Trevon Carter

The smell of freshly baked rolls, turkey and gravy filled the house. I was hungry, but ignored the hunger. It would be time to eat our Thanksgiving feast soon enough. My mom and aunt were in the kitchen. I wasn't sure why. Our regular chef was cooking the meal for us. My aunt and mom weren't fooling anyone by being in the kitchen.

I sat on the couch between my father and my grandpa. My uncle sat on the reclining chair. We were watching the game when Opal came running into the room and jumped up on my lap very narrowly missing my crotch. She started licking my face frantically. Kylie and Brittany must have been back after having Thanksgiving lunch at their fiances' house.

"Kylie!" I yelled and got a mouth full of puppy tongue. I wanted to spit, but there was nowhere to spit and the puppy was still on my lap. I turned my head from side to side as Opal matched my movements to keep licking my face. "Get...your...dog...off me!"

My dad, grandpa and uncle were of no help as they laughed at me and told Opal she was a 'good girl'.

"Geez, overdramatic much?" Kylie asked as she came into the room. "She just loves you."

"I only met her yesterday when I came home," I said as I continued to move my head from side to side and my sister just watched me with an amused smile making no move to get her puppy off me. "Ugh. She put her tongue in my mouth again," I said and stood up. Opal dropped easily to her feet and wagged her tail fiercely as she looked up at Kylie.

"Good girl," Kylie said and scooped up the large puppy - at three months, she was over thirty pounds - as if she were a little chihuahua and not a large komondor.

"What's all the noise?" Leo asked as he came in and put his arm around Kylie's waist. "You'd think someone was dying."

Kylie rolled her eyes. "My little brother is just being over dramatic because Opal's tongue got inside his mouth while he was talking. As if he hasn't had worse in his mouth before."

My eyes widened that she would say such a suggestive thing in front of our dad, uncle and grandpa, but they all laughed. I wasn't sure if they understood what exactly she was implying, but how could they not?

"Is Jasmine and her boyfriend here yet?" Brittany asked as she came into the room with Mark.

"Not yet," Uncle George said. "I want to meet this young man she is dating. Do you know him?"

"He's a year younger than us," Brittany said. She shrugged. "It's been awhile since high school, but he got his master's degree and has a high position in his family business."

"Family business makes it sound like it's a small company," Kylie said. "He is a Kinsington. He helps run Kinsington Plastics and he's good at it."

My uncle's eyes widened slightly at this and he gave a small nod of approval. I didn't think he had been around enough to know that Vincent's mom was racist. She wasn't overtly racist. Just every now and then something slipped out. She was just one small part of that family though.

"As soon as Jazy gets here, we can eat," Aunt Mary said as she came into the room with my mom. "Everything is ready."

"Call her and see if she's on her way," Uncle George said. "I'm starving."

"She texted me already and told me they were on their way."

"The Kinsington house is just up the street," Uncle George said. "When she says they are on their way, does that mean they are actually in the car or still at the house saying goodbye because that might take awhile."

Opal barked and ran to the door. A moment later, the door opened and Jasmine walked inside hand in hand with Aiden Kinsington. Opal jumped up on them.

"Hello, Opal," Jasmine cooed down as if the puppy was the cutest thing she had ever seen. Aiden leaned down to pet Opal. He didn't seem put off when Opal licked his face, but she wasn't as vigorous about it as she was with me and her tongue didn't go in his mouth.

"Jazy," Aunt Mary immediately crossed the short distance and hugged Jasmine.

"Hi, mom."

"And this must be Aiden," Aunt Mary said as she pulled away.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Carter." He extended a hand in greeting, but Aunt Mary pulled him into a tight hug.

Uncle George hugged Jasmine, but kept a wary eye on Aiden.

"Don't call me Mrs. Carter," Aunt Mary said. "Call me mom." She pulled away and Uncle George moved to stand directly in front of him. Aiden was slightly taller than Uncle George, but he was clearly intimidated by my uncle.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr Carter," Aiden said and extended his hand again.

