Page 5 of The Champion
He looked up at me from the floor with a contemplativeexpression. “You’re right...make it anelectric fence, more reliable anyway. It might keep Spencer out too.”
Lane looked up from the cookies he stole off the counter.“I need milk.” A couple pieces of cookie flew out of his mouth onto Jameson’sarm.
Jameson tried to keep his cool but if you knew him, youknew that nearly anything on his skin repulsed him and chewed up cookies crumbswere no different. He calmly set Lane on the ground next to the saturated pileof wet towels, stomped to the bathroom, and closed the door.
“What’s wid him?” Lane asked, his bright blue eyescuriously looking in the direction Jameson had gone.
“He has issues with stuff on his skin.” I explainedwiping the chocolate from his face with one of the towels on the floor.
Lane seemed to contemplate this for a moment beforesmiling. “Dat could come in handy.” I could almost hear the “moohahaha”chanting in his head as he walked into the living room, Cheetos and cookies inhand. It was at that moment that I became aware that Lane was exactly likeSpencer.
I spent the rest of that evening preparing everything fortomorrow with a giddy high. Since he was diagnosed with metastatic braincancer, I knew Charlie, my dad, wasn’t going to be around much longer and Idesperately wanted everyone together.
I also knew it was a horrible idea...but what wasn’t a horrible idea foranyfamily to allbe in the same house at the same time? We may all be completely crazy butfamilies are window nets, as Jameson calls them. They keep you from falling outof the car completely.
On Christmas Eve, our entire family arrived around twoand it took me a good hour to get Jameson to even come down stairs. Before hedid, I found the need to warn the twins, also known as my twin half-brothersfrom hell. There were pretty much the worst children ever and I frequentlyreferred to them as the Lucifer Twins.
“Listen you two,” I grabbed their little cheeks in myhands, squeezing. Two sets of chocolate eyes watched me carefully. “Stay awayfrom Jameson today.” I told them. “I’m only looking out for your safety. Whatthe hell are you?” Lucas was bouncing up and down like he had to pee. “Stopmoving.”
“I need to pee.” He replied reaching between his legs.
“Then pee,” I sighed. This parenting shit was exhausting.“In the bathroom,” I specified when he grinned.
I spent most of the morning with the women of ourfamilies cooking for this meal. When everyone was finally eating, I waspleasantly relieved. I enjoyed cooking with the girls as it was a nice change.
I don’t cook with Jameson any longer. Why?
Because it was easier to do it myself. Just simple taskslike making a sandwich are so in depth. He will start out by saying. “Where’sthe bread?” Then he moves on to, “Where’s the peanut butter?” “And the jelly?”“How much peanut butter do you use?” “How much jelly?” “Do you put peanutbutter on both sides?” “Do you cut it in half?” “Wait, do you toast the breadfirst?”
Do you see what I mean? It’s exhausting.
Who knew making a peanut butter sandwich was a ten-stepprocess.
When everyone sat down to eat, I felt like a load hadbeen lifted from my shoulders, or maybe it was that I wasn’t on my feet with myballoon belly sticking out.
Kyle, Jameson’s crew chief, and his girlfriend Elle, whoin not so many words called me fat earlier today, came over. Justin and Tylershowed up as well with their girlfriends, who seemed nice enough and did notcall me fat. They said I was glowing and beautiful and I wanted to kiss thembut didn’t. I enjoyed Justin’s girlfriend, Ami, and enjoyed talking pregnancywith her for a while as she just found out she was expecting on Thanksgiving.
Van, our body guard, came over, which made me happy. Ifelt like he was part of our family now and I wanted him to know he was. Sincethe incident with Darrin last fall, Van wasn’t more than a mile away from us atall times—it was reassuring.
Even though I was a little nervous about tonight, I lovedhaving everyone together. I couldn’t remember the last time our entire familyand friends were together, under the same roof—aside from the wedding. Any timeyou had family together it could be a good evening or averybad eveningwhere someone either got hurt, or the cops are called. I wouldn’t rule eitherone out just yet—it was still early.
After collecting more food, I sat back down besideSpencer. On the other side was Jameson with Logan across from me.
“What did you say, Spencer?” Nancy asked, her eyesglancing around the table apprehensively.
I had no idea what they were talking about.
“I told him to suck my dick. I wasn’t helping him.”Spencer replied. “It was a dumb idea from the start—he had no idea what he wastalking about.”
Nancy gasped in horror and covered Lane’s ears as he wassilently building his mashed potato volcano, his brow creased withdetermination.
“I didn’t mom. I didn’t do it.” Jameson told her indefense holding his arms in the air as if in capitulation. She looked somewhatrelieved. “I told him to fuck off.” he finished.
There was another gasp from Nancy as she, once again,covered Lane’s ears. He must have heard though because his next move washolding out his hand to Jameson who handed over another dollar bill withoutthinking.
Spencer replied with something else and nudged myshoulder. I couldn’t understand him. There was so much goddamn food in hismouth, so I just shrugged. He popped another deviled egg in his mouth laughing.
“Well this is a lovely meal, Sway.” Jimi, Jameson’s dad,said with a smirk. “It’s a nice table too.”
