Keeping up with the Joneses

Part Three

SIX YEARS LATER

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Sara spoke into her phone, a maroon flip phone that she had superglued black flowers onto. "Bobby-- I-- No, you know what? You can shove it up your ass. No. Bobby, do you want my help or not? Yeah, that's what I thought. Uh-huh. Right. Okay, Gotta go, bye." She snapped the phone shut, fuming at the way that man spoke to her. She started when she saw Joey standing in the doorway of her room.

"Jo-- Oh, my god, JJ. You scared the crap out of me."

"Who are you telling to shove it up their ass?"

She gaped at him. "Joseph Garfield. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm twelve, you said bad words when you were twelve."

"Excuse me, big man. You are eleven. You still got two big ol' weeks til you're twelve. Besides, how do you know I said bad words when I was twelve? You couldn't even talk."

He shrugged. "Sam."

She put a hand to her forehead, squeezing the bridge of her nose between her thumb and pointer finger. "Dammit, Sammy."

"Who were you talking to, anyways?"

"Uncle Bobby," she paused, looking at her younger brother with a glint in her eye. "Hey, don't you have a project to be working on?"

Joey groaned. "It's just a stupid book report. We didn't even get to pick our books."

"Well, did you read it?"

"...No."

Sara shook her head, walking to her bed and patting it for Joey to sit down. "Okay, bud. What book is it?"

"Lord of the Flies." He looked glumly at Sara, as if it were the most horrible assignment in the world.

"Wait, that one's actually pretty good. Did you even give it a chance?"

"Why would I want to read about some weird fly hierarchy?"

Sara chuckled, looking down at her bedsheets. "I'll tell you what, I'll help you with the report tonight if you promise to at least give the book a try. I really think you'd like it, and I promise it's not about flies."

Joey seemed to weigh his options for a moment, and a grin came to his face. "Deal, but I don't have to start it til after my birthday."

"Yeah, obviously. You can take your time to read it, too. Just as long as I see your nose in that book, you're golden. And you have to promise me fifty pages until you decide you don't like it."

"Okay."

"Okay," she said, punching his arm lightly. "Did you call Aunt Ellen and thank her for your birthday gift yet?"

"No, I need to see what's inside first."

Sara laughed. "Yeah, fair enough. Could you take Juno for a walk for me?" Joey nodded, pushing himself off his sister's bed. She stood and walked behind him. He turned, looking at her questioningly as she followed him into the kitchen of their apartment. "Hey," she finally said. "Be careful. You wearing your necklace?"

Joey rolled his eyes, pulling a pendant out from under his shirt. "Yeah, like always."

"Okay, good. Don't take it off, please. It's really important to me. Dad said it keeps us safe and brings luck, so don't lose it. It was mine and I gave it to you for a reason."

"I know, I know. You really get worked up over the weirdest stuff sometimes, Sar." He grabbed the leash, and Juno the Irish wolfhound came bounding over, tail whipping back and forth.