The Murder Of 1998

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sarah walked passed Ervin's room. She quickly stopped in her tracks and backed up, looking inside her brothers room to see him patting down his button up flannel.

"Wow, got a date?" She asked with a grin spread across her face.

Ervin rolled his eyes and looked through the mirror to see his sister. "Fuck off, Sarah."

Sarah held her hands up in defense. "Wow so angry." She laughed and leaned against the door frame. "Who is it?"

Ervin sighed. He hated it when his little sister got involved in his business. "Her names Penelope, alright?" He looked back in the mirror and unbuttoned the first button of his shirt. He looked more natural and loose. But Sarah thought he looked dorky with his glasses.

Seth came up the stairs with a smile on his face, excited for his son. He walked inside Ervin's room and whistled. "Lookin' nice, tiger!"

Sarah cringed at her dad. "Really dad? You both are dorks. Penelope isn't gonna like that."

"Sarah, why don't you get a boyfriend and then you can talk to me about relationships."

The room fell silent as Sarah just stared at her brother with a frown. Seth could feel the tension between the two siblings as they stared at each other with annoyance.

"Hope something bad happens to you," Sarah mumbled as she stormed out of the room. Seth looked over at Ervin with a disappointing look on his face.

"I expected better from you, Ervin."

"Whatever, she's just a faggot dyke bitch!"

"Don't say that about your sister. Do you not realize how much she's gone through? Being ridiculed for just being herself?"

Ervin rolled his eyes. He didn't care what his dad had to say. All he saw his sister was for her sexuality and nothing else. Just a lesbian.

He looked down at his watch and picked up the rose on his bed. "I gotta go, dad. Lets never talk about this again."

Seth felt like knocking some sense into his son, but he knew violence wasn't the answer. Plus, as much as he hated his sons views, he was still his son no matter what. He let him walk by him with the car keys in one hand and the vibrant red rose in the other.

"Stay safe," Seth whispered as Ervin just ignored him.

-x-

Raymond placed the suitcase down on the floor with a slight grunt. Victoria chuckled lightly as she moved to turn on the lights. Mitchell and Kora ran inside of the house, chasing each other around like they always did.

"Is that too heavy for you?" Victoria joked with Raymond. He scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Of course not. I'm just getting old."

Victoria tilted her head. "Aren't you like twenty–five?" She commented.

Raymond shrugged. "I'm an old soul."

"As if!" Victoria smiled and turned to face Raymond. "Thank you for letting me come over."

Raymond nodded. "Yea, no problem. Anytime." He walked to the kitchen as Victoria followed, making sure not to bump into the two running children. "Want anything?"

"Coffee sounds nice," Victoria said. Raymond nodded and gabbed the coffee beans, starting up the coffee maker.

"So," Raymond started while putting the coffee beans inside, "how's Massachusetts?"