Post by silent.lullaby on Nov 30, 2010 20:26:04 GMT -5
//We Run This Town//Chapter 035// Sisterly Love And Skiing
Blaire waited for her brother Adam outside the school. Cool wind blew her hair into her face as snow gently begun to flutter down from the puffy grey clouds. She glared up at them, like they had personally offended her. She huffed out a breath of air that froze in the air like fog before it dissipated. She disliked winter, the cold weather, and the fact that Linden loved all those winter sports. He and his friends; Brian Wetherill, Darren McCauley, Gavin Burke, Riley Rosenburg, and his little brother Pierre had all gone downhill skiing somewhere in Ontario. He had invited her, but she knew it was a formality, none of the others were bringing girl friends, it was a boys weekend, and she knew he’d stay in the lodge to keep her company, and that would ruin his trip. It was better this way, she told herself.
“He’s late,” Faith announced coming out of the school wrapped up in a pink and white Burburry coat. She rubbed her hands hidden in pink knitted mittens for warmth as she stood atop the steps looking down at her little sister.
Blaire looked over her shoulder and gave Faith a shrug, “he did say he had something to do with Ceasario first.”
Faith climbed down the stairs, her brown leather boots clicking till she stopped beside Blaire. “I wonder what...”
Blaire gave a casual shrug, “said Antonio had sent them out together for something.”
“Well that is inconveniently vague. He could have just said, can’t get you guys, grab a cab.” Faith shifted from side to side quickly, her trim hips dancing as she tried to keep warm.
Blair looked to her sister oddly and grinned, “what you got to pee?”
Faith stopped and glared, but it’s effects were weakened by the little grin that had grown on her face. “Yeah, actually now that you mention it.” Blaire tossed her head back as she laughed, her dark locks flipping back with the sudden movement. The eldest Walker sister smiled and ruffled Blaire’s hair, “I’ve missed you.”
“I didn’t go anywhere,” Blaire protested.
“Sometimes we don’t have to go anywhere to be missed.” Faith returned pulling out her zip up binder from her knapsack and setting it on the stairs before flopping down on top of it. “Might as well sit.” Blaire shrugged and sat down when Faith put her second binder down for her. They sat quietly for a few minutes, each thinking private thoughts, watching the snow fall and melt as it hit the ground. “Hows Lilianna?”
“Walking around,” Blaire returned, it had been weeks since they had taken her off the machines, but since she had gotten a bit of an infection they had to keep her a little longer. “Preston pretty much has been living there for the past few weeks.”
“So has dad,” Faith responded. Their father, Charlie had pretty much taken over the night shifts, while Preston took the days. Neither spoke again for a while. A comfortable silence between sisters. Blaire rubbed her bare hands together, the tips bright pink. She made a fist and found it difficult, her hands frozen. “Where are your mittens?”
“Attached to the jacket I had when I was four,” Blaire responded and received a shoulder bump from her sister. They laughed as they waited.
****
“Hello,” Wayne Reid came in the door and seen one of his daughters sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop. Lexie? Kara? He though pitifully, he was their father, but yet he still couldn’t tell them apart.
“Hi dad,” his teenage daughter replied.
He took off his cap and shrugged out of his jacket before he got to work untying his boots. “Hows school been?”
“Good.”
“Getting lots of assignments before the holidays?”
A shrug, “the typical amount.”
He nodded before looking around the kitchen. “Have you eaten?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you have.”
“Uh... one of the frozen dinners from the freezer. I would have put one in for you had I known you’d be coming.”
Frozen dinners, “that’s okay Lexie.”
A quiet sigh and a whisper, “I’m Kara.”
Wayne sighed, Kara was a health nut, flat out refused to eat frozen meals since she was ten... or so he thought. He wondered how much of his daughters lives he was missing out on. For Petes sake, they were fifteen (and he really hoped he at least remembered their age) and he still couldn’t tell them apart no more than he could when his ex-wife Selma would put them into matching outfits when they were children. “Sorry kiddo.”
