Two Against Two
Chapter 12
December 22, 1990-4:30 P.M. CST
(Christine's PoV:)
I lie on the fold-away bed, wide awake, thinking, while listening to We Wish You a Merry Christmas, from the soundtrack of one of my favorite movies, The Christmas Story, on my Sony Walkman.
It has been a hectic few hours, since coming up here in total panic, after two burglars tried to break in. Luckily, my car panic alarm scared them off. Poor Kevin was a nervous wreck, shaking in fear, until I got him to calm down, by reassuring him that everything was okay.
My brother right now lies up against me, asleep and covered up, to keep the attic chill from making him sick. Now, I'm trying to get my own nerves relaxed, by listening to some music. It's been really hard, as those images of the burglars trying to break in keeps replaying in my head.
I considered taking Kevin to my apartment and letting him stay there with me until our parents returned, but that would leave this house open to the burglars to plunder everything my family owns. That's something I cannot allow to happen. My parents and I may not get along, but my conscience cannot allow their home, my home, to be looted by a bunch of low-life bandits.
I clench my fists in anger. I was scared of those punks, but now, I'm pissed, and if those punks show up again, I'm going to rip them a new asshole. I need to go cool off. I wonder if Mr. Marley is home. Visiting him used to help me calm down, whenever I was upset.
I climb out of bed, making sure not to wake up Kevin, and head down the attic stairs to the second floor. I take the back stairwell down to the kitchen. Maybe I should call Mr. Marley first to see if he's home, as a courtesy.
I head over to the phone, which is located on the wall, next to the back door. I pick up the receiver and place it next to my ear. "Damn, no tone," I mutter to myself, as I slam the phone back into its place on the wall.
I guess I have to visit him in person, as I get my coat and hat from the counter and head outside through the backdoor. Kevin should be okay, since he's asleep. A few hours must've passed, because I look up at the sky and notice the sun is in the other side of the sky. I look down at my watch and notice that it reads 4:30 P.M.. I must've fallen asleep, and not remember doing so.
The air still feels chilly, like it did this morning, when I first arrived in Winnetka. I take a quick look around outside the house to see if the coast is clear. "Everything's okay at the moment," I say to myself, feeling a mixture of paranoia and anger. I head across the yard to Mr. Marley's house, which is to the right of our house, if you are facing toward the street.
I walk up onto his front porch and gently knock on the door, but there's no answer. So, I knock again and take a seat on the porch swing, which is cold and wet, causing me to shiver. "Well, it looks like he's not home." I begin to make my way back to the house. As I approach the house, I notice a note placed under my windshield wiper of my car...
(Kevin's PoV:)
My eyes open slowly, as I let out a huge yawn. I look around the attic, and notice that Christine is gone. "Don't tell me she was just a dream, and I'm just waking up. Having a nice older sibling was good, while it lasted it; even though it was a dream..." I say to myself, feeling depressed. "Wait a minute, if I'm just waking up from a dream, that means it's real early, and I'm the first one up,"
I eagerly get out of bed, rush down the attic stairs, and head towards my parents' room, where they're hopefully still sleeping. "Mom, Dad, it's morning! Time to wake up and get ready for our trip to Paris!" I shout, as I enter the bedroom.
My heart drops, and tears start to leak from my eyes. I notice the bed empty and all made up. The only thing I can do is crawl into my parents' bed and cry. "Mom, where are you?! I'm sorry about the things I said! Please come home!" I sob into the pillow. "Christine, why did you have to be a dream?! I'm scared to be alone! Especially if those shadows, who tried to break in from the dream, turn out to be real!" I sob harder, as I have no one to protect me...
(Christine's PoV:)
"I wonder who this note could be from," I say to myself, as I pull it out from under the wiper, while being careful not to tear it.
I open it up and begin reading it. It says:
'Christine, I'm leaving this note under your windshield to let you know that I came by your house to make sure you and Kevin were okay, because I heard your car alarm go off. I got worried, when no one answered the door. I'm sorry to say, I didn't get a good glimpse of the two people, who tried to break into your home.
I would have called the police, but my bad reputation in this neighborhood makes me hesitant from doing so. I will, however, be keeping a watch out for the two burglars, in case they come back.
I have my suspicions that these two have been robbing other houses around the block, and will most-likely try another attempt at your house. If worse comes to worse, you and Kevin just get out and come to my house or go to your apartment. Just don't do anything dangerous. It's not worth it.
Thomas Marley
P.S. I will not be home, until 7 P.M. tonight. I will be watching my Granddaughter, Susan, practice for her Christmas concert at St. Gerard's Church. You and Kevin are welcome to come and watch.'
"Well, that explains a lot of things. Likely why he isn't home," I say to myself.
He must have been the other shadow Kevin and I saw, before running upstairs to hide. I must be missing something about him having a bad reputation, unless it's about that bullshit rumor that he killed his family and half the people on the block.
Every teen likes to tell that to scare the little kids. I got into a couple fistfights, because of that rumor. I'm sorry, Mr. Marley, I know you mean well, but I will not leave this house, and allow it to be robbed. I promise I will try and keep Kevin out of harm's way, but they have to kill me, if they want this house.
I fold up the note and place it into my jacket pocket, as I open the backdoor and head into the house. I remove my coat and hat, and place it on the kitchen counter. I'm now inside, out of the cold, and into the warmth of my parents' home. I should go upstairs to see if Kevin's awake, because it'll be dinnertime soon, and a young boy like him would be hungry.
