Kele Moon - Crossing the line

“But—”

“And Clay threw the first punch,” Jules went on as if her father hadn’t tried to argue.

“Only ’cause of Wyatt’s mouth. What he said was beyond cruel.”

“But you’re always saying not to lose our tempers ’cause of words.” Jules voice took on an innocent, high-pitched tone like it always did when she was being manipulative, and for some reason only Wyatt ever noticed the change. “Isn’t that true, Daddy?”

“Well, it’s true, but that don’t make it okay what he did.”

“But if you’re arresting people for words, wouldn’t ya have to arrest everyone?”

“I’m arresting him for beating on the boy.”

“But that was self-defense, and you said if anyone tries to hurt us, we should defend ourselves and—”

“Jules, just hush. I’m sick of both your mouths.”

Jules opened her mouth as if to argue that point too, before their father turned to glare at her. “I ain’t kidding, missy. You’re ’bout to be in as much trouble as Wyatt.”

“That seems unfair.” Jules folded her arms over her chest. “Like I’m not allowed to have an opinion. Miss Katling says it’s like the woman’s revolution never happened round here, and it’s our job to remind fellas of our rights.”

“Miss Katling has armpit hair and a nonexistent dating record,” his father said with a growl of frustration. “What the hell kinda things was she teaching you in that young woman’s class anyhow?”

Wyatt gave his father a wide-eyed look of warning. Jules had told him what she learned in that young woman’s class Miss Katling was hosting at the rec center, and he’d rather be grounded the rest of the summer than hear Jules blurt it all out in front of their father. He wasn’t even surprised when Jules started before their father could catch the hint.

“They told us about periods and sex and—”

“Forget it.” He held up his hands in defeat. “Please, Jules. Hush for five minutes. I’m begging you. I got a headache a mile wide.”

“Seems like if we’re arresting people for words, it surely ain’t nice to say Miss Katling has armpit hair.” Jules huffed. “I like Miss Katling.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I heard you,” Jules said sullenly.

“I did too,” Wyatt couldn’t help but point out. “And you said she had a bad dating record.”

“God almighty, you two wear me out and confuse me in between. If you’re not killing each other, you’re doing this. Don’t think for one moment I don’t know what you did, Juliet. You’re changing the subject on purpose. You always bring up Miss Katling when you’re trying to get out of trouble. He’s still grounded.”

Jules turned and gave Wyatt an apologetic look, and Wyatt could only shrug in response. He surely couldn’t have put up that good of a defense for himself. If it’d been left up to him, he’d probably be spending the night in a jail cell.

His sister had a dark gift.

“And guess what you’re doing right now, buddy. You’re going out to the Powers place with me to say sorry to him face-to-face. I ain’t facing that alone.”

Wyatt nodded, deciding it was the least he deserved.

Wyatt never had to say sorry. Turned out there was no Clay Powers at the trailer park. He’d run away from home, and Wyatt went from feeling bad to horrible when his father had to launch a full-out search to find the homeless, injured kid his son had beaten black and blue.

When the sun set and their father still hadn’t returned from his quest to find Clay, Deputy Henry Caraway came and stayed with them. Though both Jules and Wyatt knew how to heat up one of the stacks of frozen meals their father had stored in the freezer, Henry took over and fixed them a real meal, which would’ve been a nice novelty if he didn’t come bearing bad news.

“Can you imagine him living on the streets all this time? How the heck’s he been surviving? You missed it, but after he dropped y’all off at home, your daddy dragged that dumb fool who’d been in charge of the Powers boy in for endangering a minor. Why the heck didn’t he report a kid his age running away?”

Wyatt was going to be physically ill. His stomach lurched, and he looked down at his food with a moan of misery. “I ain’t really hungry.”

“Boy, you’re always hungry.”

“Not always.”

“I think you’re upsetting him.” Jules gave Henry a look. “He already feels bad because of the fight. Now he found out he was beating on a homeless kid. He probably wants to drown himself.”

Nice of Jules to voice all his innermost demons out loud. Why’d God have to curse him with a twin who knew what he was thinking more often than not?

“You really sick, Wyatt?”

“Yes, I’m really sick.” Wyatt rubbed his head. “Can I go lay down?”

“Maybe I oughta call the doc,” Henry mused as he studied Wyatt across the table. “You ain’t looking so great tonight, boy.”

“I’m fine.” Wyatt got up without permission, hoping to take the attention off his bruised face because the last thing he wanted was Dr. Philips showing up. “I’m just tired.”

Henry didn’t stop him from sulking up to bed. Wyatt crawled under the covers, wishing he could go to sleep, but the pounding in his head, the rolling in his stomach, and the knowledge that Clay Powers was out there feeling worse than he did kept him staring at the darkened ceiling. He was so caught up in his thoughts he winced when the door to his bedroom opened, casting a ray of light from the hallway over his face.

He threw his hands over his eyes. “Close it quick.”

The door clicked shut, and Jules whispered, “How come you’re hiding up here like a coward?”

“I ain’t a coward.” He moaned. “I’m sick, Ju Ju.”

“I thought you were just hiding from Henry.” Her voice was suddenly low and concerned.

“That too. But I swear to God, I’m one wrong move from throwing up.”

“Maybe it’s a stomach bug. I hope you don’t give it me.” Jules sat down on his bed, making it bounce because she was always high energy.

That was the wrong move, and Wyatt physically shoved his sister to the ground in his attempt to make it out of bed and to his bathroom fast enough. He retched into the toilet, losing not just his dinner, but anything he’d likely eaten for the past week. He’d never thrown up so violently.