“It’s fine.” She shut her laptop and opened her mouth to speak but shut it again gazing down at the table. She stood and grabbed the computer, “I’m going upstairs to finish my homework.” And before he could say anything she was gone.
He let out a sigh, “good job Wayne.”
****
Gavin felt bad about leaving New York while Lilianna was in a bad condition, the Mafia was being attacked, and counterattacking the Valentino family but he needed a vacation like he needed air. His mother hadn’t come back. Hadn’t called, hadn’t answered when he tried calling her cell. Allison Burke hadn’t been heard from until his father had received divorce papers.
When Linden invited him, at first he said he’d think about it, but his father insisted he go, and frankly, he felt he needed it too. Besides, hanging out with the boys. Linden, Riley, Pierre, Darren, and Brian, it felt like the good ol’ days. Linden, Pierre and Riley had all decided to do one more run for the night while, Darren, Brian and himself had decided to warm up in the lodge and see if they could pick up some ‘ski-bunnies.’
Instead, the lodge was nearly empty except for an older man and woman sitting in the corner, sipping hot coco. “It’s only Thursday, Friday thru Sunday are the busier days,” Darren said when he seen there were no girls to pick up. “Damn I could go for some coffee,” he said ripping off his mittens and shoving them in the pockets of his bright red ski jacket.
“Couldn’t agree with you more,” Brian agreed unzipping his silver jacket, “lets ditch this gear in the room and come back for some.” They stood in the doorway taking off their jackets, mittens, earmuffs, snow pants and then putting their boots back on their feet, hanging it all up inside the chalet. They headed over to the counter and Gavin picked up the tab for their three coffees.
They took over the section of couches and chairs near the fire and sank into the overly plush furniture. “I never... ever want to move again,” Darren said with a dreamy look upon his face as he leaned back against the chair he was in.
A cell phone went off and Brian grabbed his, “it’s my mom,” he groaned standing up. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He took his coffee and went into another part of the lodge as he spoke to her.
“She hasn’t adjusted to being paralysed very well,” Darren said quietly to Gavin, “worries all the time that one of those Mafia dickheads is going to come after him to get to her.”
Gavin felt his jaw clench and had to consciously keep from saying some smart ass (or in the situation, perhaps dumb ass) comment. Knowing those members of the Mafia now... it gave him a different perspective. His father being involved... a totally different perspective. He shuddered a bit, but it could be passed off as the cold. “It would be difficult, I couldn’t imagine it.” Gavin said finding it strange that his voice gave away no hint of anything being wrong.
“Here, here,” he lifted his mug. “Still, Brian came here to get away from... home, told you guys we should have left the cells with the women.”
Gavin rolled his eyes, but seen the chance to switch subjects. “What’s with you and Lex?”
“Nothing, I... I got bored, I dumped her,” he said quickly.
Gavin stared at him for a long moment. “You already have someone else.”
“Naw man.”
“Bullshit, I know you.” Gavin responded quickly, “you wouldn’t just ‘get bored and dump’ Lex, she’s been our friend since pre-K.”
Darren sighed, “there is no one.”
Gavin rolled his eyes but Brian came back and flopped back into his seat effectively cutting off the conversation. “My mother is going to talk me to death, I sware it.”
The rest of the boys came over after their final run, coffee’s in hand their cheeks and noses still bright pink from the cold. “October’s going to talk me to death,” Riley responded holding up his Blackberry, “Twenty five new messages, all from her.”
“If she keeps it up, you’ll have two hundred by the time we get back.” Pierre laughed.
“Oh awesome,” Riley responded, “what about you Linden? Your girl being a general pain in the ass?”
Linden pulled out his phone, “not a single message. Maybe you’re just with a neurotic chick who can’t stand the though of you having a weekend with the boys.”
