No Good For You

XIV

*tw: r-slur*

The next morning I got dressed and ready before breakfast so we could leave right after.

The men were already downstairs.

"Good morning." I greeted.
Silence.

I slapped all of them in the back of their heads.

"I said good morning." I repeated.
"Good morning." they mumbled together as they rubbed their heads.

I know they don't like what's happening today but it wasn't an excuse to be a dick.

I grabbed a muffin and leaned against the counter.

They all just stood around finishing their food.

"Let's go." B instructed after he finished his coffee.
We followed after him out of the door.

____________________________________

The entire ride was quiet.
I sit next to Psycho in the backseat when we take one vehicle and his leg was bouncing as he looked out of the window the whole time.

There wasn't a rule given.
A joke made.
A story told.
Nobody said anything for an entire hour and a half.

Then we arrived.

Zachariah's house was large. Not bigger than ours, but big nonetheless. It was still a mansion. He had multiple black vehicles parked in the front semicircle he called a driveway.
All we could hear when we got out was the fountain and the sound of the doors closing to the car. There weren't even any birds chirping.

We headed towards the front door.

I knocked as the boys stood behind me.

The door creaked open.

"Hi, Meredith!" I greeted. Meredith was the maid of Zachariah's house.
"Hello, Leila, dear. Hi, my sweet boys." she said with a smile.

'Sweet?'

They nodded as a response and we stepped inside.

The three stayed behind me. This was the only time they ever wanted me to walk into a building first.

"Leila!" I heard coming down the steps.

I looked and saw Zachariah.

Zachariah was where his son's got their looks from (assuming it wasn't their mother, who I've never meant or even seen before). He was tall, of large stature, with an amazing bone structure. He was built like he would have played football if he actually went to school. Large strong hands and broad shoulders. His hair had turned almost completely grey with only a few brown streaks. His beard was the same way.

"Hi, Zachariah!" I said happily.
He came down and we walked towards one another with our arms out.
"Hey, princess. How've you been?" he asked and hugged me tightly with a kiss to my head.
"I'm okay, how are you?"
"Doin' just fine. These assholes haven't been botherin' you, have they?" He looked me in my eyes and held onto my arms.
"No, sir. They've done a great job at keeping me safe and happy."
"That's good, that's good."

He looked at them now and let me go.
I watched as their backs straightened.

They stood side by side.
Zachariah walked in front of them to examine.

"B." he called.

Zachariah only calls Riot and B by their nicknames when I'm around. I've always wondered when I'd get to find out their actual names.

"Yes, sir?" B answered.
"Look a little tired around the eyes, boy. I'm workin' you too hard?"
"No, sir."
They never look him in his eyes when they speak to Zachariah.
"You can tell me if you can't handle it. You and the homeless motherfucker on the corner of 53rd and Plymouth can switch places if that's the case." Zachariah offered.
"No, sir. I'm fine." B responded.
"Alright."

He kept walking and got to Riot.
I watched his hand swing and Riot's body tensed as his father slapped the toothpick out of his mouth.
"Show some respect in my house, bitch."
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry." Riot replied.
Zachariah shook his head. "There's always somethin' about you that pisses me off."

That sentence made me sad. Why would he say that to him?

He walked over to Psycho.

Psycho looked at the floor instead of straight ahead like his brothers. He was shaking.
"HEY!" Zachariah shouted and gave Psycho's cheek a soft slap as if to wake him up.
Psycho picked his head up and looked straight ahead.
"You was supposed to grow out of doin' that gay shit to your head." Zachariah said referring to the dye.
Psycho was still shaking.
"Fuck is wrong with you?" Zachariah asked in disturbance.

"He uhh...He has tremors. Sir." B answered.
"The fuck is that?!" Zach wondered as he continued observing Psycho and his quivering.
"He twitches involuntarily sometimes."
"The boy's fuckin' retarded?"
"Um...No, sir. He has conversion disorder."

"He ain't have that shit the first few times he was here."
Yes, he did. They sent Psycho's diagnosis in the mail to Zachariah.

"Stand still, boy." Zachariah instructed of Psycho.

Psycho kept shaking.

"It...doesn't work that way..." B stated.

"Shut up." Zachariah demanded.

"I said stand still, boy!" he shouted.
I saw it in his face that Psycho was growing frustrated. He was trying to stop but he has zero control over it.

He caught a fist to the side of his face.

"STAND STILL!"
Psycho continued to try and fail.

Zachariah hit him again. And I just stood there frozen in shock.
This isn't...I've never seen this. I've never seen him do this. I couldn't even wrap my head around it. I've never seen this.

"HE CAN'T!" Riot shouted. "HE HAS NO CONTROL OVER IT! FUCKIN' LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Zachariah looked at Riot and walked back over to him.

"You yellin' at me in my house, boy?" he asked.
"He can't help it...I just ain't want you hittin' him."

I looked at Psycho and he was still shaking as he looked at the floor.

"I don't give a fuck about your wants, bitch. Whose roof are you under?" Zachariah asked.
Riot stayed quiet.
Zachariah pulled his gun out and pressed it into Riot's jaw.

"You don't get to yell at me in my fuckin' house then think you can ignore my questions. You answer me when I speak to you before you lose the brain to do so."
Riot's eyes were closed. "Yours. I'm under your roof."
"That's right." Zachariah tapped the gun on Riot's jaw. "You got a issue with respect, asshole. We need to fix that." He nudged the gun one last time before putting it back into his pants.

He looked back at Psycho.

"Leila, are you hungry?" he turned and asked me.
"Um, no..." Not after what I just witnessed.
"You sure? Meredith made a cake earlier and it's delicious. You should try it." He walked off to head into his office.
"I think I'm fine for now."
"Well you just tell me when you want a piece and I'll get 'em to cut you one."

My eyes were on his sons.

I watched Riot aggressively grab onto Psycho and pull him in close before kissing his head. B ruffled up his hair.
I felt so bad but I didn't know what to do.

They headed to Zachariah's office to have their meeting and I was told to follow behind this time.