“Henry!” Jules’s voice echoed off the tile in the bathroom.

“Don’t!” Wyatt growled, hugging the toilet because just talking was making him worse, and the throbbing in his head made him feel like he was going to pass out right there on the tile. “He’ll call Dad, and then he’ll stop looking for Clay.”

“But—”

“Stomach flu don’t kill people,” Wyatt reminded her and then promptly threw up again.

“Jules?” Henry came bursting into Wyatt’s room.

In his life, he’d never seen someone move or think as fast as Jules. She managed to run out of his bathroom, shutting the door behind, and then say in a falsely bright voice, “Can you show me how to heat up some leftovers for Wyatt? Daddy told me to look after him.”

“That’s what you were screeching over?” Henry asked in disbelief. “I thought someone was dying up here.”

“Nope,” Jules said without missing a beat.

“Where’s Wyatt?” he asked, sounding suspicious.

“Brushing his teeth.”

“He’s gonna eat dinner after he brushes his teeth?”

“Boys are gross,” Jules said with such confidence even Wyatt was inclined to believe her.

“Okay, come on, missy. I reckon you ought to learn how to heat up leftovers, ’cause the sheriff surely ain’t gonna teach ya. Has he thought of putting you in a home economics class since he can’t cook to save his life?”

“You’re saying I’m supposed to learn ’cause I’m a girl?” Jules’s voice was shrill with insult.

“Now I ain’t saying that.”

“You didn’t ask Wyatt to take a home economics class.” Jules’s voice drifted out of the room and down the hallway. “You know Miss Katling says…”

* * *

Wyatt was on the floor when Jules showed back up. The cool tile was a nice distraction from the downward spiral his reality had taken in the past twelve hours. It seemed a mighty feat to ruin his life before middle school. The room was spinning, and he wished he had the energy to get up and flip off the bathroom light. It was making his headache so much worse.

“I brought you food.”

“Thanks, Ju Ju Bean,” he mumbled despite both of them knowing he wasn’t going to eat it.

“Your face looks pretty bad.”

“I reckon so,” Wyatt agreed.

“Did you fight with him ’cause of Tabitha?”

Wyatt grunted in agreement because the sound of his own voice made everything so much more painful.

“That was pretty dumb.”

He did a thumbs-up because he could always count on Jules to state the obvious.

“What’s so special ’bout her anyway? At least ten other girls have asked you to go steady. Prettier girls.”

“Shut up,” he couldn’t help but growl. “She’s pretty.”

“I guess, but she’s got like a million freckles.”

He actually managed to smile, which nearly killed his split lip. “I like freckles.”

“You are so weird.”

“And you ain’t?” he mumbled and managed to roll on his side to look at his sister, who was sitting cross-legged in her nightgown on the floor next to him. “I am so green.”

Jules pulled back. “Don’t breathe on me.”

Wyatt made a point of blowing in her direction just because. When Jules screeched, he groaned and put his hand to his head once more. “Your voice, Ju Ju. Didn’t ya hear me say I’m dying?”

“Why’s my voice make your head hurt?”

“’Cause it’s annoying.”

“You’re annoying,” Jules shot back quickly before her voice softened. “But really, are you sure you got a stomach bug?”

“Why else would I be puking?”

Jules leaned over to feel his forehead, and Wyatt blew on her again. He didn’t count on her shoving his head when he did it, and he had to choke back a shout from the white-hot pulse of pain.

He covered his head protectively and let out a half sob. “I hate you.”

Jules touched his head again, as if testing to see if she got the same response. He let out a low growl and shoved her in retaliation. The movement made his stomach lurch, and he had to jump to knees and throw up again. It was only as he was hovering over the toilet that he realized he should’ve puked on Jules instead—just because.

“Wy Wy,” Jules whispered. “I think there’s something really wrong with you.”

It wasn’t one of Jules’s more brilliant observations.

“Your daddy’s home.” Henry’s voice carried up from downstairs because all cops seemed to have those loud, booming voices. “He’s got the Powers boy with him.”

Wyatt wiped his mouth and collapsed against the tile, knowing he should be relieved they’d found Clay, but he was too sick to manage it. He’d been competing in sports since he was old enough to walk. He’d broken his arm once in judo. He’d cracked a rib in football. He and Jules had shared a million illnesses, and none of that had him feeling worse than he did at that moment. The guilt sure didn’t help his problem.

“I’m telling.” Jules hopped to her feet. “I think you need Dr. Philips.”

Jules ran down the stairs, having the fleeting thought that she probably ought to put a robe on before Clay Powers walked into the house. Her Daddy got funny about things like that lately, but it seemed like too much to be fussed with. She stopped when she saw her father helping Clay through the door.

As amazing as it was, he looked worse than her brother. Clay was doubled over. His face was bruised twice as badly as Wyatt’s, and he sort of looked like he was going to…

“Oh shit!” Her father growled when Clay puked on his shoes in the entryway.

Jules thought he was angry about the mess but instead he just picked up Clay like he weighed nothing even though he was the tallest kid in the sixth grade.

“Forget it, Henry. I got to drive this boy up to Mercy. I thought I could get away with calling Doc Philips, but Wyatt’s given him a concussion for sure. I’ll pay ya extra to stay with the twins till morning.”

“Shoot, Sheriff, you ain’t gotta pay me.”

“Wyatt’s throwing up too!” Jules shouted when her father turned on his heel and was already out the door.

He swung around, staring at her with wide eyes. “What?”