

"So what? If I died right now, could she try to marry you after a year? No? Then she shouldn't try to blow you."

I was in front of the dresser, taking off my ear rings. As I sat the last one down, Fang came up behind me, wrapping his arm around my neck, pulling me to him. He was choking me slightly.

"Max, you are missing the point," he said, his voice dark, angry. "What do you care what she wanted to do with me? For a long time, Cameron wanted to marry me. You're friends with her."

I struggled a little but that only hurt my throat worse. "That's different. Now that me and Cameron are friends, she would never try to do that. Ella is my sister. She should have never-"

"Max, you were gone. What part of that aren't you getting?"

"Yeah, I was gone raising your son-"

"We didn't know that," he said, tightening his grip. Now it was way too tight. I still made no notions of letting him know that.

I said nothing, mainly because he was freaking chocking me. Fang kissed my head.

"I love you, Max. Who cares what Ella wants? You know that I don't like her, not even as a friend," he said. I made a chocking noise. "Cut it out. I'm not trying to be mushy, I'm just-"

"N-No. Fang." I tried to pry my arm off my neck. Fang, finally getting it, let me go.

"Baby, I didn't mean to. Why did you say that I was choking you?"

I rubbed my neck, taking few breaths in before speaking again. "Why would you wrap your freaking arm around my neck to begin with?"

"I was being loving."

"And putting me in a choke hold was loving?"

Fang snorted. "That was not a choke hold. Come here, I'll show you one."

"No thank you."

He smiled at me before coming closer. "Sorry. But Max, you cannot go around starting fights with Ella. That was a long time ago."

"I'm just done with being nice to whores."

"Max, aren't you the one that said she's not a whore a few days ago?"

I frowned at him. "Fang, I have problems drinking."

"Alright, so what?"

"That makes me qualified to tell someone when they have a problem drinking."

"I don't see-"

"I used to be a slut just like Ella. I have the right to say if she's a slut."

Fang put a hand to his head. "Max, I try to forget your past, thank you."

"Yeah, well, next time, don't choke and maybe I'll take what you want into consideration."


"Manny's coming home for Christmas this year."

Tyler looked up from his action figures. "Really?"

"Well, no."

"Alex."

She giggled. "He's gonna get home on the 27th."

"So?"

"Christmas is on the 25th, Ty."

"Really?" He frowned. "Is it always on the 25th?"

"Yep."

"Poor Jesus. Having his birthday on the same date every year must suck."

"Tyler, your cumpleaños is on the same day every year."

"No!"

"Ty."

He looked at her. She was on his bed, playing with his stuffed animals. "So he's gonna miss Christmas?"

"No," Alex said. "Mamá said that we're just going to wait to open presents and stuff for him to get there."

"Oh. Well, what about my gift to you? Do we have to wait to give each other stuff?"

"No," Alex decided. "What if I ask to stay with you on the real Christmas and then have the one with Manny on the 27th?"

"Okay!" Tyler was happy again, glad that he was finally going to spend Christmas with Alex. That was a good enough thought to make him forget the fact his birthday happened on the same date every year. Gee, what a life.


Thanksgiving was here now. I, not one for togetherness, said I would work the store this year. Fang complained along with Tyler and Tabitha, but everyone over the age of eight could care less. They knew that if I went there, there would be a fight. Besides, I'm not one for family anyways. Unfortunately, this year, Bone was all about it.

Bone swore to me once never to go back to that town he was forced to grow up in. That was, until Victoria said she was going back for the holiday and she had bought him a ticket too. Bone went. He fucking went.

Well, that was an unexpected thing but something that was even more shocking was Luther and Tammie. Last night, after a night of passion, ew, they decided to make it work again. They love each other after all. Clearly, they love each other. Gag. Even though Luther knows he sure as hell will end up in bed with another woman, he's getting back with her. Sometimes, I just can't believe him. Anyways, right now, they're with Tammie's mother and step father. Fun, huh?

I hate life. I just hate it. I couldn't even bring Lucas or Cody with me because they need to be with there family. Bigger gag. It's not fair. Ella tried to sleep with my boyfriend while I'm away and I'm the bad person for trying to get at her? Ugh.

"Hey."

I lifted my head off the counter. It was Gasman. "Hey. How'd you get here?"

"I drove."

Frowning, I said, "Right. I forgot how old you are."

"Thanks."

I rolled my eyes. "Mom is letting you come over here?"

"Nope," he said. "She sent me out to get more sodas. Stopped here."

"Mom let you drive her car?"

"Y-"

"Hey, dude, come on." Drake walked into the store. "I've got to get back to Nudge, remember? We were out of diapers."

"Yeah, I remember," Gasman said.

"Did you drive?" I asked Drake.

"Hey, Max. And yeah, I did," he said. "I really need to get back, dude."

"Then go," Gazzy said. "I'm going to stay here with Max."

Drake hesitated. "I don't know. Dr. Martinez really wanted you home."

