Meet Me By The Dock

Chapter 36

Mattie's front door swings open and Mrs. Remington comes sweeping past me, "Oh hello Lilah, I'm so happy to see you. You're a breath of fresh air in a house with all of these boys." She takes a deep breath, "I have to go out, but can you keep an eye on them to make sure they don't make a bigger mess?" She looks down at her phone for the time, her long dark hair falling into her face before she tucks it back. "Oh shoot, I'm late— I have to go, bye sweetheart."

"Bye." I smile and wave to her as she gets in her car.

I turn back to the open door and come face to face with an out of breath Monty, "Lilah, thank god you're here." Is all he says before he leaves the door open and heads left to the living room.

"What's going on?" I ask when I shut the front door behind me.

Miles walks calmly into the foyer from the kitchen and asks, "Would you happen to own a ladder?"

"Maybe? If we do, my mom and I have no idea where it is." I respond and Dean strolls in.

"I told you she wouldn't know." He says.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I place a hand to my chest and pretend to be hurt.

"You and your mother just don't seem like the ladder type." He replies.

"You would be right." I say as we walk into the living room. "The light in our hallway went out the first week of the summer and we still haven't changed it, it'll probably stay like that until the end of time— oh my god! What did you do?" I stare up at the large red stain in the ceiling, then I look back down at Miles.

"Why are you looking at me?" He asks, shocked.

Mattie comes strolling in from the kitchen, when he sees me his face break into a smile. "Hey, Lilo."

"Hi, are you seeing this?" I question because I'm surprised he hasn't already cleaned it up.

"Mhm," He nods and wraps an arm around my waist, "They said they have the clean up under control, so I'm trusting they have the clean up under control."

"Oh hey Lilah." Xander says from the couch. He's sticking a sticker I assume he bought in town on his guitar case.

"Hey." I smile over at him. I've come to realize Xander is my favorite out of the four of them, not including Mattie. He's never any trouble, except for that one time with the whiskey. I'd like to live in blissful ignorance, I don't want to hear any stories of what they get up to back in New York, even though I'm sure I will. Also, I still have to tell Mattie about the possibility of me moving.

It wouldn't be soon, but last night mom and I started looking at school districts and properties. Nothing is set in stone because she still has to go in for an interview and fill out applications and paperwork, but we're keeping our fingers crossed and daring to hope.

"They don't have the clean up under control." Xander informs me and sweeps his dark hair out of his face before he leans over his guitar case for another sticker.

I look up at Mattie and ask, "So, would you like to fill me in?"

"Well, we ordered too many pizzas last night, and no one here likes day-old pizza. So, Xander dared Monty to spin the pizza on his finger for $100."

I scoff and turn to Xander, who's grinning. "I thought you were innocent." I told him.

He tuts, "I never claimed innocence."

"So Monty tried, and failed." Mattie continues.

"It's impossible," Monty adds with a shrug, "If I can't do it, obviously no one can."