“Where are you?”
“In the bathroom, down near Dad’s office. But they’ll be looking for me soon,” she says.
“You know, I think it would be easier to just tell them.”
“I can’t. They’ll be disappointed,” she says.
I laugh. “Cara, we could become the country’s worst serial killers, and our parents would still find a way to be proud of us.”
It’s not all that far-fetched. Whenever either of us has been in trouble, or done something we shouldn’t have, my dad always finds a positive out of the situation. Even last night when he picked me up from the police station, all he said was he was proud I didn’t talk and that next time I should try harder not to get caught.
He questioned what I was doing in Zara’s car. I told him the truth. She was going to race with or without me, so I chose to go with her.
“I can do it for you,” I tell Cara. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my little sister.
“It’s not really your problem, Ares. I messed up,” she says.
“I’m coming down. Make up your mind. I think you should rip the bandage off and get it over with. But if you want to keep hiding this, I’ll help you escape them for a bit.”
“Have I told you you’re the best brother?” she says.
“Not lately.” I laugh.
“Well, you are. I really don’t know what I’d do without you, Ares.”
“Good thing you’ll never have to find out.” Opening my door, I cut the call and make my way downstairs.
My mum is in the living room setting up a game of Monopoly, The Godfather edition. She thought it was hilarious to have us play the mafia edition of the game. As if we don’t play that in our everyday lives.
“Hey, can I play?” I ask her.
Mum looks up in surprise. “Of course you can. You aren’t going out tonight?”
“Nah, thought I’d grace you all with my presence.” I sit down on the floor by the coffee table, where she’s setting up the game, and pick up the rifle as my player piece.
“There you are,” Mum says when Cara walks in. “Let me go get your father. Family game night is happening. I’m ordering pizza too.”
“Are we ripping the bandage off?” I ask Cara.
“Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow,” she says.
“Okay.” I reach over and wrap my arm around her shoulder. “You know you didn’t do anything wrong.”
She gives me a look that tells me she doesn’t believe my words. She feels guilty, and that’s going to take a little while before it goes away, if it ever will.
“All right, who is ready to lose?” my dad asks the moment he enters the room.
“I hope you are, because I’ve been taking lessons from Uncle G. I know what it takes to be Don,” I tell him.
“Yeah, well, I witnessed him become Don. I’ve been playing gangster a lot longer than you, kid,” Dad says.
“I’m aware of how old you are. It’s starting to show…” I lift my hand to the side of my head and point. “Right here.”
My dad is vain. He hates the idea of getting old. There aren’t actually any grey hairs on him yet, but thinking there are will fuck with his head and give me a chance to actually win this thing.
“Game on,” Dad says.
“Right, well, I’m banker,” Cara announces. She loves being the banker.