“Please, we don’t even have strippers, why do girls do this?” They laughed and Gavin felt himself remembering why it was good to just go and hang out with the boys for a while.
Blaire waited for her brother Adam outside the school. Cool wind blew her hair into her face as snow gently begun to flutter down from the puffy grey clouds. She glared up at them, like they had personally offended her. She huffed out a breath of air that froze in the air like fog before it dissipated. She disliked winter, the cold weather, and the fact that Linden loved all those winter sports. He and his friends; Brian Wetherill, Darren McCauley, Gavin Burke, Riley Rosenburg, and his little brother Pierre had all gone downhill skiing somewhere in Ontario. He had invited her, but she knew it was a formality, none of the others were bringing girl friends, it was a boys weekend, and she knew he’d stay in the lodge to keep her company, and that would ruin his trip. It was better this way, she told herself.
“He’s late,” Faith announced coming out of the school wrapped up in a pink and white Burburry coat. She rubbed her hands hidden in pink knitted mittens for warmth as she stood atop the steps looking down at her little sister.
Blaire looked over her shoulder and gave Faith a shrug, “he did say he had something to do with Ceasario first.”
Faith climbed down the stairs, her brown leather boots clicking till she stopped beside Blaire. “I wonder what...”
Blaire gave a casual shrug, “said Antonio had sent them out together for something.”
“Well that is inconveniently vague. He could have just said, can’t get you guys, grab a cab.” Faith shifted from side to side quickly, her trim hips dancing as she tried to keep warm.
Blair looked to her sister oddly and grinned, “what you got to pee?”
Faith stopped and glared, but it’s effects were weakened by the little grin that had grown on her face. “Yeah, actually now that you mention it.” Blaire tossed her head back as she laughed, her dark locks flipping back with the sudden movement. The eldest Walker sister smiled and ruffled Blaire’s hair, “I’ve missed you.”
“I didn’t go anywhere,” Blaire protested.
“Sometimes we don’t have to go anywhere to be missed.” Faith returned pulling out her zip up binder from her knapsack and setting it on the stairs before flopping down on top of it. “Might as well sit.” Blaire shrugged and sat down when Faith put her second binder down for her. They sat quietly for a few minutes, each thinking private thoughts, watching the snow fall and melt as it hit the ground. “Hows Lilianna?”
“Walking around,” Blaire returned, it had been weeks since they had taken her off the machines, but since she had gotten a bit of an infection they had to keep her a little longer. “Preston pretty much has been living there for the past few weeks.”
“So has dad,” Faith responded. Their father, Charlie had pretty much taken over the night shifts, while Preston took the days. Neither spoke again for a while. A comfortable silence between sisters. Blaire rubbed her bare hands together, the tips bright pink. She made a fist and found it difficult, her hands frozen. “Where are your mittens?”
“Attached to the jacket I had when I was four,” Blaire responded and received a shoulder bump from her sister. They laughed as they waited.
****
“Hello,” Wayne Reid came in the door and seen one of his daughters sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop. Lexie? Kara? He though pitifully, he was their father, but yet he still couldn’t tell them apart.
“Hi dad,” his teenage daughter replied.
He took off his cap and shrugged out of his jacket before he got to work untying his boots. “Hows school been?”
“Good.”
“Getting lots of assignments before the holidays?”
A shrug, “the typical amount.”
He nodded before looking around the kitchen. “Have you eaten?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you have.”
“Uh... one of the frozen dinners from the freezer. I would have put one in for you had I known you’d be coming.”
Frozen dinners, “that’s okay Lexie.”
A quiet sigh and a whisper, “I’m Kara.”
Wayne sighed, Kara was a health nut, flat out refused to eat frozen meals since she was ten... or so he thought. He wondered how much of his daughters lives he was missing out on. For Petes sake, they were fifteen (and he really hoped he at least remembered their age) and he still couldn’t tell them apart no more than he could when his ex-wife Selma would put them into matching outfits when they were children. “Sorry kiddo.”