Uncle George took his hand and shook it. There was a pause where Uncle George didn't say anything. Then he smiled and pulled Aiden in for a hug. "Call me dad," he said.

"Okay," Jasmine said and pried her dad's arms off her boyfriend. "We're not even engaged yet. Don't make him uncomfortable."

"That's the opposite of what I'm doing, sweetie," Uncle George said.

A pang stabbed my heart and I suddenly missed Arthur. It was weird to hear someone else use the endearment 'sweetie' even though it was a common word. I had somehow convinced myself that the only person in the world who used that word was Arthur and it was only used for me. At least when Arthur said it, it was reserved just for me. And it was special when he said it.

"You don't have to call them mom and dad if you don't want to," Jasmine said to Aiden. "You can call them Mary and George."

"Dinner is ready and on the table," my mom said. "Let's eat. I hope you saved room for dinner even though you already ate."

"Of course, Aunt Kerry," Jasmine said and took my mom's arm in hers.

Uncle George took Aiden's arm and guided him into the dining room along with the rest of us. "You can sit next to me," Uncle George said to Aiden. Aiden nodded politely.

Aunt Mary and Uncle George asked Aiden questions throughout the dinner. Occasionally someone would ask my sisters's fiances questions, but most of the focus was on Aiden. He was the new guy after all.

Opal went around to each person giving them her puppy eyes in hopes of food. I shooed her away. Everyone else covertly gave her a bit of turkey. Even Aiden. There was nothing covertly about the way Kylie and Leo gave her food. They would openly call to her and she would run up to them. They would give her a little bit of turkey and praise her with how much of a good girl she was. She didn't even do any tricks for the food. They at least should make her sit or something.

I didn't miss the way Jasmine looked at Aiden as her parents peppered him with questions. It was clear Jasmine loved him. And Aiden looked at her just as sweetly. He clearly loved her too. Maybe Vincent and I would be actual family some day. I liked that thought.

We had just finished dinner and started dessert when I got a text. I immediately pulled my phone out of my pocket because I didn't want to miss a message from Arthur. It wasn't Arthur though.

Vinny: Did you tell Jasmine about me and Chet?

I glanced around, but no one was paying any attention to me. Everyone was fawning over how cute Jasmine and Aiden looked together.

Me: No. Never. Why?

I would never betray his trust, but he knew that so there had to be a reason he was asking.

Vinny: It seemed like she and Aiden knew.

Me: Did they out you to your parents? If they did then he would need a place to stay. I would offer that he could stay here, but I was leaving tomorrow. Alex and his mother would be the safer bet, and Alex's mom was an angel who wouldn't be intimidated by the Kinsington's.

Vinny: No. Maybe they don't know. It just seemed like they did. It seemed like they were trying to protect me.

Me: Your brother protect you? That would be a first. Well, maybe not a first. Remember when that kid in the 5th grade hit you and then Aiden showed up the next day to talk to him? Sometimes I still wonder what they talked about. The kid didn't bother you again after that though.

Vinny: Your sisters used to come "talk" to the kids who were mean to you all the time.

Me: Yeah, and then at home they would lock me in the closet or take away my food or hit me. I don't understand my sisters. If Jasmine and Aiden know about you and Chet, they didn't hear it from me. I don't know how they could know.

Speaking of my sisters, Brittany was beginning to take note of my time on the phone. My sisters were too curious about my affairs.

Vinny: ok. TY. Have fun with your family

Me: TY U2 oh wait. Your family isn't fun. Just survive then.

Vinny: Thanks

I stuffed my phone back into my pocket. Brittany finally turned her attention elsewhere.

After dinner I started to make my way upstairs.

"Where are you going?" my mom asked.

"To call Arthur," I said.

"That can wait. Come join us," she said. "It's not everyday that your aunt and uncle are in town."

"Oh, let him go, Kerry," Uncle George said. "He's young and obviously in love. Let him go call his boyfriend."

"Thanks, Uncle George," I called and then ran up the stairs before my mom could protest.

I sat on my bed and called Arthur. I propped up the pillows behind my back while it rang.

"Hello, sweetie," Arthur answered and I melted.

