Wilkerson Sister

Chapter 11

Funeral

"Wilkerson!"

I jumped up, blinking away the sleep out of my eyes. "Yeah?"

It was my math teacher (my worst subject). "What's the answer to number 11?"

I wrinkled my nose, glancing at my book. "Uh..."

"Wilkerson." I glanced up. "Just so I know you're actually paying attention, come up and solve it."

I felt my ears burning as the class laughed.

I hated this guy.

I walked up and dragged my feet up to the board, taking my book with me. It was a long division. They were okay, until I forgot a step, then the whole thing got messed up. It was making me nervous, I could feel all the stares on my back.

I finished up and I watched as he looked over it. He looked annoyed. "That's correct, Wilkerson. Go sit down and pay attention."

I couldn't help, but smirk smugly.

That will show that idiot.

I was sitting on the bed, reading a magazine. Malcolm was on the phone with his 'girlfriend'. He was glaring at me to leave, but I just grinned at him. He couldn't yell at me without her hearing it.

"Julie, I'm sorry I'm canceling out so late."

A moment later, he said. "No, but I guess my mom was. She keeps saying how important this is. She keeps saying how important this is. Anyway, I'm really sorry. Especially since your stuck with the extra ticket."

I was making faces at Malcolm, trying to get him to snap. At this point, I put the magazine down, finding that annoying my brother was more amusing.

He mouthed. 'Knock it off!'

I just grinned wider. It was quiet as he listened to the phone and then he said in shock. "Who's Jimmy?!"

I snickered, sticking my tongue out at him. He glared, trying to ignore me.

A moment later, he hung up with a sigh. I snorted. "Jimmy, huh?"

Malcolm lunged at me. "I'm gonna kick your ass!" I laughed, scrambling to get out of the way as he tackled me.

"Kids! Knock it off!"

I yelped at the punch to my shoulder he gave me. Malcolm stumbled off me and stood. I glared up at him. He was lucky mom was in the doorway. I also got up.

Mom shook her head. "Honestly, you all can't last two minutes without fighting."

We didn't say anything to that.

She wasn't wrong.

Mom looked at Malcolm. "You called that girl?"

Malcolm snapped. "Yes, I called her! I called her and I told her I couldn't go to the concert. And now she's probably going to go with someone else."

Mom rolled her eyes and I knew she was going to give a lecture. I wish I could leave, but Mom was in the door way. "Well. I'm sorry Malcolm that my mother's sister-the one who took care of me every day after school had to die and inconvenience your social life."

Mom glanced at me. "Both of you come to breakfast." She went back inside.

I really hope she wasn't going to make me wear a dress. I didn't like them, funeral or not.

I smacked into Malcolm's shoulder as I walked past. I didn't forget about before.

I sat down at the table and stared at some kid around Dewey's age, eating Fruit Loops at the table.

I asked. "Who's that?"

Mom was also staring and by the look on her face, I could she didn't know him either. "That's what I'd like to know. Who's this?"

The kid was sitting between me and Reese. I reached over and grabbed the cereal, pouring myself a bowl and then putting in the milk.

Reese exclaimed. "How am I supposed to know?"

Mom turned to Dad, demanding. "Hal?"

Dad was by the fridge, drinking juice. "Beats me?"

I stopped eating for a moment. "Ask Dewey. They look the same age."

Dad sat down next to me, ruffling my hair. "Hey, Kiddo."

Mom nodded, going into the TV room and calling. "Dewey!"

I said. "Hey, Dad."

Mom said when Dewey came in. "Is this a friend of yours?"

Dewey nodded. "Mm-hm."

Mom sounded confused. "Who is he?"

Dewey shrugged. "I dunno."

I went back to eating.

Dewey was a weirdo.

Dad looked past me and at the kid with the bowl cut hair.

I mean, who even cuts their hair like that?

Dad asked. "What's your name, son?"

The kid had a weird stare, it was a bit creepy to be honest.

He whispered something.

Dad asked. "Did he say Greg?"

I shrugged, but Mom said. "I think he said Craig."

Dewey said. "His name is Egg."

I blinked. "Dude, where do you meet these people?"

Dewey said, sounding pleased. "I named him."

Mom said. "Well, you can't keep him. He needs to go home, okay?"

Dewey steered him away.

I just finished when Mom took my bowl. "Hey!"

I was still wearing sleep shorts and a tank top.

"Go on, dress in something nice."

I froze. "Mom-"

I was pulled up out of the chair. "Do not start with me, Charlie. A dress or a skirt. I won't hear any arguments."

