The Saintwood Series

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

There’s more to living than tricks, or is there?

Carrington

After the school lifted my suspension, Mason threatened me with military school if I didn’t get my s**t together. Yeah, okay. I’ll go to college and wreak havoc. Joseph, Theresa, and Christine will be there to keep an eye on things. Kate was moving closer to the college to open a bakery. Charles was getting married at summer’s end.

Charles sees Maggie while Theresa dates Grant. Christine is dating Troy, and Joseph is with Mary. My siblings will marry after they graduate from college. Kate had gotten engaged to a fellow, but he died while serving in the military. She refused to date anyone after the guy, and I didn’t blame her.

I finished by the grace of God, and Saintwood College accepted me. It’s because my family owns the damn school. Our parents helped build it, considering they were wealthy. Mason invested, as did Kate. All of us would become partners in the school. The idea was ridiculous to me.

I pranked my siblings that summer, which earned their wrath and a knife thrown at my head. Thanks, Elliot. Mason punished me and made me endure brutal training with a former drill instructor. I swear my family has no sense of humor.

Why couldn’t I have fun? Was that too much to ask?

“Carri!” Charles said.

I groaned and strolled into the living room with my hands shoved in my pockets.

“Maurice tells me you’re fighting with his brother.”

“Maurice’s brother is an i***t, as are the rest of his damn family. He deserved to get his ass beat. How the hell are you friends with him? Better yet, how the hell is Mason doing business with Marty Frazier?”

Mason entered the living room. “That is none of your business.”

“The Fraziers are scum, and you know it,” I told Mason.

Mason gave me a disapproving expression. “Carri, there are things you don’t understand. When you get into the business, you will learn them. Now excuse me, I have a meeting with Edward Morgan.” Mason left.

That was the problem with this family. They had their hands in s**t they shouldn’t. Our parents would turn over in their graves if they knew what my brothers were doing. Mason is brilliant and understands the game, but Charles made the wrong choices.

“I understand you don’t care for Fraziers, but Maurice is my best friend, and he’s not into what his family is doing,” Charles said.

I had my doubts. The rotten apple doesn’t fall too far from the corrupt apple tree. Maurice’s crooked, as was Frank Shaw. “You need better friends.”

Charles walked away as I shook my head. Charles forgets I went to school with his acquaintances. They’re not squeaky clean. Greg had a gambling problem, Maurice had a temper and a drinking issue, and Frank enjoyed little girls. Yeah, those were great friends. God help them if they ever have kids.

I went to bother Joseph, who was communing with nature. I found him sitting in the backyard with his eyes closed, making an ohm sound. What’s wrong with my family?

I grabbed an empty pail, filled it with ice-cold water from the outside spigot, and dumped it on Joseph.

“Carri!” Joseph stood up.

I held the empty pail in my hand.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“This place bores me.”

That’s all it took as we duked it out in the backyard. Joseph received a fat lip while I received a bloody nose out of the deal.

We sat there. I handed Joseph a handkerchief while holding a cloth to my nose.

“Must you start s**t to cure your boredom?” Joseph asked me.

“I have to do something. I pissed off Charles, going after one of the Frazier brothers.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because he’s an i***t, and I hate that family.”

“Yeah, well, Mason is meeting with Edward Morgan. The Fraziers reneged on a deal and pulled some shit.”

“Then Mason should speak to the big brother because he’s into some shady shit.”

“What did Charles do?”

“I don’t know the details, but Marco Frazier let something slip about Charles negotiating a deal, and it’s bad.”

“Christ.”

I wanted nothing to do with my brother’s business dealings. I knew I would go into the family business after I graduated, but whatever they were doing was on them.

“Stay out of it, Carri. I’ll talk to Mason.”

I raised my hands in defeat. You didn’t have to tell me twice since I had enough on my plate without getting involved with shady dealings.

*****

Joseph talked to Mason. I don’t know what was said, but Mason warned Charles about his deal. Does my brother listen? No, he’s an i***t.

Charles will do what he wants, dragging his i***t friends into the mix. God help us if he and his buddies have children one day, and I’m sure the kids will have the i***t gene passed down to them.

Most of the summer, I harassed my siblings, who threatened to beat my ass. Mason forced me into hard labor to straighten my ass out before attending college. My family was the fun police. Was it my fault I put a cherry bomb in one of Mason’s billion bathrooms in the house? No, it’s not. However, I got yelled at for doing it while Christine was using one bathroom.

Theresa had to separate us because Christine wanted to hurt me. She tried to destroy Elliot the most when he flung a knife at her, and she beat the hell out of him. Kate played a mediator between us. It’s excellent that she didn’t run off, get married, and have kids. We needed her to play peacemaker.

*****

The summer ended, and I was going to college with Theresa, Joseph, and Christine. We would return home around Christmas for Charles’s wedding.

We arrived at the campus, and Joseph drove us to the house that we were staying in while we attended college. It made me happy not to live in a dorm since I can’t deal with a stuffy roommate. I’m lucky to remain with my siblings, and they’re stuffy enough for me.

Joseph pulled into a driveway, and we exited the car.

“Carri.” Joseph got my attention.

I looked at him.

“This isn’t high school, and the school won’t tolerate your obnoxious behavior.”

“I’m surprised they tolerate your pompous behavior.”

Theresa snickered, and Christine rolled her eyes.

“Lighten up, Joseph. Our family is far from exhibiting good behavior.”

“Don’t make me call Mason.”

“Call him. Mason doesn’t scare me, and neither does anyone else.” I shrugged.

Christine walked over to me. “Carri, one day, you’ll understand why you must conduct yourself properly.”

“Well, until then, I’m okay with having fun. The rest of you can worry about yourselves.” I grabbed my bags.

That was the problem with my family. They worry too much about people’s perceptions of us. People will think what they want. Let them. One day, societies will fear us, making us powerful in our own right.

Now, I intend to enjoy myself. But my life would take an unexpected turn.