Chapter Eighteen - Strangetown
Content warning: This story contains mature themes and is not suitable for minors. For this chapter, swearing and adult references.
73 Road to Nowhere, Strangetown
Lola was quickly losing patience with Erin’s emotional display. She placed a glass of water in front of her housemate. “Just take a deep breath and drink some water okay,” Lola said tightly.
It seemed as if Erin’s sobs only got louder, much to everyone’s chagrin. Lola took a deep breath herself and focused on reminding herself that getting angry at Erin’s hysterics wouldn’t help the situation.
Chloe on the other hand had no such qualms, “What are you snivelling about anyway? It wasn’t your brother who was murdered.”
“Chloe,” Lola warned, but it was too late, Erin only began crying harder.
Chloe wasn’t deterred, “burying him under concrete was a nice touch. Does your family have mob connections by any chance?” she sneered.
Lola turned to her sister, “that’s enough. You’re not helping. Erin didn’t have anything to do with it, and taking it out on her isn’t fair.”
Chloe took an angry intake of breath, it might not be fair but it certainly made her feel better having somewhere to direct her rage. “Fine,” she snapped, before turning to Kristen, “Since I’m sure Erin will be moving into the house of horrors on the hill, I guess you’ll finally have a room to yourself.”
Kristen had returned from work to discover that Erin’s brother had been charged with the murder of Lola and Chloe’s missing brother. After reading the newspaper article Chloe had shoved under her nose on her arrival, Kristen couldn’t help being glad she worked in family law.
But needless to say, aside from being suitably awkward, she’d felt it was the wrong time to announce her engagement, let alone that she was moving out. “I was going to bring it up later, but actually, Amar proposed, so, I’m going to be moving out. I’m sorry, talk about bad timing,” she apologised.
“Oh Kristen, don’t be silly, that’s wonderful news,” Lola said kindly.
Chloe meanwhile looked uninterested, more annoyed that her dig at Erin’s family’s creepy house was ignored.
“Thank you,” Kristen said quietly, “but again, I’m sorry to tell you now when so much else is going on.”
Lola tried to smile, but it was difficult considering the upheaval of the day, “don’t apologise. I’m really happy for you and we will celebrate, just, at a better time. Right now Chloe and I are going to head up to our brother’s place,” she said forlornly.
By the time Chloe slammed the front door, Erin’s tears had finally lessened to little more than the occasional sniffle. “Oh god, I’m so selfish,” she hiccupped, “how could I sit here and cry like that after what they’ve been though?”
“The news must have been a terrible shock, as much for them as for you,” Kristen said gently.
“I just can’t believe my brother did something so horrible. I mean, sure, he’s always had a temper, but I could have never thought he could do something like this. And Circe, his wife, is pregnant, but she’s been arrested too. I didn’t even know Loki was having a baby! But if she goes to prison, what happens to the baby? I just have no idea what’s going to happen,” she confessed with a whimper.
“Do you want me to answer as a friend or a lawyer,” Kristen asked honestly.
“A lawyer would be more helpful I guess,” Erin replied quietly.
“I don’t work in criminal law but if she’s found guilty of being an accessory to murder or even perverting the course of justice, she will serve time,” Kristen told her evenly. “While some correctional facilities have programs which allow mothers and their children to stay together in the child’s infancy, I’m not aware of any in our jurisdiction. This means custody is either awarded to a close relative, or the child is put into state care which may mean being put up for adoption.”
Erin was silent for a long moment as she tried to process the information prompting Kristen to ask if she was okay.
“Yeah,” Erin replied shakily, “I just, that’s me. Of course I don’t want my niece or nephew being put into care, but, I’m just not sure if I ready to look after a baby. And what if it grows up to be like its parents? Oh god, that’s a really awful thing to say isn’t it,” Erin asked guiltily.
“Okay, I’m answering as a friend now,” Kristen told her sincerely. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be concerned, but I also know people are who they are because of nature and nurture. You’re a good person Erin and I have absolutely no doubt you could raise their child to be a good person too.”
