The chime of the front doorbell rang through the modest two bedroom house causing Sandy to put down the metal pot she had been washing. The brown, female, squirrel picked up a small dish rag and dried her hands before tossing the rag back towards the edge of the sink while heading out of the kitchen to answer the main entrance door.
"Howdy!" The woman greeted with a smile before her face feel into a state of shock, as she took in the individual that stood before her. "Ran-?" She started to question before her voice was cut off by her twin brother's aggressive hug.
Randy quickly pulled away and slapped Sandy on the back before picking up his two large bags and pushing her aside to enter the house. "Wow!" The male squirrel dropped his bags, inside the house, before turning to face his surprised sister while nodding his approval. "Nice place ya got here, Sandy!" He grinned while taking off his dirty blue ball cap and placing it on the back of the couch. Randy then started to look around the small living area before he was startled by the growling, of the once napping, houndoom. "Shit!" The male visitor gasped as he backed up into his sister.
"Rune!" Sandy said sternly causing the pet to cut off his pursuit, of the new intruder, and head back to his bedding near the unlit, brick fireplace.
Sandy's brother then jumped behind his sister, in an attempt to use her as a shield. "What is that?!" Randy questioned under his breath.
Sandy slumped her shoulders in irritation. "That's Rune." She dully stated as she turned towards her bewildered brother as she placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "What are ya doing here, Randy?" Sandy questioned.
Randy's fearful stance dissipated as his sister's angry voice penetrated his skull. The male laughed lightly as his face became a little worried. "Can't a man just visit his reclusive sister without the getting the 5th degree?" A forced grin covered his face after his last statement.
"Reclusive?" Sandy's eyes narrowed as she questioned her brother's choice of words in disbelief. "What the heck, Randy?" Sandy shouted as she pressed her finger into his chest.
Randy held up his hands in sign of a defeat and let a real, yet sheepish, grin give way. "I'm on bench probation, and was giving the OK to move up here, to start things over. Pretty neat, huh?" He smiled bigger as her finger dropped away from his chest, and she looked away from him defeated.
Sandra shook her head in disbelief as she walked away from her brother and sat down on the couch. "Randy, ya shouldn't have come here without calling first." She sighed while looking at Rune in an attempt to shut her brother out while she processed his most current screw up.
Randy followed his sister to the couch and dropped down beside her while pulling her into a half embrace. "Come on sis…" Randy began to beg. "I've been sober 6 months!" He proclaimed proudly. "I'm really ready to get better this time." The male gave his sister a kiss on the cheek before letting her go from his hug and leaning back on the couch.
"Randy… Ya been on probation over a year, yet ya only have been sober for six months?" She glanced towards him disappointed.
"I'm finally following da rules, Sandy!" He groaned while kicking his feet up on the coffee table and running his hands down his face. "Isn't that worth something ta ya?"
Sandy sighed a little upset with herself as she reached out an placed a hand on her brother's knee. She softly smiled to him –almost apologetically. "I'm very proud of you, Randy." She leaned on his shoulder as he placed his hand her hers. "It's just I ain't able to let you stay here, since this isn't my place."
Randy immediately pulled away from her and looked at his sister with a large amount of confusion. "Wha-?" He paused. "But, ya have lived here da past year!" Randy attempted to reaffirm.
"Just over 8 months." His sister corrected.
"So that makes it yer place." He stated annoyed.
"No." She again corrected. "This is my roommate's house." She readjusted her position on the couch with crossed arms looking down at her lap.
"Roommate?!" The male squirrel questioned in dismay. He looked over at the houndoom just to see flames flare out of blue beast's nostrils. Again, the male was taken aback and flinched on the furniture he, and his sister, occupied.
"RUNE!" Sandy scolded with more force behind her tone causing the mutt to run off into the other room. Sandy then looked at her sibling with the same scolding in her gaze.
Randy let out a loud laugh before standing back up and walking over the side door and opening the dark gray curtains to see the vicious wind blowing the fall leaves violently around outside, then looked back at his sister before turning his interest back outdoors. "It'll only be a few weeks before I can get back on my feet. Just let me talk to your roomie. I'm sure I'll hit it off with her." He placed a signal palm on the glass door as he watch the fall storm picking up pace just on the other side of the panel.
Sandy stayed put on the dark blue couch, and continued to look down at her lap, as shame creep up on her. "Randy, I don't think you'll hit it off with him." She muttered knowing full well her secret was now out of the bag.