“It’s fine.” She shut her laptop and opened her mouth to speak but shut it again gazing down at the table. She stood and grabbed the computer, “I’m going upstairs to finish my homework.” And before he could say anything she was gone.
He let out a sigh, “good job Wayne.”
****
Gavin felt bad about leaving New York while Lilianna was in a bad condition, the Mafia was being attacked, and counterattacking the Valentino family but he needed a vacation like he needed air. His mother hadn’t come back. Hadn’t called, hadn’t answered when he tried calling her cell. Allison Burke hadn’t been heard from until his father had received divorce papers.
When Linden invited him, at first he said he’d think about it, but his father insisted he go, and frankly, he felt he needed it too. Besides, hanging out with the boys. Linden, Riley, Pierre, Darren, and Brian, it felt like the good ol’ days. Linden, Pierre and Riley had all decided to do one more run for the night while, Darren, Brian and himself had decided to warm up in the lodge and see if they could pick up some ‘ski-bunnies.’
Instead, the lodge was nearly empty except for an older man and woman sitting in the corner, sipping hot coco. “It’s only Thursday, Friday thru Sunday are the busier days,” Darren said when he seen there were no girls to pick up. “Damn I could go for some coffee,” he said ripping off his mittens and shoving them in the pockets of his bright red ski jacket.
“Couldn’t agree with you more,” Brian agreed unzipping his silver jacket, “lets ditch this gear in the room and come back for some.” They stood in the doorway taking off their jackets, mittens, earmuffs, snow pants and then putting their boots back on their feet, hanging it all up inside the chalet. They headed over to the counter and Gavin picked up the tab for their three coffees.
They took over the section of couches and chairs near the fire and sank into the overly plush furniture. “I never... ever want to move again,” Darren said with a dreamy look upon his face as he leaned back against the chair he was in.
A cell phone went off and Brian grabbed his, “it’s my mom,” he groaned standing up. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He took his coffee and went into another part of the lodge as he spoke to her.
“She hasn’t adjusted to being paralysed very well,” Darren said quietly to Gavin, “worries all the time that one of those Mafia dickheads is going to come after him to get to her.”
Gavin felt his jaw clench and had to consciously keep from saying some smart ass (or in the situation, perhaps dumb ass) comment. Knowing those members of the Mafia now... it gave him a different perspective. His father being involved... a totally different perspective. He shuddered a bit, but it could be passed off as the cold. “It would be difficult, I couldn’t imagine it.” Gavin said finding it strange that his voice gave away no hint of anything being wrong.
“Here, here,” he lifted his mug. “Still, Brian came here to get away from... home, told you guys we should have left the cells with the women.”
Gavin rolled his eyes, but seen the chance to switch subjects. “What’s with you and Lex?”
“Nothing, I... I got bored, I dumped her,” he said quickly.
Gavin stared at him for a long moment. “You already have someone else.”
“Naw man.”
“Bullshit, I know you.” Gavin responded quickly, “you wouldn’t just ‘get bored and dump’ Lex, she’s been our friend since pre-K.”
Darren sighed, “there is no one.”
Gavin rolled his eyes but Brian came back and flopped back into his seat effectively cutting off the conversation. “My mother is going to talk me to death, I sware it.”
The rest of the boys came over after their final run, coffee’s in hand their cheeks and noses still bright pink from the cold. “October’s going to talk me to death,” Riley responded holding up his Blackberry, “Twenty five new messages, all from her.”
“If she keeps it up, you’ll have two hundred by the time we get back.” Pierre laughed.
“Oh awesome,” Riley responded, “what about you Linden? Your girl being a general pain in the ass?”
Linden pulled out his phone, “not a single message. Maybe you’re just with a neurotic chick who can’t stand the though of you having a weekend with the boys.”
“Please, we don’t even have strippers, why do girls do this?” They laughed and Gavin felt himself remembering why it was good to just go and hang out with the boys for a while.