I whined. "But, Mom-"

"What did I just say, now go." I was pushed toward her room and I scowled, stomping toward it. She didn't trust my nice stuff in our room and that was for good reason. I sat on their bed, crossing my arms over my chest, feeling grumpy. The funeral was already going to be boring.

Mom came in. "Okay, Charlie, the boys are getting dressed, so I'm going to give you your clothes in here."

I spoke up. "I could always wear a suit."

Mom laughed. "Don't be ridiculous." I scowled deeper at her back as she went to look in a drawer. "Here we go."

She had a bundle of clothes in her hands and she dropped it on the bed. "There, I even gave you choices. More than your brothers are getting. Now choose."

I just stared at the pile of clothes.

Mom let out a deep breath. "Charlie, we're losing time."

I grumbled. "I don't want to."

Mom snapped. "Charlotte. Now."

Realizing I wasn't getting out of this, I went through the clothes. I shoved the dresses away from me with disgust (ignoring Mom as she rolled her eyes), finally picked a black skirt and a dark blue girl button down. I think Mom called it a blouse.

Mom put her hands on her hips. "Well?"

I felt my face go red. "Turn around."

Mom laughed a bit, shaking her head. "Charlie, I'm your mom. I've seen you naked since you were a baby."

I felt my face get hotter. "Mom! Stop!"

This was worse than the girly clothes.

"Fine, fine." I ignored her smile as she turned her back to me and changed, slipping on the skirt and shirt. I buttoned it up and said. "Fine. I'm done."

She turned around, shaking her head. "Charlie. Come here." I walked over and I groaned as she started tucking in the shirt into the skirt. "Ah, stop complaining. You can dress in girl clothes every once in a while. It won't hurt you."

I huffed. "Yes, it will."

Dad walked in with some cards in his hands. "Hello, girls." He sent me a grin. "You look great, Charlie."

I huffed again. "No."

Mom patted the side of my leg. "Go on." I walked out, hating this. "And brush your hair."

I walked out, going into my room for the brush and tugging on my hair until it was neat. Reese looked at me and laughed. "You look stupid."

I snapped. "You're stupid!"

I stomped toward the room and sat on my bed.

I picked up a broken looking action figure. "What's this?"

Reese ran in and snatched it. "Don't be so loud. I'm gonna hide it in Aunt Helen's casket so mom can't yell at me for it."

I scoffed. "Dude, you're so dead."

He made a fist. "Not if you don't keep your mouth shut."

I raised my hands. "Man, not even worth it."

I tugged on the skirt with a sigh. "I hate this." Dad already told me the funeral was going to take all day. I hated meeting up with family. They always pinched our cheeks and said 'how old we've grown'. Like it hasn't even been that long.

Malcolm came in with the phone and I rolled my eyes, leaving the room. I didn't want to hear him complain to his 'girlfriend' again. He was so dramatic.

I went into the kitchen, where Dad was sitting at the table. I went to grab some cookies.

"Don't mess up your nice clothes, honey. You know it will make your mom mad."

I nodded, not really paying him any attention. "Uh-huh. Got it."

Dad walked into his room and I smirked as Reese came out with a backpack. I put the rest of the cookies away, munching on the ones I had.

Dad asked, coming back into the kitchen. "You're bringing a backpack to a funeral?"

I watched as Reese stuttered a bit. "My-my back gets cold!"

Dad shrugged and I snickered, only to wince at his punch to my shoulder. "Shut up!"

Before I could say anything back, Mom came in with the phone. "Look, Francis, I guess I get scatterbrained sometimes. Sometimes I forget what I told you and your not here, so I don't-"

There was a pause for a moment as I guess Francis was speaking. I mean, Francis used to pick on us, but it sucks not having our oldest brother here.

Mom then suddenly said sternly. "Francis, it is very important that you understand that, that is not true. But, I don't have time right now."

"Francis, you want to know everything that has been happening? Your father mowed the lawn, I finally got Charlie in girl clothes, Reese polished off all the cereal and I dropped a frying pain on my foot and have a big black toe. You want me to send a picture?"

I jumped as I saw Egg come in. "Crap! Dude, where'd you come from?"

I was a bit annoyed as he ignored me and stared throwing stuff out of the drawer. Annoyed, I called. "Mom! Egg is back!"

Mom came over, phone in hand. "Egg! Cut it out!" She handed the phone to me. "Charlie, talk to your brother, get him off my back."

I went into the living room, plopping down on the couch. Malcolm was talking to Mom about something I wasn't listening to.

"Hey, Francis."

"Thank you, someone's actually talking to me. Dork, what's going on? How did Aunt Helen die?"

I shrugged. "Cat ate her face."

"Seriously!?"

