Moose and Goose

Chapter Forty-five

"Stevie, get down here now," Judith shouts from the first floor with Vera beside her in her sleepwear. They listen to the gentle thump of his footsteps approaching, both gazing up the curved staircase.

"What," he yells, and she blinks back from surprise. He stops at the top of the stairs and leans against the railing, wearing flannel pajamas as well.

"First of all, don't raise your voice at me," she scolds him, and he scoffs as he rolls his eyes. "Where's Vera's hamster?"

"Am I my sister's pet's keeper," he sarcastically asks, and Judy sucks in a breath to react to his snide comment, but Vera cuts in.

"I know you took Jackie," Vera hollers at him, and a thick vein appears on the side of her neck. Her hands are balled into fists, and her body is trembling with rage.

"I didn't, but maybe I oughta," Stevie tells her. His twin scrunches her lips and narrows her eyes at him. "You only named that rat Jackie because you know I like Jackie Robinson!"

"Okay, both of you cut it out," Judith tries to calm them, but it's to no avail.

"I did not! I named him after Jackie Jackson, and if you don't hand him over, I'll give you a knuckle sandwich worse than Kenickie did!" When he sniggers at her threat, her face relaxes.

Who's Kenickie?

With a scream that resembles a war cry – startling Judy – she dashes up the steps. He sprints down the hall, and Judy darts her gaze from one to the other.

"Hey," she repeatedly calls for them in panic, hurrying behind her sister. "Stop before I get Dad's belt!"

Vera bolts into Stevie's room with him, slamming the door behind her. Judith's chest crashes against it, and a wave of throbbing and stinging pulsates around her breastplate, but she doesn't stop to attend to it.

"Get away from me," Stevie yells before releasing a blood-curdling scream. Judith takes the knob in her hand and turns it. "Stop!"

"Give him back, or you can kiss your stupid card goodbye!" Judy shoves the door open and stands on the threshold. They whip their heads to her, and she sees them in the middle of his floor.

Vera has a baseball card in her left hand, a pair of lime green scissors in her right, and a stone-cold look etched on her face as if she's done this before.

But Stevie is visibly terrified. His fingers are twitching at his sides as he fights the urge to hit his twin sister, and he's staring at Judy for help.

"Vera, put his card and his scissors down and get over here, now," Judith orders her with a stern voice, but she shakes her head no. She raises her eyebrow at her response.

"I'm sorry, Judy, but I know he took Jackie." Stevie solemnly scoffs. "That hamster is all I have left, and I'm sorry, but I'll cut this thing in pasta shreds."

"Put his card and his scissors down – now," she repeats. "Or I swear to God, Vera, I'll whup you. That hamster is somewhere in this house, I'm sure, and I'll help you find it, but if you don't listen to me, you'll stay in your room until Ma gets back."

She looks at her twin brother, and he extends his hands to her. She looks down at them, then into his dark irises, hesitantly and slowly releasing the scissors and his Jackie Robinson card into each hand.

"Good," Judith encourages her with a gentle sigh. She reaches her right hand out and ushers her closer though Vera's not looking. "Let's try checking in your room."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Vera says as she walks toward her with her face forward. "It smells really bad in there."

She steps past her older sister, who's watching Stevie hug the card to his chest with tears resting on the brims of his eyes.