"Hi, beautiful."

"How's Thanksgiving dinner?"

"It was delicious."

That was when I noticed the door hadn't closed all the way when I thought I shut it. Oh well. I was too comfortable now to get up and close it.

"How was yours?" I asked him.

"Good. I liked the person Eva brought home. Ashely. They were nice."

"That's good," I said.

A little black dog nose pushed my door open and a white fluff ball of puppy came bouncing into my room.

"No, Opal," I said to her. "Get out." I pointed to the door, but she took this to mean to jump on my bag to my chair to my bed.

"Don't be mean to her," Arthur said into my ear. "Puppies are cute."

I had told him about Opal last night and he had told me what he knew about Ashley although he hadn't met them yet.

"She is cute," I relented as Opal crossed the bed and nudged my hand. I stroked her side. She smiled happily.

"We could get a puppy," Arthur said.

"Not while we are in school," I said. "Neither of us have the proper time to care for a puppy."

"Do you always have to be realistic?" he said into my ear. "Couldn't you just pretend?"

"Okay," I said. "I didn't realize that was what we were doing."

Opal walked to the end of my bed and began to turn around in circles. Then she squatted.

"No! Opal!" I shouted as she peed on my bed.

"What is it?" Arthur asked. "What's wrong?"

I clambered off my bed, but I didn't know what to do other than put my free hand on my head in despair as she continued to pee.

"Opal," I pleaded, but it was no use.

"Why are you yelling at her?" Kylie asked as she burst into my room, hands on hips, clearly angry with me.

"She's peeing on my bed," I pointed to the puppy for emphasis.

Opal finished and came to the edge of the bed tentatively wagging her tail.

"You're scaring her," Kylie said. She lifted Opal from my bed. "It's okay, baby," she said to the puppy. She kissed the top of her head.

"It's not okay," I said as I pointed to my wet quilt.

Leo and my mom entered the room.

"She's just a baby," Leo said. He walked to Kylie's side and petted the top of Opal's head. "She doesn't know any better, do you, baby?" He leaned down so Opal could give him a kiss.

"Then teach her," I said exasperated.

"It's just a little pee," my mom said as she pulled off my blankets and sheets. "It'll wash out. It's not like it's going to kill you."

"It got on my mattress, mom," I pointed to the spot.

That was when I registered that Arthur was laughing into the phone. "It's not funny," I said to him.

"Yes it is," he said and continued to laugh.

"I'll get a rag and wash it off," my mom said with the blankets and sheets wrapped up in her arms.

"Mom, it's going into the mattress. You can't just wash the surface and then say it's clean," I said.

She was already heading out of the room. "Stop making it into a big deal," she said.

"I can't sleep on this," I said. "I need a new bed, mom. A new bed."

My mom actually rolled her eyes at me, but she said as she walked out. "Fine. Next time you visit, you'll have a new bed."

Kylie and Leo waited until my mom was gone before they both smirked.

"Good girl," Kylie said.

"What? You're praising her for peeing on my bed?"

"It's what we trained her to do," Leo said retaining that evil smirk.

"Yes, she's a good girl," Kylie agreed.

"I hate you both," I said.

They laughed and left taking Opal with them. Arthur was still laughing in my ear.

"It's not funny, Arthur. They trained their puppy to pee on my bed. I slept on that bed last night."

"They didn't train her to pee on your bed. They were messing with you. They have their own apartment, right? They only stay at your parent's house for holidays same as you. Your bed didn't smell like pee last night, did it?"

"No," I said. What he said made sense and I relaxed slightly.

"Sleep in the guest room tonight," he said.

"I can't. My uncle and aunt are staying with us."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot. Your friends live nearby right? Maybe you could sleep over at Alex's or Vincent's?"

"No. There is no way I'm going to Vincent's. He won't even be sleeping at his family's house. I don't want to be a bother to Alex and his mom. I'll just sleep on the couch."

And I did sleep on the couch. In the early morning hours, a puppy jumped up on me and slept on my chest. I let her because I was too tired to dispute it and she wasn't peeing on me.