I nodded, even if he couldn't see me. "Yep, it was really weird, but Dewey knows more about it. I'm bored an' don't want to go."

"At least you get to go with the family. She never tells me anything."

I glanced over, seeing Malcolm caught in a lie. "Talk to you later, Malcolm gonna get in trouble. I wanna watch."

"Charlie! Don't han-"

Knowing I would get a earful later from him, I turned on my knees to face the kitchen, my arms resting on the back of the couch. I tossed the phone on the counter (forgetting to end the call), cheering in my head as the phone didn't fall and break like last time.

"Look! I just don't want to go to the stupid funeral! There's no reason for me to go and I want to go to the concert with Julie."

Reese came in. "Let's go. Let's go. I'll be waiting in the car." I rolled my eyes as he walked past me with his backpack.

I gulped as Mom stared at Malcolm. He was gonna get it. "Malcolm, I am ashamed of you. Wanting to deny your poor Aunt Helen her do."

I thought that would be the end of it, the usual 'Mom Guilt Trip'. But Malcolm came back. "No, that won't work on me." He followed her as she went around the kitchen. "'cause I know you didn't love Aunt Helen. You hated her."

My jaw dropped and I shared a look with Dad. He was sending me the same look, glancing at Mom and Malcolm.

I looked back when Mom said (where she was packing lunch in a cooler). "Of course I hated her. What does that have to do with anything?"

Malcolm was confused and I was too. Why did we have to go if Mom hated the woman. You go to funerals because you care about the person who died, right?

Malcolm asked. "What?"

Mom said. "Malcolm, it's not about love, it's about family. We have a duty to this family and we are darn well gonna do it."

I scowled at that; Francis wasn't here. I wasn't going to say anything. Malcolm was in enough trouble already.

Malcolm complained. "But why?! It's not fair! You can't just stick the word family in front of something and turn everyone else into slaves. It makes no sense. No one liked this woman. So why do we have to pretend like we did now?! What good will it do anybody?"

My jaw dropped even further. He was so dead!

Mom the turned to Dad, who froze. She waved a hand, expectant. "Hal?"

Dad said, waving some card. "I got nothing."

I watched in pure shock as Mom rounded the table. "I could really use some support here."

I sent Malcolm a look. 'Dude, shut up'. He sent me a glare, before following Mom.

Dad told Mom. "Excuse me, I'm being incredibly supportive. I'm giving up my entire day for this-this thing and you don't hear me complaining."

My eyes widened. That didn't seem like the right thing to say.

Mom put her hand on the table, waving her other hand. "Hal, it was some old record albums. It's not like your giving up something important."

"Well, they're important to me!"

"You people! I can't believe-I ask you to do one thing."

"Your not asking, you're ordering." I winced as she started smacking the phone into the counter. Oh yeah, I didn't hang up.

"After all I do for this family. I cook, I clean, I speckle, I plunge and none of it means anything to you people. And the one time I ask you for something, something I shouldn't even have to ask you for. And all I get are complaints."

I sighed as I heard Reese blaring the horn. Why doesn't he just bury it in someone's backyard?

Dad got up. "What about me? Hm? You think I want to be cleaning out the gutters when I could be surfing the beaches of Europe or cursing around on my hog?"

Mom snapped, making a face. "What hog?"

Dad pointed at her. "Ha! Exactly! Where's my hog!?"

I was completely silent as Mom rolled her eyes. She walked off. Dad asked. "Where do you think you're going?"

Mom ripped off the apron. "I have had it. For now on, no one has to do anything. We can all just do whatever we want! And I want to take a bubble bath!"

Dad walked the other way. "Fine!"

Malcolm called. "So, that's a yes on the concert?"

I hopped over the couch and punched him hard in the stomach. "Ow! Charlie, what was that for!?"

He was kneeling and clutching it. I snapped. "You caused all of that. Don't get mad when it bites you in the butt later!"

I left him groaning on the floor and went into my room. I don't understand too much. But, I know it upset Mom a lot, more than usual.

I quickly changed into shorts and a t-shirt, grabbing my baseball glove, my own ball in the glove. I tossed my Padres hat on my head (Dad got it for me a couple of years ago when he took me to a game). I walked out to see Reese and Malcolm arguing.

Malcolm was shirtless and holding up shirts and Reese was still wearing the blue suit.

He was pissed. "You couldn't keep your big mouth shut until after the funeral?! Now, I have to wait for another relative to die to bury this thing. That could be weeks."

Malcolm told him. "You'll think of something."

"No, I won't! You have good ideas all the time. But, for me, this was special."

Malcolm snapped. "Hey, you can't leave this mess here! I have a guest coming over." He was talking about the garbage can on its side, all the garbage on the floor.

