Chapter 5: Family matters

Jed started to sober up later on and started to moan about his beating skull. “It’s like someone is hitting me with a hammer over and over again,” Jed groaned, “I have a new sympathy for bells.”

“Washed up at twenty-two,” Mika said as I tried to focus on my writing. It was hard to focus on anything important with these guys here. I couldn’t get invested in in Sara’s world when I was worried about Neill’s driving and the guys were gossiping away in a heated tone. The arguments that got sparked were amusing and I found myself jotting them down in the back of my notebook.

“I am not washed up, Townsend,” Jed argued, “I was living the high life and I will again tonight.”

 

“Well, Mika has become a grandmother at age twenty so there is that to consider,” Neill commented.

“There is nothing wrong with being prepared,” Michael muttered.

“And Em is the grandfather; who says things like,” Jed changed his voice, “I remember when the air was clean and the Earth’s crust cooled.”

“I like geology okay,” I closed my book, “There is nothing wrong with that science and history is relevant to those of us who aren’t cave men.”

“There she goes again,” Max chuckled.

 

“So basically,” Mika closed his book, “Emmeline and I are the grandparents, Cass is the mother, Kyle is the stoner father and Jed, Neill and Deke are the troubled children.”

“Yep, but we’re divorced,” I informed him.

“It was so short lived,” Neill faked a sob, “I find them making out on the couch then Em comes home in tears.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” I launched one of my hair elastics at the back of his head.

 

“Whoa, what did I do to you?” Neill rubbed the back of his head.

“Neill, girls have feelings and they can be violent so shut up if you know what’s good for you,” Deke suggested.

“The note was a dumb move,” Michael looked out the window, “I am sorry for that, Em you should know that.”

“You never mentioned regret before,” I rolled my eyes, “Don’t feel sorry for me because I am a freak, Michael.”

“I’m not,” he said, but I caught him looking at my fresh bandages.

“You are,” I crossed my arms, “I understand that I did contribute to the break-up; I knew you were in the band for months beforehand.”

“You always did like to test my rules,” he sighed, “We’re both better off; when this trip is over, you can make up with Heath or find someone knew then.”

“Or she could make-out with as many men as possible on the trip,” Jed laughed, “Possibly break some hearts and blow some minds.”

 

“Jed, you are the king of inappropriate comments,” I shook my head, “Anyways, I just want to focus on my writing and getting better while I am on the trip.”

“Like taking your medication,” Mika said as his phone buzzed.

“I think it’s creepy that you have an alarm for my medication,” I countered, “Obsessive much.”

“Mika is just a perfectionist and all around good guy,” Max informed me, “He loves damsels in distress, his last two dates…”

“Jed, could you not,” Mika cut him off.

“I am not so fragile as you may think,” I insisted, “I can handle hearing that my ex-boyfriend has had other girlfriends.”

“Only three,” Neill called back over the horns sounding in the traffic jam, “All of them were brunettes; I think that’s his type.”

 

“Whereas Em’s type is blondes with blue eyes,” Max stroked his chin dramatically, “I am seeing a connection.”

“You don’t have a beard; what are you doing?” Mika shook his head, “Focus on practicing our chords for tonight’s show.”

“I’ll even brush my hair for the event,” Max joked.

“We’d be honoured to be the first to see your hair under control,” I told him, “Maybe we could even see your eyes properly.”

“You’re such a girl,” he chuckled.

“Thank you,” I faked sincerity.

“Max, practice,” Mika ordered, “You’re always too low on the last four chords.”

“I heard there was a few music producers coming to the event,” Neill said loudly, “Maybe, Em could sit next to him and flash some cleavage.”

 

“She’s your sister,” Michael and Max both shouted.

“Half-sister and I was kidding, you worry warts,” my brother snorted, “Em wouldn’t do it anyways.”

“Because I have morals,” I agreed.

“Morals and you’re a prude,” Neill smirked back at me.

 

“Focus on the road,” Michael commanded.

“Yes, grandma,” Neill sang.

“Stupid,” Mika muttered.

“Stupid is as stupid does,” I chimed in.

“Preach, sister,” Jed shouted.

 

“I need to find a new band,” Michael said and we all started laughing.

“Right, how are you going to do that?” Max asked, “You might have to go back to Portland, heaven forbid.”

