“That’s bullshit! He trashes Henri every chance he gets.”
Speaking of Henri, he’s nowhere to be seen. I’m half-hoping Oscar killed him. “Where is the little shit?”
The girl peeks out again. “I’m the little shit!”
“You’re Henri?” I’m incredulous. “Who the fuck names a girl Henri?”
“It’s short for Henrietta, jackass!” mama bear says.
“Don’t tell him, mom! I hate Henrietta!” the kid whines as she curls her fingers and gives her mom a thump on the butt.
“Henrietta! Henrietta! Henrietta!” Oscar taunts.
“Shut up!” the girl shouts.
I ignore the fact that Oscar’s egging her on. “You let a girl knock you around?” I say to him.
Before Oscar gets a chance to reply, Henri pushes herself in front of her mom. “He keeps messing with my lunch, calling me names. He’s mean.”
“And you’re a freak!” Oscar snarls.
“Shut it,” Fleming and I say at the same time.
I turn to Oscar. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Deal with this shit.”
Oscar glares at me. “What do want me to do? If I punched her you’d go mental.”
“You think you could beat me up, you weirdo?” Henri scoffs.
Oscar lunges forward, but I hold him back. “Enough!”
“Ha!” Henri smirks.
“You too, brat,” I growl.
Fleming shakes her fist as she says, “Don’t you fuckin’ talk to my kid.”
Mrs. Summers heaves a huge sigh. “I don’t like to lecture parents but think of the example you’re setting for the children.”
Fleming and I glare at her.
“Get to the point,” Fleming says. “It’s hot outside and my dog’s in the car.”
I grimace. “That’s your car? Piece of shit Toyota?”
“It gets me where I need to go.”
Mrs. Summers pulls herself up to her full height of of around five feet. It’s like lookin’ at an angry hobbit. “Enough!” she orders. “Sit down!”
We obey like we’re the twelve-year-olds we’re raising.
“I can see why your children are at loggerheads.”
“Whatever that means,” Henri says with a roll of her eyes.
Fleming gives her a small nudge in the side. “Cut it out!”
Oscar turns to me. “See. This is what I have to put up with. Smart mouth, bad attitude and beats on me cause I won’t fight back. The kids think I’m a sissy.”
