Chapter 1 No.1

Carrington

Carrington

“I’m going to beat him with every inch of his life!” Christine said.

“You will do no such thing,” Kate told her.

“Kate! He put food dye in my shampoo.” Christine pointed at her green hair.

“It will eventually wash out.” Kate shrugged.

“Ugh.” Christine stomped to her bedroom.

In case you’re wondering, Kate and Christine are my two older sisters. Yeah, I added food dye in Christine’s shampoo and chose a green this time. I enjoy riling her because it keeps things interesting. Hell, I love riling all my siblings.

“Carri!” Mason said.

I strolled out of my bedroom and over to the second-floor railing. “Yeah, Mas.”

Mason beckoned me with his finger as I sighed and came downstairs. Mason is the oldest and in charge of all of us since our parents’ death. He deals with all of us, including Kate, Charles, Theresa, Joseph, Christine, me, and Elliot. There’s at least one- or two-years’ difference in our ages. We all live with Mason and his wife Luciana, who we refer to as Luci.

I reached the main floor and strolled over to Mason.

“I received word from the school that they suspended you again. Would you care to explain why?”

“They need to chill out.” I shrugged.

“Putting super glue on a teacher’s seat or causing mass destruction with pies is not chilling out.”

“What’s wrong with pies? Everyone likes pie, especially coconut cream.”

My answer didn’t amuse Mason because he needs a sense of humor.

“Get your shit together, or I’ll send you to military school.”

I gave Mason a look as he walked away from me. Mason wouldn’t play with us. If we did something wrong, he would manage it.

“I see you’re at it again,” Charles said from the living room.

I swiveled to face him and walked towards Charles sitting on the couch. I sat down on the couch’s arm. “People are too serious at that damn school.”

“Carri, you have a few months left before you graduate from Saintwood.”

“Then I’ll grow up to be a boring-ass adult. Oh, joy.” I rolled my eyes.

Charles gave me a sympathetic expression. “It’s not the first time Saintwood will survive a Jones and won’t be the last.”

“That is doubtful.” I sighed.

“Hang in there. Now excuse me, I must meet Greg, Frank, and Maurice.” Charles got up and left.

Charles hung out with Greg Hartley, Frank Shaw, and Maurice Frazier while growing up. They seemed like decent guys, but each had issues. Greg enjoys gambling, Maurice drinks, and Frank likes the girls.

Maurice belongs to the Frazier family. Our family does business with the Fraziers from time to time. I didn’t care for the Fraziers because their deals bordered on the underhanded.

“Off the arm of the couch. Were you born in the wild?” Luci entered the room.

“That is Joseph.” I moved off the couch’s arm.

Luci looked at me with that face I knew too well. I walked over to her.

“Carri, your brother wants the best for all of you.”

“Mason wants us to live a boring ass life as he does. I’m not into boring and prefer fun. Life is to live, not to exist.”

“Such a free spirit you are. I admire that quality about you.”

I smiled. Yep, I’m a free spirit, while my siblings had distinct personalities to them. I walked away from Luci and came out back to find Joseph talking to animals. Welcome to the animal kingdom and the animal whisperer.

“Are you speaking to your woodland creatures? The last time I checked, you’re not Snow White or Cinderella,” I told Joseph.

Joseph gave me an annoyed glance. “Carri, you would do well to spend time in nature. It clears the mind and the soul.”

“Yo, Grizzly Adams, I’m not into your hippy ways or hugging any damn tree.”

Joseph rolled his eyes.

I will never understand how my brother turned out to be a hippy. He missed the sixties since he wasn’t born yet.

A knife whizzed past my head and landed into a bird.

Joseph swiveled his head. “Listen, you psychopath. No one has time for your bullshit!”

Elliot walked over, yanked his knife out of a bird, and wiped it on the grass. “Joseph, birds carry diseases like most of our family’s business associates.” Elliot stood up.

“That is the problem with this family. They don’t value human life,” Joseph said.

“Only because you believe there’s good in people when there isn’t. I’m the youngest, and I even realized this.”

“Fine, then you can deal with Christine.”

Elliot glared at Joseph.

Did I mention my brothers were insane? You have Mason, the head of the family, and Charles, who did some shady shit. Joseph is the resident hippy. And Elliot is the psycho. Then you have me who prefers fun.

I left my brothers to bicker. Theresa walked into the kitchen as I entered the house.

“I see you’re at it again,” Theresa said.

I shrugged.

“Carri, one day, you’ll realize that not everything is fun and games.” Theresa poured a cup of coffee.

“Theresa, Dad enjoyed a good joke next to anyone. This family is too serious.”

“You’re like Dad.” Theresa smiled.

That made me feel good. I’m the most like our father, which irked the others.

“Remember, one day, you’ll meet someone, and they may not enjoy your pranks.”

“I doubt it.”

Most girls worried too much about insignificant things and didn’t enjoy themselves. Unless I found someone that understood me, I prefer the single lifestyle.