The depressed little twin brother

Chapter Fifteen

I am downstairs sitting at the table with everyone

Mom is wrapped in a blanket

Hey, Austin, how would you like to participate in a tradition that is... as old as me? Paul asked

A hundred years old? Austin asked

I laughed at the joke

Ha-ha. Yeah, very funny, laugh at Paul. Haze the new guy. Paul said

What's the tradition? I asked as I drank some of my coffee

Every year, my dad and my brother and I go chop down a Christmas tree. Paul said

With a weapon? Austin asked

With an axe, yes. Paul said

Can I use a laser? Austin asked and I smiled

Probably just an axe. But what do you say, you in? Paul asked Austin nodded

All right. And you can meet your new grandpa and uncle before they come over for Christmas Eve dinner. Paul said

What? Paul asked after he saw Ginny's face

Are they rich? Ginny said they're rich. Austin said

I... I said, they're probably proper, you know, they use butter knives. Ginny said

My place settings. I don't have butter knives. Mom said

Great Ginny you broke mom with your stupid poem. I said

She was already broke by just having you. Ginny said

Keep talking you might not make it to the Christmas dinner, mom check your trunk for the next few days if you can't find Ginny. I said

Mom, it was just a joke. Ginny said

No, if they use butter knives, we should get butter knives. Mom said

I can assure all Millers that my family does not care about butter knives. Paul said

No, I want our dining room table really fancy, like that "first Christmas Martha Stewart had when she got out of jail" fancy. I want 'em to leave impressed, so they don't think I'm this terrible monster marrying their son. Mom said

Mom, you're not a monster, personally don't listen to anything Ginny calls you, because she is a lying selfish whore who doesn't have any room to judge anyone because she didn't go through anything anyone else did. I said

Phoenix. Paul said

And you're a woman beating dick, Paul did my mom tell you that the day Phoenix got back he pointed a knife to her throat. Ginny said

Wait what? Paul asked

He apologized for it. Mom said

That doesn't matter, what if he hurt you. Paul said

But I didn't. I said

But you could've, you crazy asshole. Ginny said and I felt something hit my head

I looked at Ginny

I'm going to kill you. I said and I got up fast and my chair fell to the ground

Come on, Birdie, don't hurt your sister, I'll give you a present early if you go upstairs to your room and paint me a picture of a bird. Mom said from her seat

Fine, but if she ever says anything else to me for the next few days, you're gonna be down a kid mom. I said

Skip

After school I am walking into Blue Farm and I walked up to the register

Can I get a French vanilla iced latte and a slice of apple pie along with a bag of large cheesy jalapeno fries. I said