Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 94897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
She was done talking because she said no more.
He wanted to get into her fighting with Elijah.
But they both had days to get on with and they were already into something deep and he suspected that’d only take them deeper.
So Jag stuck with the subject.
“How do you not have problems with a bunch of middle schoolers?”
She surprisingly had a ready answer.
“Because kids know things. You can’t protect them. They know. Every one of them knows they’re either alone in their house and their mom and/or dad is worried about them the entire time. Or they feel like a drain because their folks have to pay someone to watch them and they don’t have the means to do that without everyone feeling it. I can’t say they’re angels twenty-four seven. They’re humans. They have moods. They can act like dicks. I think it was a shock, in the beginning, that they had someone who understood that and didn’t get up in their shit about it. The road was bumpy starting out. Then respect formed. So mostly, now we all get on with it.”
“You do know how fucking cool this is, right?”
Those pretty black eyes shifted to his shoulder.
“No. I know that I had a dad who was clueless, a brother who was pissed off at the world and I needed to step up when I should have been able to be a kid. I don’t blame either of them. It was what it was. But did I want to be doing laundry and cooking food and vacuuming and running interference and making sure my big brother did his homework? No. I wished I had someone to step in and let me be a kid. So these kids get to be kids at school. And they get to be kids after school. And they know someone gives a shit. And then they get to go home and be part of a family. I didn’t have that. No one stepped in for me. I didn’t feel like a part of a family. I felt like I was the only thing holding my family together. It’s not like I’m Mother Teresa. I’m just a good neighbor.”
Oh yeah.
They had a lot to go over when they had more time.
“Right, well, whether you get it or not, it’s fucking cool. And just saying, that’s what my Club is about. We look out for each other. We do all right now, money is good, no one is hurting. But there were times, and when those times came, the brothers and their old ladies had each other’s backs.” He took a sip of his coffee and reiterated, “It is really cool, Archie. More people should think like you. No, not just think like you. Think like you and do something about it.”
She sidestepped the compliment again, and said, “So the universe as we know it is what we think it to be, and things work out with us, I’m gonna be your ‘old lady’?”
“Yup.”
Her lips tipped up, her eyes went hooded and that was how she shared her approval of that before she sipped more coffee.
“Now, back to the subject, the Harris brothers,” he prompted.
She gave a nod.
“Their parents suck. I’m no counselor, I don’t have years under my belt dealing with kids, but I talked with Freya and I tried a number of different ways to get through to them, and nothing worked. I’m not going to go so far as say they’re bad seeds. Especially Allan, he’s mostly a good kid, but he sticks to Aaron like glue, to his detriment. But dealing with them is beyond my scope.”
“I hear you,” he said when she paused.
So she kept going.
“What I do think is, they give Mal shit. Mal’s mom and dad have split. His dad is military, he’s deployed a lot. His mom’s going to school, online courses she does at night, she works during the day. His grandma is sick, and that puts a strain on things. A lot is going down with him and bullies, they scent blood. But I think it’s more. Mal’s parents may have split, but they’re both in his life. They care. They’re loving. He goes to visit his dad a lot when he’s not overseas. The twins don’t have that. Nothing near it. I think the twins deal with drugs, alcohol, their parents not keeping good company and just overall neglect.”
“Jealousy.”
“Yeah.”
“And the scene yesterday?”
“I’m not a bully, I don’t know, but I think they wanted to communicate that Mal isn’t safe from them anywhere.”
“And they picked you, because they aren’t gonna fuck with him at home and rub up against his mom. She might get the school and cops involved. You’re a soft target because they’ve already tested you and know you’ll put up with a lot before you lower the hammer.”