Randy's face went blank as his hand fell from the window. He had completely forgotten about the storm outside as he turned to face his reluctant sister. "Him?" He questioned not sure if he was amused or irritated.
Sandy continued to look at her lap knowing full well this revelation about her housing was bound to cause waves within her family. "We're only friends." She softly spoke almost as if pleading her innocents.
The male in the room briefly tugged the fur on the top of his head as he took a set back down next to his worried sister. He let go of his fur and turned his full attention to her, and then placed his arm around her neck pulling her in for a hug. "I can't tell you how happy I am…" He paused while faking a brief weep. "That I'm not the only fuck up in the family!"
Sandy automatically pushed him away and rolled her eyes at him as he laughed on the other side of the couch. After a few moments he was able to control himself and wipe a few stray tears from his eyes. "Heh… Don't worry Sandy. I won't let Ma know what a temptress you turned out to be up here in Chicago."
"Randy, please." She tiredly pleaded.
"OK! Ok!" Randy finished up his teasing. He then gave his sister a genuine smile. "I'm proud of you too, sis."
Sandy let a large blush give way before standing up and leading her brother to her room. "You can stay here a few nights, and I'll take the couch. I'll try to talk Shadow into letting you stay a week or two, but we'll have to find you a place of your own by then." She attempted to abruptly leave but was caught off guard by her brother's grip on her arm.
"Thank you, Sandy." He said before kissing her on the cheek again. She then pushed him away and walked out, before closing the door to her room. She sulked her way back to the couch before plopping down on it.
Shadow would be home in the next hour, and she wasn't looking forward to the fight that was bound to ensue.
Randy leaned in against the dresser in the small room, that his sister usually occupied, and tried to collect his thoughts as he looked at himself in the wooded framed mirror. He couldn't help but notice the disappointment in his reflected eyes. He had just recently come to find out his sister had been living with a man secretly for so long. The male squirrel swallowed hard as he questioned his own motives of irritation, before pushing away from the dresser and sitting on the bed behind him.
He fell back on the bed as he recalled driving his, half dead truck, up from Texas in the hopes of proving himself to his family, or at least showing more of an effort. The brown squirrel didn't expect to find his sister to be hiding so much of her current life. He frowned while focusing his attention on the white popcorn ceiling above him.
Randy was thankful Sandy had agreed to help him, but was now haunted by her worried eyes when she brought up her "male" roommate. He grew angry at the thought of her uncomfortable look, but wasn't totally sure of why. His sister deserved better than some guy that she couldn't even bring up to their family, as the main thought that passed through his tired mind. He suddenly felt a bit depressed that Sandy had kept him in the dark about her living situation. She rarely kept secrets from him, so that fact now made him call into question their family bond. This one hidden bit of information alone was enough to make him want to call this mystery man out, and likely beat him into oblivion. He thought hard on this for a moment before pushing the idea away as he knew he couldn't screw up his current probation. How could he let his sister, his best friend, be caught up with someone while being ashamed of them at the same time?!
Maybe something more was going on… Randy closed his eyes and found sleep in a matter of moments. The male awoke in what felt like the flash of an eye, but he could tell he had been out much longer. The room was now dark, and a pleasant smell of a fresh cooked meal filled the house. He could hear a conversation coming from the other room, but couldn't make out what was being said.
The young man pushed himself up on his feet and stumbled briefly before finding the door knob. He wasn't one for dragging things out, so he pulled the door open and walked briskly into the living area with a cocky grin on his face. On the couch he found his twin sister, and a large black hedgehog in what looked like a heated, but quiet, discussion. The dark furred male was tall and looked considerably stronger than Randy had anticipated. The red highlights on his quills distracted Randy from his muscular build. The larger man's red eyes seemed to pierce right into Randy's skull as he approached.
Randy slowed his stride, not because this was the first time he'd been stared down, but in his current sober state he found himself caring more about his physical well-being than in times past. Randy turned his focus to his sister, who almost seemed to cheer up at seeing him interrupt the two.
"What'cha cooking?" Randy asked as he took in a large breath and headed for the kitchen. He wasn't for dragging things out at all, but after seeing the size of Sandy's friend he wasn't in a hurry anymore either. He decided he might as well have one last meal before getting into it with what seemed to be his certain doom.