Chapter Three - Family Meeting
I wasn't sure how long we'd been reading for. With Violet sitting so close to me I was finding it hard to concentrate on pictures of Birds. Her smell was so enticing and whenever she flicked the pages, a wave of lavender sent came off of her body. I'd stopped reading the book and started to focus in on her hands when she turned the pages. After not seeing her for so long I wanted to memorise every part of her now. She must have noticed me staring as she closed 'World Of Birds' and retreated her hands to safety in-between her crossed legs, out of my view. I became suddenly very self conscious about where to look. Sensing the awkward tension in the room, she got up from off the bed and began pacing at the foot of it, something was obviously eating away at her.
'Do you want to do something different?' I suggested, although I regretted my choice of words, I didn't want her to think I was hinting at anything sexual.
"I didn't come back for you Tate!" She blurted out, her expression told me it hadn't meant to come out as violent as it had sounded.
I don't why this made angry, but it did. My mind started hurtling insults at her, "Cock-teasing bitch! Mother fucking whore!", I swallowed these insults down with a deep breath, my chest burned with them like I'd eaten something hot. It's not like I ever thought she truly would come back to me after everything, I think it was the reality of hearing that confirmation come out of her mouth.
"I'm sorry." She said, "I didn't mean for it to come out that way."
In order to prevent calling her every God-damn name under the sun I muttered a measly "fine."
"Tate, I'm here because something's happened, something really bad. And I, we, need your help. I know that everything;s fucked up, and I know you want to change. So I'm giving you a chance to. I can't explain everything right now, but just meet me at seven in the kitchen tonight, okay?" She began to walk towards the bedroom door, but seeing her leaving me in this room alone, again, made me speak up.
"Violet, I'm sorry. I know it doesn't change anything, and I've already said it to you before, but I am so sorry. For every single fucked up thing I have ever done to you. I don't have anywhere else to go, and neither do you, but I wouldn't to be stuck in this house with anyone else but you."
"Well lucky for you Tate, neither of us have a choice." Was all that she said before she walked out of the bedroom.
As I lingered in the hallway next to the kitchen that night I realised I wasn't going to be meeting Violet alone. I heard voices, voices I recognised yet had not heard in months. I walked in and instantly recognised The Harmon's who were sat around the dining table. Vivian Harmon held her newborn in the crease of her arm and rocked him gently. When she noticed me enter she shielded the child's from my view and her eyes daggered towards me. Ben Harmon sat on her left hand side, and upon my arrival he placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, playing the protector. He was protecting her from me. To Ben's left sat Poofy Patrick who sat uncomfortably close to Mr Harmon. Patrick had a itch that Chad obviously wasn't scratching any more, and he'd had eyes for Ben since the family had moved in. To the other side of Patrick stood Chad, his lips curled up at the ends when he saw me enter, a satisfied expression on his face.
"Well, if it isn't the 'Rubber Rapist' himself!" he spat at me, and from the corner of my eye I saw Vivian wince at the name, or maybe the memory.
I remembered at this moment how glad I was to have murdered Chad, not because I have a problems with queens, but because I have a problem with Chad.
"Enough!" Mr Harmon's voice echoed across the kitchen and caused Chad to break out into some irritating smirk, but it had obviously frightened him enough to stay silent.
"Tate, sit down." I sat at the opposite end of the table to the other residents following Mr Harmon's orders. I was slightly pissed that when Violet came into the room she chose the seat next to her mum, not me. The table was split into Mad Mob vs Me and she'd chosen to side with the mob.
"We're just waiting on a few others" Mr Harmon spoke calmly, he was obviously intending to keep the peace between his guests, which I appreciated.
Minutes later Norma swanned in and chose a seat next to the window, isolating herself from the rest of the group and then Moira followed and took her place next to Violet. She placed her hands on the table and rubbed them together nervously in anticipation. Travis was the last to enter, he stumbled in knocking some ornament over on his way making Nora gasp and creating a further awkward tension in the room.
"Is that everyone?" Chad asked impatiently.
"Not quite" Ben replied coolly, and then the house doorbell rang.
Moira got up to answer the door and came with a pained expression on her face. Behind her the Cock-Sucker danced in followed by Billie Dean Howard who looked more ghostly than any of the residents sat around the table. They pulled up a seat either side of me and I realised I was much happier being sat on my own. Constance's 'protective mother mode' did nothing but fuck me off.
'Let's get this family meeting over and done with shall we? Some of us still have lives left to lead." Her sick attempt and humour caused the mob to turn on her in disgust, even Travis, her personal ex puppy dog looked pissed.
"Get on with it Constance, tell them why your here." Mr Harmon growled.
"As some of you already know, I'm hear to talk about your son." Constance directed to Vivian.
"Both of yours son." Her twisted little eyes found satisfaction on moving from Vivian's glare to mine. "We have a problem."