Fragile Beasts by Tawni O’Dell Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tawni O’Dell
want it.”
She takes it, looks at it, and flicks it away into the street.
“Thanks,” she says, “but I don’t need it. I have tons of new ones.”
“Krystal, honey.” I hear Mom’s voice.
She joins us and Aunt Jen slithers up alongside her. She’s dressed entirely in black: black shoes, black stockings, black dress. She’s got black liner around her eyes and has extra thick black lashes. Her hair’s pulled up in a big messy yellow knot with two black sticks stuck in it. She’s even wearing black nail polish.
“Where’s your brother, Kyle?” Mom asks.
I search the crowd milling around behind us, heading for their cars.
“I don’t know.”
“I need to talk to you boys.”
“Can’t we talk later?”
“We’re not going to the burial. Krystal’s too young to see something like that.”
Mom notices Bill and Klint and calls out to Bill.
He turns her way and she waves at him.
“Bill! Bring Klint over here.”
I wonder if Klint will come. So far his method of choice for dealing with Mom has been staying as far away from her as possible, but he surprises me by heading this way the moment Bill talks to him.
Bill ambles along behind with his rolling limp.
Klint arrives and stands at attention in front of her. When Dad died he fell apart at first because he was blindsided but now that he has it together, nothing will rattle him. Standing here in his dark suit and tie with his black shoes shined to perfection, he looks like he’s the adult who should be telling everyone what to do.
“I’m going back to Arizona in two days,” Mom announces from behind a veil of smoke, “and you boys need to be ready to leave with me.”
“You’re doing this now?” Bill asks.
“I don’t need any shit from you, Bill,” Mom snaps at him.
Klint laughs.
“We’re not going anywhere with you.”
“I told you,” Aunt Jen whispers to my mom.
“I’m your mother. Your father’s gone now, and you’re going to live with me.”
Klint laughs again. I know he’s not much of an actor so he must genuinely find her suggestion funny.
“We don’t have a mother,” he replies, all the humor suddenly draining from his face.
“I told you,” Aunt Jen says again, louder this time.
She puts an arm around Mom’s shoulders sympathetically.
“I told you what he’s done to them.”
The devoted sisters: they only support each other when they’re both fighting against someone else.
“You have to come with me,” Mom repeats. “You have no choice.”
Klint crosses his arms over his chest.
“Why is it so important to you? You didn’t want us before.”
“I did. Your father wouldn’t let me take you.”
He drops his arms and takes a step back from her.
“Your lies won’t work on us.”
He raises his hand and I see it trembling. He jabs a finger in the air at her.
“There’s no way you can make us live with you. We’ll run away. We’ll drop out of school and get jobs and live on our own.”
“You can’t do that. I’ll send the cops after you.”
“Send all the cops you want. Drag me back as many times as you want. I’ll die before I’ll live with you again.”
People have come to a standstill and are gawking at us.
“And so will Kyle. Right Kyle?”
“Huh?”
“We’ll drop out of school,” Klint repeats. “We’ll run away. We’ll die first.”
Everyone looks at me. Bill comes to my rescue.
He clears his throat and shifts his weight on his cane. I know his good shoes have got to be killing his feet.
He shakes his big shaggy head.
“I’m putting a stop to this right now. This is not the time or place to be having this conversation. Come on, boys. We have to get to the cemetery.”
We turn to go.
“Dad was a drunk,” Krystal pipes up in her high-pitched voice.
The hostility and inappropriateness coming from such a little kid makes us all stop and fall silent. Even Mom and Aunt Jen look shocked.
A mix of grief and revulsion passes over Klint’s face like he can’t
She takes it, looks at it, and flicks it away into the street.
“Thanks,” she says, “but I don’t need it. I have tons of new ones.”
“Krystal, honey.” I hear Mom’s voice.
She joins us and Aunt Jen slithers up alongside her. She’s dressed entirely in black: black shoes, black stockings, black dress. She’s got black liner around her eyes and has extra thick black lashes. Her hair’s pulled up in a big messy yellow knot with two black sticks stuck in it. She’s even wearing black nail polish.
“Where’s your brother, Kyle?” Mom asks.
I search the crowd milling around behind us, heading for their cars.
“I don’t know.”
“I need to talk to you boys.”
“Can’t we talk later?”
“We’re not going to the burial. Krystal’s too young to see something like that.”
Mom notices Bill and Klint and calls out to Bill.
He turns her way and she waves at him.
“Bill! Bring Klint over here.”
I wonder if Klint will come. So far his method of choice for dealing with Mom has been staying as far away from her as possible, but he surprises me by heading this way the moment Bill talks to him.
Bill ambles along behind with his rolling limp.
Klint arrives and stands at attention in front of her. When Dad died he fell apart at first because he was blindsided but now that he has it together, nothing will rattle him. Standing here in his dark suit and tie with his black shoes shined to perfection, he looks like he’s the adult who should be telling everyone what to do.
“I’m going back to Arizona in two days,” Mom announces from behind a veil of smoke, “and you boys need to be ready to leave with me.”
“You’re doing this now?” Bill asks.
“I don’t need any shit from you, Bill,” Mom snaps at him.
Klint laughs.
“We’re not going anywhere with you.”
“I told you,” Aunt Jen whispers to my mom.
“I’m your mother. Your father’s gone now, and you’re going to live with me.”
Klint laughs again. I know he’s not much of an actor so he must genuinely find her suggestion funny.
“We don’t have a mother,” he replies, all the humor suddenly draining from his face.
“I told you,” Aunt Jen says again, louder this time.
She puts an arm around Mom’s shoulders sympathetically.
“I told you what he’s done to them.”
The devoted sisters: they only support each other when they’re both fighting against someone else.
“You have to come with me,” Mom repeats. “You have no choice.”
Klint crosses his arms over his chest.
“Why is it so important to you? You didn’t want us before.”
“I did. Your father wouldn’t let me take you.”
He drops his arms and takes a step back from her.
“Your lies won’t work on us.”
He raises his hand and I see it trembling. He jabs a finger in the air at her.
“There’s no way you can make us live with you. We’ll run away. We’ll drop out of school and get jobs and live on our own.”
“You can’t do that. I’ll send the cops after you.”
“Send all the cops you want. Drag me back as many times as you want. I’ll die before I’ll live with you again.”
People have come to a standstill and are gawking at us.
“And so will Kyle. Right Kyle?”
“Huh?”
“We’ll drop out of school,” Klint repeats. “We’ll run away. We’ll die first.”
Everyone looks at me. Bill comes to my rescue.
He clears his throat and shifts his weight on his cane. I know his good shoes have got to be killing his feet.
He shakes his big shaggy head.
“I’m putting a stop to this right now. This is not the time or place to be having this conversation. Come on, boys. We have to get to the cemetery.”
We turn to go.
“Dad was a drunk,” Krystal pipes up in her high-pitched voice.
The hostility and inappropriateness coming from such a little kid makes us all stop and fall silent. Even Mom and Aunt Jen look shocked.
A mix of grief and revulsion passes over Klint’s face like he can’t