For the first time since the dreadful news broke Erin felt hope, “you really think so?”
“I’m sure of it,” Kristen assured her.
2 Cover Up Road, Strangetown
One very long week later, a funeral was held for Vidcund. By the early hours of the evening the house had quietened as the final mourners, work colleagues mostly, had left.
Lola knew she should be grieving, but she honestly felt too exhausted. Watching Pascal as he appeared to struggle to keep his attention on the conversation, she suspected he felt the same way.
Stifling a yawn she headed into the kitchen and asked who would like coffee. Chloe loudly proclaimed that she was perfectly happy with her wine although Pascal gratefully accepted her offer.
“Thanks Lola, but I have to get going,” Ripp apologised, rising from his seat. Although Ripp hadn’t known Vidcund well, or at all really, he had wanted to show that he cared like Johnny’s family had for him over the years.
He would have preferred to stay, even if it was a wake, but his father had demanded he be home as they were having some ‘family dinner’ before Tank went to college. While Ripp was more than happy to celebrate Tank leaving, he didn’t see why they had to put on some pretence of being a functional family to do so. The people in this room were more of a family than his would ever be.
“Are you alright to get home?” Lola asked kindly, “Ajay can give you a lift.”
“Thanks, but it’s fine,” Ripp assured her. He didn’t want to be a burden and it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to walking. His father rarely drove him anywhere, apparently believing that by leaving his son stranded it would promote ‘self-sufficiency’. This hadn’t changed despite their house being relocated to the new military base further from town.
“I don’t suppose you know if Crystal would like a coffee?” Lola asked Lazlo. Lazlo’s girlfriend had excused herself to take a phone call some forty minutes ago.
“Isn’t it rude that she’s been on the phone for so long?” Nervous asked curiously. He was trying hard to learn what Pascal called social etiquette.
Not wanting to upset Lazlo, Pascal turned to his friend and told him they’d discuss it later.
“No, let’s discuss it now,” Chloe exclaimed, fuelled by several glasses of red. “That’s a very good question Nervous and the answer is yes, it is extremely rude.”
Lazlo knew he should defend Crystal, but truthfully, he had come to realise this was usual for her some time ago. He had known this moment was coming but had thought he might have been able to get through his brother’s funeral first. With a deep sigh he turned to Ripp and told him he’d walk him out.
It was still at least five minutes after Lazlo said goodbye to Ripp that Crystal finished on the phone. “I’m sorry that took so long,” she apologised.
“I guess it must have just been important,” Lazlo said flatly. He had lost count how many times he had been left alone in restaurants or at her place while she answered what were ‘important’ phone calls.
The phone call had been important for Crystal. She had just found out she had been accepted as an intern with a prestigious plastic surgeon in the city. She was beyond thrilled, but reminded herself that tonight was about Lazlo not her, “I can tell you about it later, we should go back inside with your family.”
“No, we should have been inside with my family half an hour ago. What could be more important than being with my family and I after we buried my brother?” he asked quietly.
Crystal took a sharp intake of breath, “I never said it was more important.”
“But you did by being out here on the phone instead of inside. Don’t you see that?”
“It was about the internship Lazlo, you know how important my work is to me,” she argued. “And just because working comes first for me, it doesn’t make a villain.”
“No,” he agreed, “it just means we want different things.”
Crystal put her hand on her hip and huffed, readying herself for an argument when she realised she didn’t have one. He was right, they did want different things. She knew exactly where she wanted her career to be and knew what she was willing to sacrifice to achieve it. And no matter how much they tip toed around it, when it came down to it, what she was willing to sacrifice, Lazlo wasn’t.
“So is that it,” she asked softly, “are we done?”
Lazlo couldn’t look at her, if he looked at her, he might forget why they were incompatible. He’d see how beautiful she was and remind himself how bloody lucky he’d been in the first place that she’d even noticed he’d existed. He’d rationalise her behaviour, once again, and forget her complete inability to compromise.
“I guess so,” he said sadly.
Lazlo offered to make excuses to his family for her early departure and she gratefully accepted.