I make my way up the back stairwell, located in the kitchen, up to the second floor. I'm about to make a right and head for the attic, when I hear sobbing coming from our parents' bedroom. "I wonder what Kevin is crying in Mom and Dad's room for," I muse to myself, as I make a left and head for their room. My heart just breaks, once I enter the room, and see Kevin, laying belly-first on the bed, sobbing his little eyes out on a pillow.
"What's wrong, Kevin? What are you crying for?" I softly ask, as I sit on the bed, with a look of concern on my face. I notice Kevin suddenly become quiet, as he lifts up his head from the pillow. Once he lays his eyes upon me, he gasps, and suddenly, like a flash, I find Kevin's arms around my waist, holding me tight.
"You're not something I dreamed. You're real," he sobs incoherently into my side. I grab some tissues from Mom's table and pull Kevin off me.
While I'm wiping the tears from his eyes, which are red and puffy, I ask, "Why would you think I'm something you dreamed?"
"When I woke up in the attic and noticed you weren't there, the first thing that came to mind was that I dreamed you, because you've been so nice to me. It got me to thinking it was early in the morning, and that Mom and Dad were still in bed, asleep. So, I ran all the way here from the attic to wake them up, only to find the bed empty. That's when I just broke down and started crying, since I thought you were a dream, and I was going to be alone. I miss Mom and Dad, Christine. I wish they were home. I want to apologize to them," Kevin sobs out.
I can't help but break down and cry, too, about everything that has been going on over the past few hours: Getting a phone call at work about Kevin being left home alone, returning to home for the first time in years, the attempted break-in by those punks, the fact they could come back at any moment, and lastly, I'm scared about how seeing Mom and Dad again is going to affect me.
I still hold anger and resentment against them, but I'm going to take Uncle Buck's advice and try to forgive them. I'm not getting my hopes up, because those punks might kill me, before I get my chance to. My heart just aches for Kevin.
He's been through a lot over the past few hours, himself: Discovering he was left home alone, discovering he had an older sister for the first time, the break-in attempt, his thinking I was a dream, and his yearning for Mom and Dad to come home.
"Kevin, the reason I was gone, when you woke up, was because I went over to Mr. Marley's house..." Kevin's gasps, interrupting me. "... to see if he was home, because I needed someone to vent to about those jerks, who tried to break in. I didn't realize you finding me gone would disturb you so bad. I just didn't want to wake you up, considering how the ordeal with the burglars affected you, and I thought you could use the rest. But, I realize that was a mistake, for which I'm sorry for," I tell him, as I pull Kevin into a hug.
"I forgive you, Christine," He smiles back. "So, two people really tried to break in? The last thing I remember, was that I gave you a tour of the house," he tells me.
"Yes," I reply. "I was able to scare them away with my car panic alarm, before we went and hid up in the attic. The whole ordeal shook you up really bad. I had to calm you down. Eventually, I got you to fall asleep. You had me really worried, little brother."
"Thanks for being there for me, Christine. I really like the fact you're my older sister. You've been much nicer to me in the few hours I've known you than my other siblings have in their entire lives, save for Linnie. I hope I still get to see you, even after the family comes home; even though you have your differences with Mom and Dad,"
The advice that Uncle Buck gave me, before I left replays though my mind again, 'Give your parents a chance, Christine. If Tia can do it, you can do it, too,' It's as if he's taunting me.
"Kevin, I'm not going to make any promises that everything is going to work out, but I'm going to try my best to mend fences with our parents," Kevin just smiles and hugs me. I just smile back. I'm not going to ruin this moment about mentioning the chance the burglars could come back and kill me. I will have to tell him, eventually.
"Kevin, it's getting close to dinnertime," I look at the clock, which reads 4:38 P.M.. "How about we have pizza? Know any good places?" Kevin hands me the number to a place called Little Nero's. "I've never heard of this place."
"They have the best cheese pizza ever. The delivery guy can be a greedy dick, though,"
"Oh, really? I'd like to see how he reacts to meeting me," I smirk, as I head over to the phone to see if it's working. Most-likely, it's not, because it hasn't been that long, since I tried to use it. I pick up the receiver from the phone located on Mom's table and place it on my ear. "We have a dial tone. Now, let's reach out and touch someone," I snicker, as I dial the number to Little Nero's.
"Little Nero's Pizza, where our motto is, 'No fiddlin' around.' How may we help you this evening?"
I roll my eyes at the lame motto, as I begin speaking, "Hi, I'd like to place a delivery order for two large pizzas. On the first pizza, I want it with no toppings, just extra cheese," Kevin's eyes go wide. "On the second pizza, I want hamburger, onions, and sausage. And also a Pepsi to drink. Pass on the cheese sticks. Yes, that completes my order. 671 Lincoln Blvd.. McCallister. So, less than 30 minutes, or my pizzas are free? Thank you," I hang up the phone, before turning to Kevin. "$23.60 for two pizzas? That's steep."
"In my opinion, it's well worth the money," Kevin replies.
"So, what do you want to do, while we wait for the pizza?" I ask Kevin.
"Watch TV in the study," he responds.
"Sounds good to me," I smile, as we both head downstairs...
END
A/N: I'm really curious about how Christine meeting the pizza boy is going to go down. Aren't you? Bonus points to those, who get the reference to "reach out and touch someone".