“Or back to your parent’s place,” Jed remarked and Mika stopped laughing immediately. Mika’s parents’ house were a touchy subject, but not because of his parents. Beverly and Carl Townsend were clean freaks and a little crazed over orderliness, but they were friendly unless you broke something or brought in dirt on your shoes. His brother, David thought was another story. He was crippled and had bowed legs, but that didn’t give him permission to be the way he was. David, or Davie as his parents called him was three years older than Mika and lived in his own apartment over the garage. He liked to hit things and he had a split personality disorder, in my opinion anyways.

 

He hated me when I was around and once he pushed me down the stairs because I got in his way. He didn’t consider anyone above his permanently upturned nose or his foul language. He called me the Two Cent Tramp for months before Mika heard and put a stop to it. Michael’s parents thought Mika got into fights at school and that’s why he always had cuts, scrapes and bruises, but I went over one day he wasn’t expecting me and I found his brother hitting him with a baseball bat. Mika was his favourite target and even after we broke up, I would threaten Davie every time we were there. He was afraid of me once he found out that my father was a lawyer and I would press charges. It didn’t make me popular with Mika’s parents and Mika didn’t know about the threats.

Mika was always passive aggressive, which I always found pleasant, but a little worrisome because his brother got to walk all over him. I kicked him and he snapped out of his brooding. “What songs did you guys choose while I was using the public washroom last time?” I inquired.

 

“Limited Life, Working through the Mists and we’re trying a new one of Mika’s called Sparks Align,” Neill informed me, “He wrote it on the way to the hospital yesterday.”

“Good to know, you were all relaxed enough to write songs,” I raised an eyebrow.

“Listen closely, you might notice some lines you could learn from,” he countered then Neill’s phone started to ring.

 

“Can someone answer that for me?” Neill called back.

“Hello,” Jed answered the phone, “No, this is Emmeline’s second-hand lover and part time pastor.”

“Jed,” Mika took the phone, “Are you calling to talk to Neill or Emmeline?” He looked up at me as the person talked and I took my anti-depressants while I waited. “Hold on a moment,” he frowned.

“Who is it?” I questioned.

 

“It’s your mother,” Michael told me and I felt my temper ignite. My damn father had given Neill’s number to her. This was why I didn’t give him my cell number; because I didn’t trust him not to cave to her.

“Give me the phone,” I snatched it away, “Hello, Roxanne.”

“Hello, baby,” she said faking sincerity, “How are you feeling? I’ve been worried sick.”

“Right,” I snorted.

“Emmeline, I have worried about you; I had no idea you were so unhappy,” she crooned, “I blame your father.”

“Really, I don’t,” I remarked, “What exactly do you want, Roxanne? You only call once a year to ask for money as a ‘birthday’ gift.”

“Well, actually Theo and I are moving back to the States right now; I was going to surprise you then this happened.”

 

“What do you want then?” I looked out the window.

“Theo and I are pregnant and we would really love it if you could come and live with us,” she told me, “Help mommy out and we could reconnect finally.”

“Wouldn’t be nice to have an in-house babysitter?” I commented.

“Emmeline, I am asking you to do something with your life and I don’t think that is a bad thing,” she snapped, “You may not like me now, but maybe you’d understand if you’d ever been through any real pain.”

“I haven’t been through any real pain,” I took a deep breath, “Well, I guess you know everything; after all you have known me my whole life and it’s not like you’ve been gone for fifteen years.”

 

“Don’t you blame the divorce on me; it was your father’s fault too,” she warned me.

“You left in the middle of the damn night; I can’t see it getting dark outside without visualizing you sneaking out the door to move on with your life,” I wrapped my arms around myself, “Every one of my phobias came from you and dad, but you guys act like I am causing myself problems.”

“We never cut ourselves, or dropped out of college because we didn’t have enough friends,” she growled, “You are a selfish girl; I don’t know what I did wrong with you.”

“You didn’t do anything to me; oh and hypocrite, you dropped out of high school in the tenth grade because you could be a model and you’re about as close to that as I am to you right now.”

“Fine,” she shouted then took a deep breath in, “Emmeline, don’t make me take full custody of you from your father; I am asking nicely this time and I am giving you a house to live in instead of a dirty old van.”

 

“I like the van.”

“We are moving to Seattle so try to be in town when we arrive, or I’ll have to send out a missing person’s ad,” she sighed.

“I am not a little girl anymore,” I said.

“I’ll see you in two weeks, baby,” she hung up.

 

“No,” I threw the phone into the opposite wall and it almost hit Mika.

Author's Note

What do you think of Em's mom so far?