11
Mike’s eyes were as large as dinner plates, and he nearly choked on a carrot. Sarah and Emma started laughing, Danni was desperately trying not to snort her food.
“Beth!” Sarah blurted out between giggles.
“What?” she asked, looking at her, honestly not knowing what was so funny.
Sarah was laughing again and had to point at Mike.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Beth asked him, “Is your food okay?”
“It’s great, no problem at all,” Mike said quickly, staring down at his plate. He couldn’t help it, he glanced over again, and he could still see the wet spot where her tongue was.
“Pervert,” Danni said, looking at him with a wicked smile. He knew he’d just given her ample ammunition for their next fight.
Deciding he’d had enough of family time at the dinner table, Mike quickly wolfed down the rest of his meal and washed his plate in the sink. He turned and immediately went upstairs.
He heard them talking below him. He groaned and slapped his forehead when he heard Beth’s customary, “Ohhhhhh,” as someone finally told her what went on.
He briefly considered looking for his own place, somewhere away from all the vaginas and boobs that were constantly tormenting him. He resolved to spend the rest of the evening in his room.
Later in the evening, he came down stairs and went to sit in the den to watch television. Sarah was somewhere else, probably doing laundry or something, and Beth was upstairs in her room. Emma and Danni had gone out to the frat party. Mike rolled his eyes at the thought.
He hated frat parties. It reminded him too much of his high school days. He’d never had fun at them, and always saw them as an excuse to get drunk and act like a shit-head. He couldn’t stand not feeling in control and that’s all partying at a frat house was. It was a bunch of drunk idiots groping each other while shitty music played way too loud over blown out speakers.
There was a good show television, so he stopped flipping through the channels and scooted down in the couch, trying to get more comfy. He was just getting into the show when his cell phone rang. Annoyed he pulled it out and looked at it. Emma-Cell, flashed in blue on the screen. “Shit, probably got a flat or something,” he grumbled. He flipped it open, “Yeah?.”
“Mike, something’s wrong.”
He froze. She sounded scared, and the sound of her voice began to worry him.
“Calm down Emma, tell me what’s wrong.”
“I can’t find Danni.”
Mike felt and involuntary shiver go up his spine.
“Are you okay? Are you safe?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine, but I can’t find her anywhere! I’m starting to get worried, Mike. She was talking to a few guys and they went off somewhere and now I can’t find her. I called her cell-phone and she’s not answering. She wouldn’t do that Mike, we all have to answer,” Emma really was scared, he could hear it in her voice.
“Are you at the frat house?”
“Yes, I’ll meet you out front.”
“Be there in five.”Mike jumped up off the couch, yelling for Sarah, and charged up the stairs.
“SARAH.”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“Whats wrong Mike?” she yelled coming out of the washroom and standing at the bottom of the stairs. Beth had come out of her room, wearing a night shirt and holding a thick novel.
“Something’s wrong, Emma can’t find Danni and I’m going to go help look.”
“Oh, no,” Beth said, tears welling up in concern for her sister.
“Beth, it’s going to be okay, I’m gonna go find her,” Mike said, turning to her and trying to speak slowly and calmly.
“I’m coming with you.” Sarah said, pulling on some shoes.
Mike knew it was useless to argue. He finished pulling on his steel-toe work boots and threw a t-shirt on. Grabbing his keys, he rushed downstairs, passed Sarah and out the front door, towards his truck parked on the street. He opened the passenger door for Sarah, and glanced back ensuring that she was behind him. He leapt around his truck and jumped inside, the engine roaring to life. Tires squealed and he took off.
The only thing said on the way there was Sarah, who was softly whispering, “Please God, not again, not again.”
Mike’s heart sank, he knew this must be rough on her. She was the one that had to deal with their parent’s death after that asshole drunk driver plowed into them, she’d been the one to deal with all the death arrangements, she’d been the one to take over the mantle of parent to four kids when she was still not much more than a mature teenager herself.
“It’s gonna be okay, Sarah,” Mike said, leaning over and grasping her hand.
They pulled up to the frat house four minutes and seven seconds later. Mike hopped out and glanced around for his twin. He spotted her walking towards them through the parking lot. She’d been crying, and it broke his heart to see her so upset.
“Where did you see her last?” he asked quickly.
Seeing Sarah, she started to cry again, “She’s inside somewhere Mike.”
Turning, Mike made a beeline for the door. There was a guy standing there watching the door, letting people out, but not many back in. There definitely weren’t any guys going in. Rolling his eyes, Mike walked up to him. “I know you’re not letting anymore guys in, but I need to find my sister, and she’s in there. That’s all I’m here for. If I’m not back in ten minutes with her, you can whip my ass.” ‘Or try’, is what he was actually thinking.
The guy looked at him briefly, “ten minutes,” and looked at his watch.
Mike went inside and was immediately disgusted. It was just like high school. Drunken guys hanging all over drunken girls who were both making fools of themselves and acting like children trying to act grown up. He hated places like this. He wasn’t here to reminisce about how much this sucked though, and quickly scanned the room looking for Danni’s brown locks. He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Emma and Sarah behind her. Emma looked like she had composed herself.
“What was she wearing,” he turned and had to yell at Emma for her to hear.
“Her red dress,” she yelled back.
‘Damn it.’ he thought. He automatically knew the one. He turned and got both of his sisters’ attention. He pointed at both of them and pointed to one side of the room, and then he pointed at himself and pointed to the other and then up the stairs.
“Don’t worry,” he mouthed at them. The bottom floor was a bust, she wasn’t anywhere. She had to be upstairs. He followed the small line up the stairs and stood, staring when he reached the top. There was a loft with a pool table, with a line of small rooms off to one side and a hallway that curved around to the other. Mike figured he knew where she’d be. If she was just fucking some asshole, he really would consider killing her. He began to check rooms, but didn’t have any luck with any of the smaller ones.
“Damn it to hell, Danni,” he said. Where the fuck was she? He saw a drunk frat guy come around the corner of the cornered hallway. ‘Okay’, he thought, ‘There had to be another room back there’. He walked quickly towards the hallway and turned the corner. There was a single door. It had a FRAT ONLY sign on it. He jiggled the handle. Locked.