When I was first introduced to Drake, he was still maturing. I guess because I always thought of him as that seventeen year old boy that Nudge proclaimed she would be marrying, I never looked at him. Now though, he was probably 21 or 22 and I have to admit, he was hot. I had dated a few chocolate guys in my time but none as nice as him. He had muscles but not too muscular. Nudge cheating never made sense but him coming back to her made even less. He could definitely do better than Nudge. I mean, I love Nudge but Drake could have anyone he wanted…Just like Bone. Guys are weird.

"No," Gasman said. "I don't really want to be there anyways."

Drake clearly didn't want to leave him, probably knowing he was in for a fight with Nudge about it, but he also probably knew that he needed to get those diapers to her too. "Fine, whatever. You're head, not mine. See ya, Max."

"Bye."

He gave a two finger wave before leaving. Gasman came to sit behind the counter, next to me.

"Gasman, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

I sighed. "Why don't you want to be at Mom's? Don't you like Iggy and her's cooking?"

"Don't you?"

"If I went over there, you'd have to wipe Ella up off the floor."

"I'd be okay with that."

I laughed, shaking my head. "So how's Angel?"

Gasman shrugged. "Alright, I guess."

"You guess?"

"We don't…talk that much."

I sighed. "What I meant was, she's not a Nudge is she?"

"Hmmm?"

"She's not pregnant?"

"If she is, I sure as hell don't know about it."

Again, I laughed a little. "Well, you're not out trying to get a girl pregnant, are you?"

He blushed. "M-Max."

"What? It's a legitimate question."

"What are you asking me, exactly?"

"Are you sleeping with someone? You know, fucking-"

"No wonder Dr. Martinez kicked you out."

I just smiled at him. "Yeah. Apparently dick isn't kid friendly."

"When has it ever been?"

"When it's used as a name," I said.

"Please tell me how many dicks you've known."

"Quite a lot, Gasman."

"Max."


Trent came in the day before Thanksgiving, surprisingly without his son. When asked about it, he mumbled something under his breath, never directly answering the question. It was the night day, Thanksgiving, and, as Paul would not allow smoking in his house, Trent was outside smoking around eleven p.m. when Cameron and Damien came out there. As it was dark, the pair didn't notice him.

"I don't get the issue."

"Of course you don't. You're stupid."

Trent was inclined to agree with this.

"Cameron-"

"No."

"What's your problem? Am I not allowed to talk about Sam-"

"Stop calling her that!"

"That's her name!"

"You are ruining my Thanksgiving."

"You hate holidays anyways."

"Says who?"

"You."

He had a point but she refused to give it to him. "Shut up, Damien."

So he did. Cameron seemed content just to stand there and look at him but personally, Damien was freezing. Just as he was going to ask if he could go in, Paul stopped him by coming outside.

"So is the game over?" He asked, walking out onto the patio. "'Cause I had a really good hand-"

"Shut up, Paul."

"Cameron, what's your problem?" Paul asked.

"Besides being a bitch?"

They all jumped. Trent laughed in his head, though his face never changed as he stepped out of the shadow created by the porch lamp.

"Dude, I told you before and I'll tell you again-" Paul started but his younger half-brother cut him off.

"I can't have my kid for Thanksgiving. You know why? Her."

"I didn't have anything to do with that," Cameron said. And it was true. She was over helping Mary. It was clear that she refused to leave Trent and, honestly, Cameron had more important things to worry about. Like how to make Damien's life a living hell. She was doing a pretty good job at it too.

"Yes you did. You have everything to do with fucking up my life."

Cameron rolled her eyes. "Me fuck your life? Hardly. Maybe the other way around but definitely not the way you said it."

"Whatever, bitch."

"Hey-" Again, Paul was cut off.

"Take that back."

Trent took a second to make sure he was hearing correctly before speaking. "What?"

"Take it back you…jerk." Yep, Damien called him a jerk and he had a right to. That's exactly what Trent was acting like.

The other man laughed at him. "Real keeper you've got here, Cameron."

"I said," Damien kept at it, "to take it back. And I mean it."

Trent seemed to be having fun with this. "Or what?"

"Just take it back."

"Damien," Cameron tried but he ignored her. Damien didn't like Trent. He didn't hate him. God didn't like hate. Damien just had a strong distaste for him. Trent was a bully and mean. Why would he like him?

"Make me," Trent said, smiling slightly.

"Say it again and I will."

"Bitch."

Damien hit him in the mouth. Trent did a lot worse to him. When Paul and Cameron were finally able to break them up, it was clear who the winner is. Cameron helped Damien up while Paul just pushed Trent back down.

"Really, Trent?"

"He hit me first!"

"Come on, Damien," Cameron said, pulling him inside. She was in the kitchen, holding a paper towel to his bleeding nose when Lacey walked in.

"What happened?"

"Trent," Cameron said, making the other woman frown.

"He hit you?"

