Chapter 5

J.D's POV

After the people from the state left, I nearly collapsed into the recliner. I have been sick with a bad cold for the past week, and I can barely keep myself awake at work. Mikey was playing with his Legos™, and Patrick was mowing the lawn as part of his punishment. I curled up on the couch and adjusted the bag of ice on my back. I turn on the TV and watch The Brady Bunch. I close my eyes and start to nod off as I hear the sound of the most annoying thing known to man.

"HEY, HEY, HEY!"

Cola.

I groan and look up to see Coke-A-Cola Curtis coming into the living room with none other than Kevin Matthews sporting his new mountain man beard. I shake my head and try to hide under my blanket.

"Oh, Johnny Dallas! Where are you?" Cola shouts.

"Ollie Ollie Oxen Free!" Kevin shouts.

"J.D isn't home, leave a message." I say. They come over to me and Cola lay on legs.

"What do you want?" I groan, lying on my back.

"We got some news that we thought that you would want to hear about." Kevin says sitting next to me, putting his arm on my shoulders.

"And what would that be?" I ask annoyed. I really don't care what they are going to tell me, I'll just listen and then kick them out.

"Eric is coming back."

I jump up.

"What?" I ask.

"Eric called me last night. He's coming back for Steve's birthday." Kevin says.

"Did, did he ask about me?" I ask feeling like a giddy teenager.

"Maybe." Kevin says stretching out the word.

"Kevin, I am not in the mood for this. Did Eric ask about me?" I say standing up.

"Yeah, he asked how you were doing." Kevin says. I sit down in defeat.

After my Dad died, I and Eric drifted apart. We got into fights, didn't call each other, and then he left. I called him, tried to find him, but it was like he disappeared off the plant. He called me about a month after he left and told me that we needed time apart. We called the engagement off, and went our separate ways. No one talked about Eric when I was around, not even his name.

"He said that he missed you too, that he couldn't wait to see you." Cola says.

"You can't lie to save your life Cola." I say sadly.

"I told you that we shouldn't have told her." Kevin says.

"She deserved to know!" Cola said.

"Look at her! She's devastated!" Kevin cries.

"Still in the room!" I say holding my hands up.

"Sorry." They both say.

It was silent for a while, until Cola broke it.

"How have my cousins been?"

"If you must know, Patrick got hauled in last night, and I just got a letter from the school that Mike is, and I quote 'Socially Impaired'"

"What the heck does 'Socially Impaired' mean" Kevin asks.

"It means that he doesn't talk to the other kids. That he doesn't have any friends, except books." I say putting my head in Cola's lap.

"Why can't they just be normal?" I ask myself. Cola and Kevin laugh.

"Cause then they wouldn't be Curtis's" Kevin says.

Patrick walks in, his shirt tucked into his pocket, sweating gleaming off his chest.

"Look out Sexy!" Kevin says.

"You know it." Pat says. I roll my eyes.

"Take a shower then start cleaning the kitchen." I say.

"Can't I take a break? I've been doing lawn work for three hours!" he complains.

"A short break, after your shower. You stink kid." I say.

"Thanks sissy." He says going up-stairs.

"You going to Darry's tonight for dinner?"

Crap, dinner. Aunt Lizzy had a family dinner for everyone on Friday night. Always a homemade dinner, everyone there. It was an insult to Lizzy if we missed it.

"Yeah, we're going. What about you guys?"

"Yes! Our dads will kill us if we miss it!" Kevin says.

"Is Shay going to be there?"

Shay was living up in Oklahoma City for the past year, working as a sports journalist.

"Yeah, him and his dog of a girlfriend Debbie." Kevin says digging in the frig.

"Be nice! She's sweet!" I say.

Debbie wasn't the prettiest of girls, but she wasn't that bad.

"Whatever. See you tonight." Cola says walking out the door.

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