Joel, Benji and Pixley sat on the bed talking for hours, when there was a knock on the door. Pixley sighed. "Yes?"
Her mom opened the door. "Dinner's ready. You boys staying for dinner?"
Pixley smiled at the twins sitting with her.
"If you want us." Benji smiled.
"Of course she wants you to stay." Pixley smiled at Benji. "Oh, what is it?"
"Spaghetti."
Pixley jumped off the bed and ran for the door. "C'mon. My mom makes great spaghetti."
~
Pixley set the table with Joel and Benji's help. "You really don't have to help me."
Benji smiled. "We enjoy it."
"Mom, when is Roy getting home from work?" Pixley sat down at the table between Benji and Joel.
"Late. Probably three in the morning."
"Good. I really don't wanna see him." Pixley got up from the table, went to the fridge and grabbed a coke. "Joel? Benji? Want a coke?"
"Sure." They replied.
Pixley grabbed two more cokes and sat back down at the table.
The phone rang a few minutes later. "I'll get it." Pixley started to get up from the table, but her mom had already grabbed the phone and was in the living room. "OK," She sat back down. "I won't get it."
"Aw. Little miss Pixley likes to answer the phone." Benji smirked.
"No, I just love to get sales calls."
Joel looked at her. "What?"
"Yeah, I love to be a bitch to them. Like when they call about realestate and stuff? I start crying and tell them my house burned down. They get all sentimental and hang up. I wonder how long it takes the idiot to realize if my house burned down, how am I talking on the phone?" Pixley smirked and took a bite of spaghetti.
Joel and Benji laughed.
~
After dinner Pixley had to wash dishes. "But Mom. I got friends over." She whined.
"We can help." Joel smiled eagerly.
Pixley turned to him and pleaded with her eyes for him to shut up. She turned back to her mom. "Do I gotta do them now?"
"Pixley. You're seventeen, stop acting like a baby." Her mom told her.
"I-- Fine." She sighed. She walked over to the sink and ran the water.
Her mom left the kitchen. "Pixley, I have to go out for a little bit. It was your Aunt Betty that called and she needs my help, so I'll be back later." Pixley heard the door open and shut.
Joel and Benji cleared the table. Pixley started washing the glasses and bowels. "Wouldn't it be easier to just eat off of paper plates or something?"
"Huh?" Joel asked.
"What?" Pixley stuck her head up. "Sorry, just random thoughts."
"Oh, well as long as you don't go as random as Benji."
Benji smacked Joel's arm. "Shut up."
Pixley grinned. "OK, how random do your thoughts go Benj?" She turned to him. "I might tell you how random Heather goes. Well, I'll tell you anyhow."
Benji just blushed and tried to ignore Pixley.
Joel grinned evilly. "He talks about Heather in his sleep. Then he moans and groans and I don't even wanna know."
"Oh, really?" Pixley smiled. "Well, Heather said 'screw me Benji', so I think I know what she was dreaming. But of course she sounded mad." She shrugged and turned back to washing dishes. Joel came over and rinsed them for her. Benji dried and Pixley put them away.
After all the dishes were washed, dried and put away Pixley had to go change her clothes because Joel dumped a pan of water on her.
"You two are so childish." Pixley was in her closet changing. Joel and Benji were standing by the bed.
Joel looked around Pixleys room and noticed that if you stood at the right angle and looked in the vanity mirror you could see right into the closet. He could see Pixley from the waist up. Benji noticed him staring off into space. "What are you looking at?" He whispered. He looked at the mirror and hit Joel.
Joel shook his head and rubbed his arm where Benji hit him. Benji glared at him.
Pixley came out wearing red plaid bondage pants and a tight black tank top. She saw Joel's arm was red. "Benj, did you hit him again?"
"He was ogling you!" He defended, pointing to Joel.
"How?"
"OK, stand here and look at the mirror." Benji stood Pixley where he was and he went to the closet and waved.
Pixley closed her eyes, then smiled and opened them. "I'm not embarrassed." She poked Joel's side and left the room.
"Aren't you slightest bit upset with him?" Benji followed Pixley out the back door and to the trampolean.
Pixley started jumping. "Nope." She smiled.
Joel came out side and saw Pixley jumping. "I didn't know you had a trampolean."
"My dad got it for me just before he died." She continued to bounce.
Benji looked at her. "Are you sure you should be bouncing? I mean you got out of the hospital only a few days ago."
"I'm fine. Come bounce with me."
Benji kicked off his shoes and socks and crawled onto the trampolean. He fell on his back as soon as he stood. Pixley laughed.
Joel walked over to them and watched as Benji kept falling down. He laughed at his twin. Kicking off his own shoes he crawled up onto the trampolean. Pixley stopped bouncing.
"Have either of you ever been on a tramp before? I mean really, just bounce." She bounced again causing the twins to lose their balance. She laughed as they fell on each other. She stopped laughing when she heard the front door slam shut. "Uh oh." She looked at Benji and Joel. "Over the fence."
"Why?" Joel asked. He looked a bit confused.
Benji could tell that Pixley was scared. "Just do it dude." He rolled over the side and grabbed his shoes and ran for the fence. Joel followed suit. Pixley watched them get over the fence. As soon as she could no longer see them she ran to her bedroom window and crawled in.