Damien tried to not but Cameron made him stop. Paul walked into the backdoor, without Trent.

"Where's Trent?" Cameron asked as Lacey put ice in a bag for Damien.

"He left."

"Left to where?"

"Don't know, don't care," Paul said before walking out of the room. After a few more minutes, Damien's nose stopped bleeding and he and Cameron went into their bedroom.

"I had him, if you guys hadn't had broken us up," Damien said as Cameron made him lay down on the bed.

"I know," she said. "Damien, don't lay down. Get up and change clothes."

He changed before laying back down. Cameron left the room to go to the bathroom before getting back into bed with him.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

He winced as she laid a hand on his chest. "I just hurt a little. He's not that great. Trust me, I've been hit harder."

Cameron frowned. "Damien, why did you do that?"

"Well, people just didn't used to like me and were really mean and-"

"I meant get in a fight with Trent."

"Oh," he said. "Well, he called you a bad word. He can't do that. You're not a bad word. I don't like bad words."

"Still. You got hurt."

"Yeah but did you see him?"

Yes. "Damien, I don't like you hurt."

"I'm fine."

She sighed, closing her eyes. "I am way too pregnant to be dealing with this."

He kissed her head. "I'm sorry."

"I love Trent."

"Okay."

"He's just weird," Cameron said.

"He's not going to call you bad words in front of me, Cameron, alright?"

"Damien-"

"No, Cameron. He's just not," he told her. "I know that I don't stand strong on a lot of things but this is one of the few I am going to. He is not going to do that."

"Whatever."

"Cameron, don't be mad at me about it," he said, running a hand down her side. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Good," he said, kissing her head.


December

Copy cats. I bring them together and they pull a me and Fang.

For those of you who haven't caught on, Damien and Cameron decided to just have a courthouse wedding. Those fakers. Me and Fang invented that! Okay, maybe not invented but whatever.

"You okay?"

I glanced at Fang. He was talking about it being the 9th, not Cameron and Damien. They got married three days ago. Yes, I'm still bitching about that but whatever.

"Yeah," I said, rolling over so that my back was to him. Kevin had been with me all year, he always was, but I still learning to accept and not be such a downer. No matter how I act, he's still gone.

"Do you want-"

"I just want you to leave. Please."

"Alright," he said. Fang gave me a kiss on the back of the head before leaving the room. Suddenly, a thought accrued to me. Today was the same day that Cameron was taken. Huh. Wonder what her and Damien are doing.


"Are you awake?"

"If I say yes will you go away?"

"No."

"Then no, I'm asleep."

"Cameron."

She opened her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I'm going to tell them."

"Who?"

"My parents."

She got even more bored with the conversation. "Tell them what?"

"That we're married."

Now, she was beyond bored. Cameron closed her eyes, planning to go to sleep. "Have fun."

"Cammie."

"What?"

"Come with me."

"Why? Are you scared?"

"No. I just…I don't know."

"Damien, grow up. Why would they care?"

"My dad will just be happy that we are but my mom will be upset."

"We can always go back and have a public wedding later, if you want."

He sighed. Cameron made him go get married. She said she wanted to be married before the baby came around and he was going to do it or else she'd find someone else. Of course he did it. What choice did he have?

"Cameron, come on."

"Damien, I do not feel like going over to your parent's house and being made fun of by your father. Sorry."

"You won't be."

"Yes I will."

"Cameron-"

"I'm pregnant, tired, and not having the best day of my life, alright? Just leave me alone."

He laid there holding her for awhile, until she feel back to sleep. Then he got up and dressed before going to his parent's. His father was on the couch, as always, FOX News on. His mother, who had answer the door, returned to the kitchen, not even asking why he was there.

"Mom?"

"I'm making your father breakfast. There's enough for you too."

"Oh. Thanks."

"What do you want, boy?" Dan asked as Damien sat down on the couch.

"I had something to tell you and Mom."

"I'm listening," Trinity called from the kitchen.

"Uh…me and Cameron got married."

Dan glanced at him. "Don't see a ring."

"We're getting them," Damien said. "We weren't planning it so-"

"You what?" His mother came into the room. "Damien-"

"We weren't planning on it."

"So? How could you do this? Did you not think that I wanted to be there for your-"

"Calm down," his father said, not even looking away from his news. "Better than him living in sin."

"Dan, no it is not."

"Yes it is," he repeated, still not looking at her. "You done with my food yet?"

"Dan-"

"I've got work in about thirty minutes, Trinity."

"I-"

"Please."

The only person Dan ever asked and didn't order was Trinity. Damien was never sure about his parents relationship. It was odd. His father was so cold and Trinity was so…not.

"Fine," she said, turning and going back into the kitchen.

"You should go," Dan said.

"What? Mom said she was making me-"

"Now. Leave."

Frowning, Damien got up. He was to the door when his father called to him.

"Damien, you did good."

It took him a second to process those words. Damien was already to his car when he realized his dad was actually nice to him for once. Wow.