As Emma, Erin and Ben walked home from getting sodas at Ike's they didn't notice Job slinking being them. "You call those muscles, Ben?" Job snorted, poking at Ben's arms.
Ben flushed. "I don't expect to have muscles, not yet. I'm only twelve, you're much older than me." Erin grabbed her brother's hand, scared out of her wits.
Job laughed and shook his younger cousin. "Hah, you couldn't fight me if you tried." Emma scowled, whispering to Erin to run and get John Boy. She swallowed hard as Job turned his beady eyes on her. "What do you know, girl?" He moved closer to her. "Are you two in love?" He glanced between Ben and Emma.
"No!" Ben protested, anger written on his face. As Job continued to tease the two, Ben's temper blew. He tackled Job, who easily gained the upper hand and started to bash Ben's head across the ground. Emma started to panic. She had no real experience with fighting older boys, and all she wished was that John Boy would get here. As she tried to pull Job off Ben, who had become very still and scared, he shoved her to the ground, smiling leerily at her. Quick as a flash, John Boy had pinned Job on the ground. Though Job was physically stronger, John Boy was more strategic. As the two older boys wrestled, Emma glanced over at Ben. He was watching the scene with wide eyes.
"And then John Boy beat up Job so bad that I don't think he'll try anything again." Emma said triumphantly to the girls that night.
Elizabeth looked extremely worried. "Is Job hurt?"
Erin shook her head. "Not badly. Emma was exaggerating."
Emma yawned. "Can we go to bed, please? It's late!"
"Good idea Emma." Mary Ellen said pointedly and turned in her bed, closing her eyes and trying to block out Erin and Elizabeth's excited whispers.
Emma whistled softly as she walked through the back door, but stopped short when she saw the sight in front of her. The kitchen was deserted, and Job was twisting his wrist trying to open the money box that Olivia and John kept for emergencies.
"What are you doing?" She snapped, crossing her arms.
Job swore loudly and put the box into the cupboard quickly. "Uh, nothin'!"
Startled by the swearing, Emma fixed him with a glare. "I can tell Uncle John." She didn't say anything more, scared that he might try to harm her, although that was highly unlikely after yesterday.
Job's face turned white. "Y-you'd better not!" Emma shrugged, proud of herself from gaining the upper hand, and slyly walked out of the kitchen, head up high.