Chapter 4 No.4

Getting to know you, well, sort of

Drew sat in the living room on the couch as Dad, Uncle Frazier, and Uncle Jordan stood there as the fearsome three. The others stood near and watched history in the making. Drew sat back on the couch, with one leg over the other and his hands in his lap, not flinching.

"Ok, this is unnatural," Elijah whispered to Matt.

"Yeah, most guys would quiver like petty bitches," Matt whispered back.

"Shh," Junior said, hushing them.

I wasn't aware of what was happening downstairs until RJ came and got me. I walked down the stairs, saw the entire scene in the living room, and floated back up and got Mom.

RJ and I followed Mom as she came into the living room and watched Dad and my uncles.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" Ryan asked Drew.

Drew thought for a minute, then said, "Oh, you know, hang out, get to know each other, make her fall in love with me." He grinned. That was the wrong thing to say. Dad picked him off the couch as Uncle Jordan and Uncle Frazier surrounded him.

Instead of shaking from fear, Drew rolled his eyes. "Can you put me down?"

Dad and my uncles looked at each other.

"Is this kid for real?" Jordan asked.

"I don't know, but it takes a lot of balls to say something like that," Frazier replied.

Dad looked at Drew. "What is your game that you're playing?"

I leaned into Mom and whispered, "Can you stop them, please?"

"Give them a minute, Elizabeth. Something tells me this guy isn't like most guys," Mom whispered back.

"I'm not playing a game. One, games are stupid, two, they hurt people, and three, I have better things to do," Drew said. He never raised his voice, lost his cool, or shook with fear. I was dumbstruck with awe.

Dad put him down and let go of his shirt as he rubbed his chin, as did the others.

"I have a question, though," Drew said, looking at my dad.

"What's that?" Dad asked.

"If you three are the most feared people and so is your family, why is your daughter getting bullied?" Drew asked Dad with his hands in his pockets.

"What do you mean?" Dad asked. "Elizabeth would tell us if someone bullied her, and the boys would do something about it."

I stood there, shifting from foot to foot. I could feel my cheeks heat as Dad looked at me, "Right, Elizabeth?"

I looked at the ground and couldn't tell Dad. I was too embarrassed. These past two years, I endured hell only to have a strange unknown guy tell my secret. The worst part is I didn't tell anyone.

Dad walked over to me as Mom looked at me. He put a hand on my upper arm and lifted my chin. I tried not to cry, but it was so hard.

"Elizabeth, is it true?" Dad asked in a harsh tone, making me recoil from his touch. It reminded me of the harsh words and contacts that I received at school. I flinched when anyone tried to touch me. I wasn't always like that until the day I rejected Maddox, and that started it.

"Elizabeth?" Dad asked me, confused. I shook my head. The tears fell, and I turned, running up the stairs with everyone hot on my heels. I got inside my bedroom and slammed the door shut, locking it.

They knocked on my door as I slid down with my back pressed against the door until I was on the floor. I pulled my knees up to my chest and sobbed. I was never afraid of my dad ever because I was always defiant, along with Matt. Heck, when we were two, and he tried to look mean, we gave him raspberries.

This time it was different because of Maddox. He was the one that doled out the punishment when he caught me alone and always threatened me to stay quiet. So, like most people, I remained silent. I hated having that fear dealing with it. It was like feeling trapped in my self-imposed prison.

"She's not answering the door, Ryan," Mom said with a worried tone.

"I know, baby. I know," Dad said, putting his hands on her arms.

"Why don't I kick the door down?" Asked Jordan.

Ryan looked at him, "Don't you think I would have done that by now. We reinforce these doors with steel. Dad had them installed when he bought the house for our protection."

"Well, there goes my suggestion," Jordan said. He ran his hands through this jet-black hair in frustration.

As they all stood there, trying to figure out what to do. RJ popped his head out of his bedroom. "Hey, Dad, see this."

They all followed RJ into his room while Matt, Elijah, and Junior went into Matt's bedroom, between RJ and my bedroom. They stuck their heads out the window and saw Drew with an extension ladder.

"What is that idiot doing?" Jordan asked.

Drew put the ladder against the house and moved it until it was leaning next to my window. Then they watched as he got onto the ladder and climbed to my window.

"He's smarter than we combined," Frazier shrugged. They all looked at him, "What? It's true. Did any of you think to do that? Yeah, didn't think so." They turned back around and watched him climb into my window.

They all left the bedrooms and stood next to my bedroom door, trying to listen.

"I can't hear anything," Dad whispered.

"Here," RJ handed him a glass.

Dad took the glass and looked at RJ. "Sometimes, I like to know what's going on." RJ shrugged. Dad and Mom looked at each other, then pressed their ear against my bedroom door.

Drew climbed in through my window and walked over to me, taking a seat next to me. I sniffled as Drew sat there and whistle. I looked up with tear streak cheeks at him. He was staring up at the ceiling, whistling. I furrowed my eyebrows, wiping my cheeks.

