Page 51 of Freedom Ride

“Holy fuck,” Hero shouted. “Is nothing off-limits around here? He is your uncle and my dad, for god’s sake.”

Luna held up her hands. “I was purely asking for scientific reasons.”

Greta raised her hand. “You scientifically wanted to know if Rigid dyed his p–.”

“Okay!” Meg shouted. “I think you guys have finally crossed the line. No one needs to know about anyone's pubes around here, okay? No pubes allowed.”

Luna tipped her head to the side, and Greta scoffed.

“Talking,” she stressed. “No pube talking.”

“What in the fuck is going on in here?” King thundered.

“Oh shit,” Luna squeaked.

Greta gasped and choked on the last bite of her beef stick. Meg slapped her on the back while Reva scrambled off the floor to help.

“Cyn is getting the hang of the cutting machine, Meg and Luna figured out how to press the shirts, Hero and Reva are dog obsessed, and Snapper and Lenny are in their own blissful world.” Greta turned from the TV and smiled. “And Mom has been giving Rigid crooked haircuts for years because he’s a meathead who pays her five bucks for a thirty-dollar haircut.” She held her finger in the air. “And now we all want to know if Rigid’s carpet matches the curtains.”

“Yup, that’ll do it,” Hero called. “That will fucking do it.” He hauled Reva off the floor and marched to the door.

“What are we doing?” Reva called.

“We are going home where I don’t have to hear about my dad’s pubes or him banging my mom at Pole Stars,” he muttered.

“Micha!” Cyn called. “Do not talk about your father and me like that.”

Cyn bustled out the back door with Rigid over to Pole Stars while Hero stormed out with Reva in tow.

“Wow,” Lennox whispered. “It’s like I’m watching a TV show.”

I leaned back and draped my arm over her shoulders. “Yeah, I think that is pretty accurate.”

“Lenny,” Gwen called. “I’m going to rinse out Fayth, and then you are up, girlfriend. Decide if you want to keep your pink or go with something different.”

“Oh, uh, okay,” Lennox called.

Fayth followed Gwen down the hallway to the bathroom.

“You gonna go with a different color?” I asked.

“I can’t let Gwen dye my hair. I don’t have any extra money to pay her.”

“You don’t have to pay her. She does all of our hair for free or whatever we want to pay.” I pointed in the direction Rigid had stormed off. “Though if you do pay her, I would go with more than five dollars.”

“I figured that,” she laughed. “Maybe next time when I’m in town, I could ask her to do my hair.”

“She’s not going to take no for an answer,” Greta called. “She’s where I get my stubbornness from.”

“And the crazy,” Luna mumbled.

“Heard that,” Greta called. “I’ll make sure the next time Mom gives you a haircut, you’ll have to tip your head to make sure it’s straight.”

Luna flipped off Greta. “Sit and spin, Gertrude.”

King threw his hands in the air and walked out.

“I can just feel the love,” Meg laughed. She closed the shirt press and blew her hair out of her face. “You think if I make him a shirt that says Biker Daddy, he’ll be less grumpy?”

---