She reminded him that she had a couple of his DVD’s and a jacket of his at her place. He told her he would come around in the next day or two and collect them. And that he would leave his key to her place on her kitchen table.
Lazlo felt oddly emotionless as he watched Crystal leave. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t cared for her, he had, deeply. But he also knew they had never, and would never, have been equals in their relationship. He had been so in awe of her, not just her beauty, but her intelligence and determination. His idolisation of her had been why it had taken him so long time to see just how much he had compromised what he wanted for her.
He knew he had made the right decision, he just hoped that soon he would feel it too.
11 Military Drive, Strangetown
It was just past eight by the time Ripp made it home. He was surprised to see the General and Tank sitting on the couch watching sports, what happened to the dinner he had been ordered to be home for?
“Ripp,” his father greeted him coolly.
Ripp couldn’t help the uncomfortable feeling that settled in his stomach, “so, uh, what happened to dinner?” he asked cautiously.
“You know very well this family has dinner no later than 19:30 hours,” his father said curtly.
Ripp considered arguing that he wasn’t that late, but decided it wasn’t worth it. Not to mention he was seriously distracted by the fact his brother had the exact same expression the General did, a face that showed it was expecting only disappointment.
An moment of silence passed before Buzz addressed him, “So where were you instead of fulfilling your obligations here?”
“A funeral,” Ripp shot back, irritated as usual with his father’s accusatory tone.
“Whose?” the General asked immediately.
“Vidcund Curious, not that you’d give a shit.” As far as Ripp was concerned, his father had demonstrated more than once that he had nothing but hatred for the Smith and Curious families, despite the fact they had never done anything to him.
Setting his beer down on the floor, Buzz marched towards his son, “Oh I give a shit. I give a shit because you were with those alien loving freaks when you were supposed to be here with your family!”
“This isn’t a family,” Ripp yelled, “it’s a fucking boot camp! We haven’t been a family since Mum left.”
“Don’t you dare,” Buzz warned.
But Ripp didn’t stop, “in fact, the real reason you’re pissed off is because you know they’re more of a family than this will ever be!”
“This family is what is it, and if you don’t want to be part of it, leave,” his father snarled.
“Fucking gladly,” Ripp shouted as he stormed upstairs.
Buzz hadn’t even had time to calm himself and sit back down before his son barrelled back down the stairs. Ripp didn’t dare look his father in the eye and instead addressed Tank, “say goodbye to Buck for me.”
“And what exactly do you think you’re doing now?” his father demanded.
Ripp barely paused, “you told me if I didn’t like how things are, that I should leave. So watch me leave.”
Buzz was momentarily stunned by his son’s audacity, he had always considered his middle son to be the weakest. Nether the less, it was still Buzz’s responsibility to maintain order. “If you walk out that door, don’t even think of coming back,” Buzz warned.
Ripp didn’t respond, he just walked out the door and into the night.
73 Road to Nowhere, Strangetown
Lola had been more than a little surprised to return home to find Ripp waiting on their front porch. She was about to ask if he was alright before she remembered that he and her sister had a thing. She didn’t exactly approve, but at the end of the day they were both consenting adults.
“Ripp, if you’re here to see Chloe, I’m sorry. She must have forgot, she decided to go out,” she told him awkwardly. Chloe, in what seemed a determined effort to drink herself into forgetting her grief, had decided to head Downtown.
Ripp liked Chloe, hell, he really liked Chloe, but he knew she wasn’t the one he needed to ask. “I kind of have a favour to ask,” he mumbled.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
Ripp sighed before looking up to Lola, “I got in a fight with my father and I left home. Can I crash here for a few days?” He knew he could have told her that the fight was about him attending Vidcund’s funeral but he didn’t, he didn’t want her to let him stay only because she felt guilty.
Whatever sort of relationship Chloe may have had with the young man, Lola could only see him as a boy desperate for care. She sighed and nodded her head, opening the door and letting Ripp in.
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I just wanted to quickly thank the people who left comments for me at allthingsimlish, they made my day :D