He turned his head and looked at me as he stopped in mid-whistle. "I'm sorry. Was I interrupting something?" He took his finger and waved it at me.

I stared at him.

"Oh, you stop with the staring. I know I'm handsome and outstanding. I need not remind," Drew said with a cockiness.

I turned my head and was at a loss for words. Here my family found out my secret, and Drew sits here like it was no enormous deal. Who is this guy?

"So you know, I will not baby you every time someone says something to you. I know you're a lot stronger than you look. By letting a pinhead like Maddox get to you, he wins," Drew said, looking at me.

I turned and looked at Drew. "But you don't know the things Maddox did to me or his family did to mine."

"I don't, but from what I heard things about your mom and what they put her through, she fought back. Since you're like her, I know that you're a fighter," he smirked.

"How do you know about my mom?" I asked him.

"It's time you learn a few things about my family since your family knows them well," Drew grinned. He stood up and unlocked the door. Drew moved me out of the way, then opened the door. My family fell through the doorway onto the floor. I looked at my family as they all looked up, smiled, and waved.

"This is an interesting turn of events. Do you always listen in on private conversations?" Drew asked them, still holding the door.

"Yep," Frazier said. Drew rolled his eyes.

They all got up and stood there.

"Now that your parents and the rest of the circus are present," Drew said. Jordan threw his fist. Drew caught it, turning and taking Uncle Jordan down in one swift movement. It shocked us.

"Who is this kid?" Jordan asked as Drew let go.

"Well, my dad will work with Ryan starting next week. It's time you all knew who he is." Drew leaned against the door with his arms crossed.

Dad walked over to him and looked him in the eyes. "I'm all ears."

Drew looked at him as a smile crept across his lips. "My dad is Hunter."

Dad stepped back and thought for a minute. With everything going on, he remembered getting a call from Mason that he was sending help. The only thing is to help came as a family. He got no more information other than that.

"That explains a lot," Frazier grinned.

"I didn't know Hunter had any kids, let alone a wife," Jordan said.

"That's because to be a ghost, you keep things to the bare minimum," Drew shrugged.

"But you're so different from your dad," Mom said.

"Yeah, I got Mom's sense of humor, while I got Dad's kick-ass attitude. It all evens out," Drew grinned.

"I take it your dad taught you how to fight? Because no one has ever taken down Jordan like that except your dad," Dad said to him.

"Yep, he trained me. Didn't want to have a pussy for a son," he grinned, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Dad, who's Hunter?" Matt asked Dad.

"Hunter worked for Uncle Mason. He's not someone you want to mess with things. I'll leave it at that," Dad said to Matt, signaling the end of Hunter.

"Well, I've got to head home. I wasn't expecting to hang out for a while or get the third degree, which you guys need to step up your game. It was laughable," Drew grinned with a shrug.

They all looked at each other, then at Drew, who grinned. Wow, for once, they were speechless. I walked Drew out.

"So, thanks back there," I said to him as I fidgeted with my fingers.

As we reached the front door, he turned to me, "So, now can we be friends?"

I took a deep breath then exhaled, saying, "Sure."

He leaned into my ear and whispered, "I meant what I said to your dad. Remember that."

I blushed and asked, "Why me?"

"Because sometimes people wait for the right person. I know I did," he smirked, making my face turn a deeper shade of red. "But I will let you know I'm not all into that mushy crap. I would rather have fun and make people laugh."

With that, he left and got onto his bike. I watched him drive off and couldn't help but think, what did I get into with this guy? I closed the door and turned around to face seven faces with Mom in the middle.

"Jesus," I exclaimed, grasping my chest. "You all scared me."

"Honey, it's time we talk about the bullying," Mom said, putting her hands on my arms and rubbing them.

I looked at them and sighed. I knew my parents weren't letting this go. Then we sat down as I explained everything from the start. Dad leaned in and listened to me, as did everyone else. Mom sat next to me with her arm around me.

I felt better after finally talking about it, but I still had this fear. I went to bed and lay there, trying to get some sleep. Everything replayed in my mind and Maddox's threats, making it hard to sleep.

Dad came out of the bathroom and climbed into bed with Mom. She had been reading, waiting on him. He laid down and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Mom asked.

"I can't believe I missed it all these years. I bet they waited until Junior graduated to send him in there," Dad said with frustration.

"You weren't the only one. We all missed it," Mom said, frustrated.

"I thought we finished with that family. Now, with your zealous fan, this will make for an interesting senior year," Dad sighed.

"With Hunter's kid, things will be even more interesting," Mom said to Dad, and he rolled his eyes at her, making her giggle.

"Oh, you will pay for that," Dad said, grabbing Mom and tickling her, which lead to a fun-filled night for my parents, ew gross.