Page 5 of Step Puck

“Let’s go into the bathroom. That light will be better. Let me get some ice and I’ll be there in a minute to see what we’re dealing with.” I gently turn her in the direction of where her bedroom is upstairs. The bathroom is the next room, and I head to the kitchen, which is downstairs, footsteps follow. I turn ready for an attack with how unstable Dena appears. She sways and I wait for her to fall but somehow, she stays on her feet, swaying as if a sapling in a category five hurricane.

“What do you want Dena? I’ve got to take care of the daughter you hit.” I swivel back to the refrigerator, opening the freezer side and search for ice cubes or frozen vegetables. The freezer is pretty sparse of anything. I do find a half package of frozen corn, and a few measly cubes of ice. I hunt through some drawers and ignore Dena who’s trying to get my attention by thrusting her fake boobs out. I find what I’m looking for, one clean kitchen towel I upend the ice container into the towel and wrap the cubes, take the package of corn and turn to go upstairs where I know where Lorelei is.

“Billy, you sure have grown up into a gorgeous man.” Dena simpers, all nice as she tries to cuddle up to me. I gag at the stench of alcohol and her unwashed body and clothes, pushing her away from me.

“Dena, I have to take a look at your daughter. See if you hurt her.” I try to slip by her, but she wraps her arms around my chest, and I work hard peeling her fingers off my pecs and the hand working its way down to my lower abdominals. A slimy feeling touch starting to make me feel violated.

“Stop. Dena get away from me. I’m trying to be nice but if you keep this up, I’ll have to take drastic measures. I mean it.”

“Awww, Billy. Don’t you want to make nice to your Momma?” I’m amazed by the way she’s now not speaking with slurred speech and she’s making me want to gag.

“Dena, I mean it. I’ll call the cops.” I finally have each hand off and put the center island between us.

“Go ahead, I’ll say you assaulted me. I’m sure they’ll believe your poor stepmother instead of famous Billy Wallace.”

“And I’ll be here to deny the accusation. I don’t think you want that kind of notoriety, Momma.” Lorelei points her finger at her mother, wagging it up and down in disapproval.

I move away from Dena to her daughter, crouching to get a better look at her cheek. It’s starting to swell already. I press the corn package against her skin, and she winces at the cold against the pain.

“Honey, you wouldn’t do that to your Momma, now would you?”

“Only if you do what you threatened.” She eyes Dena as if waiting for her to attack. I wonder if she’s been hit before. Why is she staying here if she’s so miserable? I’m going to have to find out when we leave here. I can’t bring myself to leave her here now that I know.

“Lorelei, I want you to come with me. I’ve got an extra room you can stay in until you figure something out.” By the look on her face, I think the offer isn’t going over too well. I wish I had a way to convince her otherwise.

“No, I need to take care of her. There’s no one else.”

“I don’t need you or anyone else to take care of me. I can take care of myself.” Dena glares at both of us, first me and then her daughter. “Go with him and I never want to have anything to do with you again. It’s disgusting. He’s so much older than you and he’s your brother.”

“Momma, how can you?” Lorelei is almost crying at the vicious, hurtful words out of her mother’s mouth. Hateful words, I don’t know if it’s still the alcohol talking. It doesn’t matter, she shouldn’t talk to her daughter like that.

“Dena I’m not her brother and the way you just mauled me I can call the cops on you. If I was her brother, you definitely wouldn’t be touching me like that. Or would you? Never thought you were into incest.” I mock her words with a sneer on my lips and voice.

Her eyes almost bug out of her face, her mouth opens and closes like a ventriloquist dummy being manipulated. If this wasn’t so serious, I’d be laughing.

“Billy, Momma didn’t mean anything. She’s drunk. She doesn’t know what she’s doing or saying.” Lorelei fusses about her mother, forgetting about being struck even if it hurts.

I know different by the glint in Dena’s eyes. She’s up to something, I don’t know what yet. I can tell Lor isn’t going to come home with me, I’m going to have to have to have this place fixed. Can’t have them living in such squalor.

“All right, Lor. I’ll leave you for now. Make sure you keep ice on that cheek, you don’t want it to swell more or bruise.” I make a point of mentioning the slap, I want to be sure that attack isn’t forgotten anytime soon.

Make sure Lorelei is ready for the next time her mother attacks in a drunken state. Next time Lorelei might not be so lucky to only get away with a slap to her face. Next time it could be something more serious or deadly.

5

LORELEI

What happened earlier runs over and over in my mind. Billy is long gone, he is not long out of my mind. Momma is sound asleep, muttering and groaning in her drunken state like always. But I can’t forget how he tried to protect and care for me.

I think I have his number still in my phone from years ago. Years I had secretly wished he called and announced his forever undying love. Stupid teenage hormones. I search down through my contacts, further and further down until I find it. A heart emoji with Billy after.

My finger hovers over the text button, my heart races and the blood throbs in my throat with the thought of texting him. What if he answers? What if he doesn’t? I can’t imagine making a fool of myself and he doesn’t answer. Or he sends me a laughing emoji.

I start to set my phone down, talking myself out of it when I get courage from somewhere within me. I text, thank you for helping me. Sorry ?? I didn’t take you up on your offer.

Pressing send I set my phone down and wait. My mind races with possibilities of him calling me back. Telling me he’s missed me all these lost years, and then my mind switches into the opposite direction. He’s glad he hadn’t seen me in most of these years. I was and always will be a younger pest to him.

Shaking these thoughts away, or trying to I get ready for bed, purposefully leaving my phone on the end table and carrying my pajamas into the bathroom next to my bedroom I take a shower and it doesn’t take long to finish my nightly bathroom activities.

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