Moose and Goose

Chapter Thirty-nine

"I can't believe you would do something so damn stupid," Rembrandt yells at Judith and Stevie. They're sitting side by side on the couch with him behind the television and Sheryl near him, her arms crossed. "What if you were killed, huh? This boy is only thirteen, and you're dragging him outside at this dangerous time of year. Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

Why would he do that? Why would she do that?

"I wanted to go," he defends her. Vera slowly descends the stairs with a mood ring on her left hand's index and a rock in her hands.

Were they always together? No, there's no way. She seemed to hate him. Wait – that could've been a coverup, but – why?

"And that's supposed to be a good thing," Sheryl chimes in, her voice piercing her uncle's ears. Vera carries it in front of his line of sight with a menacing smile across her face. She's wearing jean shorts, a grey and black flannel shirt, and white tube socks. "Stevie, I'm almost more disappointed in you. I told you you're on punishment, yet you left this house with your sister and risked getting yourself killed. For what reason?"

Oh, my God — did Jerome know?

He looks at Judith, who's staring silently at her knees. Nothing can be said to make her feel any worse than she already does, but only he can see the pain in her eyes; despite not knowing why it's there.

If he knew, then all of his friends did, but what if – no, there's no way the whole campus found out. I'm not that well-known.

"Look what Momma got me," Vera blurts out, stealing everyone's attention. Stevie's eyes widen when he sees the grey and red rock, and he jumps to his feet.

"Ma," Stevie practically screams. Rembrandt huffs in annoyance and Sheryl rolls her eyes. "You bought her a Pet Rock? I asked for one last month, and you said no."

"I only got it for her because her soap bar was thrown out," she explains. Vera shifts her head to look at her, her ponytail flipping behind her. "Go back to the room and don't come back out unless you want that ring, your rock, and your raggedy Anne doll thrown in the trash."

The twins glare at each other as she makes her way back up the stairs, and when he's unable to follow her with his eyes, he returns to his seat.

"Now, back to you two." Sheryl looks at her son and asks, "Stevie, why'd you leave?"

"Answer your mother," he orders him when he falls silent. His raised voice and choice of words grab Judy's attention. She clinches her hands into fists, then looks at her younger brother. She notices the glossiness in his eyes and realizes that he's about to cry.

"He left because I made him." They look at Judith when she covers for him. "What was I supposed to do? Leave him alone while I go to Darlington?"

"You weren't supposed to go anywhere," Sheryl reminds her. "I'm beyond disappointed in you, how childish you've become, and for what? To impress your brother, or the boy — no — man up the street?"

"Man? You mean Jerome," she asks with the skin above her nose bridge creased.

"He's a man, right?" Her question leaves Judith sitting with her mouth agape, and her eyes narrowed. "Whatever. My point still stands. Your doctor has to put you on dialysis because, for whatever reason, you decided to misuse my bottle of Ipecac and mess up your kidneys."

She speaks with her hands, and her tone is exaggerated. Stevie looks at Judy, disappointed, and she looks at him, ashamed. He jumps to his feet and runs upstairs to his room.

Fuck!

Judith bites her lower lip and bobs her head as if she swore aloud. She takes a deep breath and meets her mother's gaze, and Rembrandt shifts his eyes between the two, shaking his head.