~
Joel and Benji ran bare foot. "Good thing we didn't bring the car." Joel commented.
Benji chuckled and stopped to put his shoes on. "That chain link really kills your feet."
"I know." Joel sat with Benji on the curb. He looked at his right foot and groaned. He had a rock embedded in his foot. "Ow." He pulled the rock out of his foot and put on his sock and shoe. "I hope Pixley isn't in trouble."
"I don't think she would be, but she sure looked scared." Benji looked back in the direction they had just come from. "I hope she's OK."
They were still within hearing distance. He could see Pixley in her window.
~
Pixley put on her green hoody with the safety pinned hood. Roy came bursting into her room. He was drunk. "What are you doing?!"
"Cleaning." She stated, putting her wet clothes in the hamper.
"Where's your mother?"
"She went to Aunt Betty's house."
Roy slapped her across the face. "Don't lie to me! Now where is she?" He grabbed her arm.
"I just told you. She's with Aunt Betty." Roy started bending her arm backwards. Pixley was on her knees; tears running down her cheeks. She screamed in pain. "Stop! Please?"
Benji and Joel looked up. They heard Pixley screaming. Joel didn't even bother to tie his shoes, he just ran back to Pixley's house. Benji was right behind him.
Pixley's shoulder started to pop. "Please stop." She whispered.
Benji and Joel burst into her room. "Let her go." Joel demanded.
"Make me." Roy glared at the twins.
Benji jumped on Roys back while Joel punched him. This caused Roy to let go of Pixley. Pixley grabbed her arm and got off the floor. "Get out of here." Joel told her.
She nodded and went out the door. Joel went back to helping Benji. They soon brought Roy to the floor. He was so drunk he passed out.
Benji looked at him passed out on the floor. "What a loser. Beat up on a teenage girl." He kicked Roy. Joel scoffed, grabbed Pixley's notebook from her bed and left with Benji.
Pixley was sitting in the drive way. Her right arm was limp at her side. She looked at the twins and jumped to her feet. She wrapped one arm around Joel and cried on his shoulder. Her other arm just hung there.
Benji pulled the shoulder of her hoody off and looked at her arm. "It's dislocated."
Pixley pulled away from Joel and nodded. "Yeah, it just needs to be popped back in." She sniffled.
Joel wiped tears from her cheeks with his sleeve. "Does it hurt?"
"Yeah, it does. Can you guys put it back in? I hate doing it."
Benji nodded and sat her down. "OK, just hold onto something. This'll hurt."
"I know it will." Pixley grabbed her pants leg and clenched her teeth. The twins got her shoulder popped back into place. "Thanks."
Joel helped her to her feet. "C'mon. You're coming home with us."
Pixley walked between Benji and Joel all the way to their house. "You guys are too sweet for your own good." She smiled weakly.
Benji smiled and opened the door. "Yeah, well, we like ya, so it's your fault."
"Go call your aunt. Tell your mom what happened." Joel sat Pixley on the couch and handed her the phone.
She dialed her aunt. "Aunt Betty? Is mom still there? Can I talk to her? Thanks." Pixley took a deep breath. "Mom? Roy came home early... I'm at Benji and Joel's house... Yes, I'm fine... No Mom... I won't... OK, love you too." She hung up the phone and sighed.
"So? What'd she say?" Joel put an arm around her.
"She's going home to talk to Roy. She didn't say much else."
Benji sighed. "I think Heather was right." He muttered under his breath.
"About what?" Pixley heard what he said and wondered.
"About Roy and your dad." He paused. "She thinks Roy was the one who shot your dad."
"I wouldn't doubt it at this point." Pixley leaned her head on Joel's shoulder.
Joel took her chin in his hand and looked at her cheek. There was a bright red hand print.
The phone rang, Benji jumped to answer it. "Hello? Hey Heather."
"Is Pix with you? I just called her house and there wasn't an answer."
"Actullay, she's here. Roy dislocated..." He went into the kitchen and sat at the table.
Pixley just sat on the couch with Joel, looking into his big brown eyes. "Thank you." She whispered, gently kissing his lips.
"For what?" He asked.
"Caring. Helping me. And just being you." She smiled.
Joel leaned in and kissed Pixley. She licked his lips and straddled him, wrapping her legs around his waist. Joel ran his hands up and down her back under her hoody. Still kissing him, Pixley removed her hoody. Joel grinned a little. She pulled on Joel's shirt. He pulled it almost off, leaving it just around his neck. Pixley could feel the bulge in his pants. She pulled away from him, her lips swollen. He was breathing heavilly.
"I can't." Pixley got off of him and put on her hoody. She wiped her mouth and walked into the kitchen. She sat down with Benji.
Joel sat on the couch. He put his shirt back on and went into the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and then hung his head. "What did I do now?"
Benji hung up the phone. "Heather's coming over."
"I thought she had art class on Tuesdays? Oh, no, it's Thursdays."
Joel came into the kitchen and sat next to Benji.
Benji looked from Pixley to Joel. "Why do you two look so worn out? Or do I wanna know?"
"I'm just tired." Pixley said, laying her head on the table. Her glasses got in the way so she took them off.
"Are you gonna stay here tonight?" joel asked.
Pixley looked up, she hated that they sounded so much alike that she couldn't tell who was talking. "If you want me to."