K. Randis - Spilled Milk

“Who’s house is this again?” I dropped the stereo by the poolside and checked out the bugs floating on the surface of the in-ground pool.

“Uh, my aunts, or something. Kinda complicated, my parents bought it, and they are going to be moving here sometime soon I think.” He plugged the stereo into the speaker system of the garage that was right next to the pool. “But for now, it’s our pool.”

Two of the guys jumped in right away. I grabbed the skimmer. “Brooke this is Mack,” Judd said, pointing to the overweight kid. “And this grimy dirt bag is Chalky.” Judd grabbed Chalky by the shirt and propelled him into the pool.

He sputtered as he came up. “Hey Brooke, nice to meet you. Wanna make out?” He winked at Judd, provoking him.

Judd dove into the water after him and they choked and fought each other for the next two minutes. Soaked, Judd pulled himself onto the ledge of the pool. He reached over and grabbed the vodka bottle and took a gulp. His face twisted. “Ah, anyone else?”

Mack raised his hand and Judd chucked the plastic container across the pool. I decided to take my clothes off before I got thrown in. My shorts and shirt were already damp from the boys jumping in, but I shoved them into my bag and turned around to hurry in.

I stopped. All three boys stared at me, motionless. I looked down. “What?”

Judd said nothing. A slow smile spread across his face.

“Am I missing something?” I checked to make sure the sides of my bikini were tied tight.

Chalky broke the silence. “So hey Brooke, you work out?” Mack doubled over in laughter as Judd raced after Chalky in another attempt to drown him.

I skimmed my hands across the top of the water as I sat on the steps. The guys talked about their four wheelers and girls they planned to go after when school started in a few weeks. Judd winked at me and I splashed him in the face.

“Want?” Judd pushed the vodka into my hand.

“Yooo Paulie baby, took you long enough!” Mack called out. A boy I wasn’t familiar with rounded the corner of the garage and made his way down to the pool.

Judd glanced over. “Brooke, this is Paul.”

Paul nodded his head in the direction of the guys and set his bag down. “Wasn’t planning on a nature walk before I went swimming. How many fields did I just walk through to get here?”

I laughed, too eagerly. He was taller than Judd, but still around the same age as us. He cruised over to the edge of the pool planning his entry. He refused to look at me but acknowledged the guys one by one with a slight head nod and a derogatory comment.

I tried not to stare at his face and traced its shape up to his golden hairline. My face betrayed me as I blushed, and I lowered my eyes to the vodka bottle in my hand. I pretended to be interested in the name on the bottle; Absolute. I entertained myself with coming up with words that rhymed with the liquor name. Cowboy boot, expensive suit, that boy is cute…

“You gonna share or should I have brought my own?”

His voice was velvet. When I looked up it caught me off guard that Paul had his shirt off and was standing right next to me. His cologne swayed over me as he crouched down to be level with my eyes.

“Well?” he asked, opening his palm. I couldn’t look away. I didn’t want to. He had no acne, no visible scars or uni-brows. Even his teeth were straight and pearly. Deep, green eyes pulled me in, begged me to keep looking.

“All yours.” I held the bottle out by the neck. His hand wrapped around mine to take it, and he paused. My hand and heart smoldered and my lips parted into an unwelcomed grin.

His eyes moved over my face, down my neck. A smile spread across his face as he raised his eyebrows and stood up. “All mine, huh?”

My heart took off like a bullet. Paul walked away and I slid into the water for a distraction. I couldn’t look away and I had a hard time following conversation. The few times I caught Paul looking in my direction I turned my head the other way to pretend I didn’t see. It was agonizing.

Judd walked me back to his house while the guys swam. “Why do you have to leave so early?” He tried to cover the disappointment in his voice.

“Mom had surgery yesterday. Remember the foot surgery I told you about? She’s gonna be there a week maybe. I just need to be home, you know, take care of things.”

“Stay.” Judd turned to me. “Take care of me instead.” His voice implied he was joking but there was seriousness in his face when I looked at him.

“Yea, you need taking care of all right,” I said. “Besides, you have your buddies to entertain. I’ll probably see you tomorrow, okay?”

When I got home I started dinner right away even thought it was only four o’clock. I knew Dad wouldn’t be home from the hospital until at least eight. I boiled water for macaroni and pulled hot dogs out of the freezer. Adam watched Kat and Thomas all afternoon so after everyone ate, I scrubbed the kitchen down and put a movie on so I could catch up on some of the summer reading I had. I curled up on the sofa with Thomas and Kat while Adam clicked away at the computer in the kitchen.

Kat and Thomas were upstairs when the front door flung open and Dad barged in. The noise startled me and my book crashed to the floor as I jumped up to see what was going on. Dad stormed into the kitchen and he chucked his things down on the counter. Adam was right in his path.

The attack was immediate. “What are you still doing on the computer? There are TWO cups in the sink and you’re sitting on the computer like there is nothing to do? You need a special invitation to keep this place clean? Huh? DO YOU?”

Adam was fast but not fast enough as Dad approached him and overturned the chair he was sitting on. My throat tightened.

“Get moving! Get this place picked up now!” The chair was airborne and sailed across the room hitting Adam square in the chest. He sank to the ground hitting his head against the wall and a faint blood streak followed him down.

“Dad! Stop!” I rushed to Adam’s side and pulled the chair off of him.

“Stop? You want me to stop? I haven’t even started.” He picked up a cup from the sink. “What the hell is a dirty cup doing in my sink? I work all day, have to sit at the hospital all night and this is the crap I come home to?”

The cup whirled past my head and exploded on the wall behind me. Glass shards propelled everywhere. Adam and I scattered to our feet and headed toward the stairs, Dad bellowing behind us.

“Get back here, and clean up this mess. GET BACK HERE!”

I slipped on the stairs and frantically grabbed at the banister to help me up. Adam clutched his chest where the chair had hit him. I prayed Kat and Thomas were hiding in their closets like I taught them.

Heavy footsteps chased me. I rushed inside my room and fumbled to lock the door. Dad was seconds behind me, and I scanned the room for Kat. She was nowhere to be seen. Good girl.

My bedroom door busted open with one blow and I screamed as I covered my face. When I dropped my hands he was inches from my nose.

“You think you can lock this door on me? HUH? You think you can keep me out? This is MY house, MY house.” He shoved me against the wall.

I glanced over his shoulder and saw Adam shoving Thomas down the hallway into his bedroom. Keep him safe, Adam.

Dad turned away and grabbed the bedroom door with both hands and pulled the door off the hinges. Adrenaline screamed at me to run but I gripped my hands at my side and tried to plan an escape.

“Go ahead and try to lock the door now. Now you need to get your ass downstairs, and clean up that mess. Do you hear me? DO YOU HEAR ME?”

Standing my ground, I uncontrollably flinched and nodded. I had to redirect this, Adam and Thomas hid down the hall. He’d be after them next.