Confounded: Part II - 5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 --==Kit’s POV==--

By the time I'd finished my freshman year, about a week ago, and summer break came, it’d already been discussed and decided that I was going to work at BSL Communications, Dad’s company.

For the past two years, I’ve worked there during the summer, earning my keep. Okay, it’s not like I needed it; anything I want which is above my budget I can get, as long as I convince Dad or Taylan of a genuine need. But I had earned enough to buy my car (well, I paid a third) and a new laptop, stuff like that. Still, I do anything that’s asked of me, having started at the bottom rung and climbed up. Dad obviously thought I was doing well, because he’d promised me that this year, he was going to make me his assistant, even taking me along on trips to visit clients. I was looking forward to it! Most of my friends were gone anyway, traveling, hanging out with their girlfriends, and doing stuff like that.

Since I didn’t have a boyfriend yet, I was free to do whatever I wanted, and because Dad and I have the same thought (me taking over the reins at BSL one day), why not put the time to good use and learn from him? I’d just finished my first year of the accelerated program (to get my MBA in four years) and coming in with experience would give me an advantage.

So the past week, Tay and I had been shopping. Dad had given me a few rules; my closet now contained ten brand new suits, loads of shirts (in just about every fashionable color), two dozen silk ties, socks, several new pairs of shoes. He wasn’t going to let me come there in jeans; if I wanted to do this, I’d have to look the part. Jeans were fine when I worked in the shipping department, but not if I was going to be his assistant. Well, trainee was maybe a better term, because he had an assistant, and I’d be closely working with her as well. He’d also asked me to come into his study, here at home, showing me what I’d be doing, and gave me a few files (non-sensitive ones) to study, and become familiar with. All sorts of contracts, documents, info on projects he was working on; it really was exciting! I’d be sitting in on meetings, might even be asked to participate in strategic sessions; I’d also answer the phone, drive him around, all sorts of stuff.

And then it was shot to hell.

**********

That Sunday evening, the one before I’d go in for my first work day, Dad knocked on my bedroom door; I was just about to turn in, and quickly grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my waist before opening the door.

“Kit, could you join us in the living room? It’s important.”

“Sure. Lemme put something on.”

Dad nodded and left and I quickly changed into a baggy t-shirt and sweat pants, joining them in the living room.

“Sit down,” dad said, inclining his head to the chair I usually take.

I did and, from the look on both their faces, immediately put up my guard; had I done something? Not that I knew of…

“We just received a call from your Uncle Roman. Apparently, they’ve been having some trouble with Tom.”

I sniffed disdainfully; Tom’s a pain in the ass. Of all my cousins, he’s the worst. When Dad and Taylan got together, I gained an entire slew of them. I get along with each and every one of them, except him. I don’t know what I ever did to the guy, but from day one he’s had this major thing against me. It didn’t surprise me that he was creating trouble for Uncle Roman and Aunt Dana.

“He’s been disrespectful and rude to them, and it’s been getting worse.”

Tom’s always disrespectful and rude. Nothing new there. But what did it have to do with me?

“Your Aunt and Uncle don’t know what to do with him anymore; he comes and goes as he pleases, they think drugs is involved, and he fights with his brother and sisters all the time. It has to stop, soon, so… Taylan and I offered that he stay with us for the summer.”

Oh, that was just great. That piece of work here, the entire summer?

Luckily I wouldn’t be here all that often; Taylan had to deal the most with him. Maybe that’d straighten Tom out; Tay gave out at least as good as he received, heh.

“Some change of scenery might be good for him. They don’t know why he’s been behaving the way he has; he doesn’t want to talk about it. Or to them. At all. He’s taken up a few bad habits, been hanging around with the wrong crowd. We live on the other side of L.A., so he’d be far away from bad influences.”

“Okay. But you do know Tom and I don’t really get along?” I made a face. “He’s hated me since we first met.”

“Hmm, and you don’t think pushing him into a bush of poison ivy has anything to do with that? And he doesn’t hate you,” Tay chimed in.

“That was three years ago! God, how long do I have to hear that? He pushed me first! And believe me; he hates me.”

“Because you tackled him far too hard. You’re bigger than him; you’re older...”

“Pfft! Two months.”

“Fine. Taller, then.”

Tom was around Taylan’s height. And okay, I did tackle him a little too hard at that family picnic; he’d sprained his ankle. I felt bad about it, at the time, and apologized. He hadn’t accepted it, and shoved me. So I’d shoved back. How could I know he’d stumble into that patch of poison ivy? I sure didn’t plant it there.

“Whatever,” I said, “you always take his side.”

Tay smiled at that.

“Well, we shorties have to stick together. He’s had it difficult, lately.”

“And I haven’t?” I retorted, annoyed.

Taylan sighed.

“That’s not the same and you know it.”

“Fine. But if he starts something, I’m not taking it lying down.”

“I didn’t think you would. In fact; you’ll go right in there and provoke him in the exact same way, won’t you?”

Yeah, okay; I did that. What else am I gonna do; let him waltz all over me? I don’t think so. Not in this lifetime.

“You’re both eighteen, for crying out loud. And you keep telling us lately that you’re an adult? Fine. Then show us. Try to get along with him.”

I sighed.

“Not fair.”

“And that’s exactly the response that still makes you a non-adult,” Taylan fired back.

Pffft!

“Well, maybe it’ll be ok; I won’t be around all that much, anyway.”

I grinned. And then had it die on my face when I saw the look that was exchanged between the two of them.

“Right…about that…” Dad said, his voice trailing.

As soon as he said it, I knew I wouldn’t like it, whatever it was. And when Tay bit his lower lip, and also avoided my eyes, I knew it would be bad.

“We think that it would be better for Tom if you were here with him. He doesn’t know anyone around here…”

“Dad…”

“Listen, we don’t want Tom to be here all alone. Just…take him with you, whenever you go to the beach, or go out and hang with your friends. As long as he’s not alone, and someone keeps an eye on him, so that he doesn’t go off and find his own ‘friends’ again, that’s all we’re asking.”

“Dad, you promised...”

“I know. And I’m sorry. But we think it’s better this way.”

End of the discussion. I could tell as much from the way he said it. They’d already decided on it.

“Well, this is just great, isn’t it? I was looking forward to this ever since we talked about me coming to work with you, Dad. Now I get to babysit an ingrate. So why call me in here? You’d already decided, hadn’t you?”

“Kit, come on; that’s not fair,” Taylan cut in, speaking softly. “And don’t single out your dad. We’re not doing this on purpose, to get at you. You know that. We’re trying to help out Roman and Dana.”

I sighed.

“Yeah, I know. Sorry. It’s just…”

“I understand,” Dad said. “And there’ll be days that you can still come with me, okay? Just not every day. Tay’s already had some ideas about this, and he’ll try to take Tom off your hands as much as he can. Right?”

“That’s right,” Tay said. “I’ll take him to Disneyland and the playground as much as I can.”

I couldn’t help but snicker; the idea alone…

“Alright. So I do get to go?”

I really wanted to make sure that I got at least that.

“Yes, just not every day. Once, maybe twice a week. Sound okay?”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t perfect, but it was at least something.

“So when’s he coming?”

“Taylan is picking him up tomorrow afternoon,” Dad answered, “so you’ll get to go with me tomorrow. That is; if you get your butt to bed within the next twenty seconds!”

He didn’t have to say that twice.

I got up and wished the both of them goodnight, not giving them another minute to change their minds. Again.