Tore Up (Mississippi Smoke Series Book 1)
Tore Up: Chapter 16

Ten Years Old

Standing in the corner of the living room with the basket of clean laundry Iris had given me to fold and put away, I watched Nick and Carina. He had been away for seven days, working on a shrimping boat down on the Gulf. The doll he had brought Carina had silky blonde hair, like hers, and she was clutching it to her chest with a bright smile as she sat in his lap. I thought maybe since he’d been gone so long this time that he’d speak to me or ask about my report card, like he had with Carina and Ares.

Carina’s eyes met mine over his shoulder, and she beamed at me, waving her doll for me to see. I nodded and did my best to smile back. I’d never had a doll like that one. Iris had bought me one at a yard sale once, but its hair had been cut in an odd way, and its face had some marker on it. I didn’t play with dolls anymore anyway.

I tried to think of good things. School would be out soon, and Iris would let us play in the sprinkler in the backyard. She would also buy those Popsicles that we pushed up. I had made all As on my report card, and my teacher had written a note and sent me home with it, saying I was the best reader in the class. She’d also said I was excelling in everything and that she had enjoyed having me this year. Ares had teased me about being a teacher’s pet, but he was just jealous because he’d barely passed most of his classes.

“Stop daydreaming, Halo, and get that laundry put away. The dishwasher is still broken, and I need these dishes washed so I can get to cooking supper without a mess in here,” Iris called, taking the cigarette in her mouth out, then putting it in the ashtray.

“I’ll do the dishes,” Ares said, walking out of his bedroom and shooting a glare at Nick holding Carina.

“That’s a woman’s job,” Nick told him.

Ares ignored him and kept walking toward the kitchen.

“Ain’t no such thing,” Iris told Nick. “Least he helps out around here.”

“You said you’d help me with my puzzle, Ares,” Carina wailed, wiggling out of Nick’s lap and running after him.

“I will after I do the dishes,” he told her grudgingly.

She threw herself on the floor, getting ready to kick and scream, which was typical when she didn’t get her way.

“I’m almost done here,” I called out. “Go help her with the puzzle. I will do the dishes.”

Ares paused and looked in my direction. “No. I don’t care if she screams her ass off.”

“What did I tell you about cussing?!” Iris said to him.

The first loud shriek came from Carina as she began to pound the floor with her small fists and kick.

“Jesus, girl, can you not go any faster than that?” Nick snapped at me. It was his first acknowledgment of my presence since he’d returned.

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry,” I said as I hurried to finish.

The baby woke up from all of Carina’s noise, and its cries joined hers.

“For fuck’s sake,” Nick muttered and walked toward the front door.

Iris came around the corner, carrying Alvin in her arms, and his pinched red face took in everything around him.

“Where are you going?!” she demanded.

“Somewhere without all the fucking noise,” he replied, and then the screen door slammed behind him.

Iris swung her angry glare to me. “This is all your fault! If you’d worked faster, none of this would have happened!”

Tears burned my eyes, but I knew if I cried, she’d take a wooden spoon to my butt. I nodded as I continued to try and match all the socks. Carina had stopped her outburst, but was sitting in the corner, sniffling loudly. Iris never took a spoon to her butt for crying. It was just me that got a spanking if I cried.

I finished the folding and started putting the clothes away while Iris calmed Alvin back down and Carina forgot about her outburst, along with her new doll, which was on the floor. She sat in front of the television, watching a cartoon. Ares glanced up at me with his hands in the soapy water at the sink. In a grade behind me in school, he was younger than I was, but he was three inches taller than me already. I had to use a stool to wash the dishes still.

“Almost done,” he told me with a reassuring smile.

“I’ll finish,” I said.

He shook his head. “No. I will do it. Go read the book you got from the library at school today.”

“You’ve still got your homework to finish,” I argued.

He rolled his eyes. “I’ll get it done. Like I said, almost finished in here. Please, go read your book. I know you want to. You talked about it nonstop on the bus.”

Reaching up, he turned on the water and rinsed the last dish.

“Thanks for helping me.”

He shrugged. “No big deal.”

But it was a big deal. Ares was always doing things like that. Sometimes, it felt like he was the only person in this house who liked me. Once Carina grew out of this baby stage, I was hoping she’d be my friend too.

Turning, I went back to the room I shared with Carina to read my library book.