Reese sneered. "Too bad. Thanks to you, no one has to do anything anymore. It's anarchy, baby!"

I snorted, passing them. "You're both losers."

I heard two voices snap. "Shut up!"

I smirked, walking and heard something. I picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"CHARLIE! Finally, someone answered me!"

Not wanting to talk, I nodded. "Yeah, okay, my bad. See ya."

"Dork, I swear if-" I clicked off the phone, tossing it away.

Dad was messing with his old people record player. "See ya, Dad!"

He waved a hand without looking at me. "Bye, Charlie."

I jogged over to the park. "Hey!"

A couple friends of mine were there and setting up a game with some plastic plates as bases.

"Hey, Charlie!"

It was Andy, he was a couple years older than most of us at 14 and sort of our leader when we played. It was Tommy, Andy, Eric, Jim, Marty and Me. The other team belonged to the local little league team. We were always playing against each other.

Eric, a boy with glassed and blond hair, asked. "Didn't you have a funeral to go to?"

I waved a hand. "Nah. Let's play ball!"

We cheered and Tommy asked. "We doing the usual?"

Andy nodded. "Yeah. They're batting first. Charlie, your our pitcher, Jim, catcher, Tommy, first, Mark and Eric, outfield, Marty, second and I'm third."

That's the usual position we had while playing. We moved into play. I nodded at Jimmy, who was crouching behind home plate. As catcher and pitcher, we could read each other pretty well. I grinned at Travis, the player from the little league team. "Let's play ball!"

I got cheers on both sides. The game started as I threw the ball, landing a strike.

I caught the ball from Jim and threw another ball, but it got a hit, going to left field. It was a pop-fly and Mark caught it. I grinned.

We were in the third inning (just like little league, we only had six). I managed to score a run by getting a base hit and having the other players doing the same thing as I slid to home base.

I was about to pitch again, but heard a yell. "Charlie!"

I yelped and dropped the ball. I looked over the street and saw our van. I heard snickering. "Shut it, Tommy!"

Mom shouted. "Charlie! Let's go!"

I made a face complaining. "But, I'm in the middle of a game!"

"Now, Charlie! Or you won't play for a week!"

I growled under my breath as my whole team laughed at me. I felt my face flushed red. The other team was also snickering at me. I was hunching my shoulder, balling my fists and gritting my teeth.

"Time!"

Andy came over, slapping my shoulder hard. I yelped for a different reason, rubbing the smarting skin. "Ow!"

"We'll play another day, go on before you get grounded." It's happened before.

"Yeah. Whatever Andy." He played reserve pitcher when I wasn't there.

I grabbed my stuff and jogged off to the van, Mom calling. "Hurry up, Charlie. We're already running late!"

I heaved myself inside, siting next to Reese, Dewey and Malcolm were in the back. "Come on, I thought we weren't going!"

Reese was scowling, but I thought he would be happy, considering he wanted to bury that toy. He must of got caught.

Dad nodded. "Yeah, but we are. So, let's go."

I tossed my baseball stuff on the floor. I hated leaving in the middle of the game, I felt like I was letting my team down.

We were all sitting together on the pews. I was between Malcolm and Dewey, and Mom on Malcolm's. That Egg kid was also here.

Dad was up, giving his speech as he did at every funeral.

He said. "Aunt Helen used to say, 'your going to miss me when I'm gone'. And ah, by the looks of today's turnout, I can see that it wasn't just an idle threat."

I just noticed Mom was talking to Francis quietly on the phone, but I couldn't hear what she was saying as she was whispering.

I glanced at Reese, who was in the corner, (it made me smirk when she grabbed him by the arm and marched him to the corner), ignoring his whining.

"You turn right back around, mister!"

I jumped a little, happy that wasn't aimed at me.

I leaned my head back as Dad got into it.

We were gonna be here for a while.

I walked with Dad into the stadium. He got these tickets from work and we were in a good spot. I sat with him and we had some soda and Cracker Jack. I just turned ten and Dad knew I loved baseball and he took me.

It was the Padres vs Marlins.

We watched and cheered as the Padres got a home run in the second inning, booing when the Marlins started to catch up.

I've seen a lot of games on T.V, but my first baseball game with Dad will be something I'll always remember.

I grinned at him as we left. "Dad, that was awesome! The Padres' kicked butt!"

Dad laughed, patting me on the back. "Who knows when we can see another game, but happy you liked it, kiddo."

Something was tugged over my head. I took it off and saw it was a baseball cap with the Padres on it.

I hugged him. "Thanks Dad!"

I still had the hat to this day.