The Gray Family

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Presley Gray

Parker

Here is the thing about my family; they are notorious for scheming. My brothers are worse. If they could scheme about something, they would. The only time they weren’t beating the hell out of each other.

They met up with Payton in the parking lot.

“Should you three skip class, considering pops will have your asses when he finds out?” Payton asked them.

“Nothing new there,” Patton commented.

“Pay, we’re doing this for Park,” Paxton reasoned.

“Risking dad’s wrath? Okay, I’ll bite,” he replied with a look.

“What would you say if we told you Park has an interest in a particular girl who stays with us?” Presley asked him.

“Who? Selena?” He looked at them. They nodded. “It will never happen. I have yet to see Park show any interest in a girl,” he told them.

“He hasn’t had a reason to show interest in a girl,” Presley reminded him with a shrug.

“I can see this going over well with ma and pops. Do you think they would like the fact of Park liking someone that came to stay with us? What if she goes home once her parents come for her?” He questioned them.

“Parker refuses to get involved with anyone. Not after that mess with that one twit,” Patton reasoned. Payton looked at them.

The thing about my brothers is they knew one thing about me that no one else knew because they saw it firsthand. They never told my parents or anyone else. I begged them not to tell anyone. To this day, I refuse to date any girl and refuse to talk about what happened that night.

“The problem is, if we plot and plan with it not working out, Parker will hate us, but he will never talk to us again. Sometimes it’s best to leave things alone,” he told them.

“Payton, you know that won’t happen, especially if nana and Grammy Pat find out,” Presley reminded him.

“That’s a low blow, even for you. Do not call Grammy and Nana,” Payton ordered him.

“Then freaking help us, you tool!” Patton snapped.

“Fine, but if this blows up in our face, and it will. I’m booking a ticket on the next flight out of the country. You know how bad Parker’s temper is,” he reminded them.

“It’s worse than the twins combined,” Presley commented, letting out a whistle.

It was true. I had a horrible temper. It wasn’t quick like the twins; it was a slow burn, and when it exploded, it exploded. It took Nixon to teach me control. He said he had the same temper.

“You better get back to class before pops find out you skipped,” Payton told them.

“How is figuring out your future going for you?” Presley commented, irking Payton.

“It’s about the same as yours once I beat your ass. Don’t be a tool, Presley,” he snapped as Presley smirked.

It was a sore spot with Payton about pops questioning him about his future. He worked odd jobs but didn’t have an idea what he wanted to do with his life. He’s stubborn with these kinds of things.

My brothers went back into the school as our older brother left. The five of us arrived at detention and took a seat. That was nothing new with us. One of us, or at least the rest of us, ended up in detention together.

I turned to Selena, who sat there. “How was your first day?”

She turned and looked at me. “It was okay. Some people were friendly, and some I didn’t like.”

“Did anyone give you a hassle?” I asked her.

“That one guy from this morning and some girl,” she answered as I looked at her with concern.

“What, girl?” I asked.

“She said her name was Sable and knew you well,” she replied. I didn’t smile while my brothers stiffened when Selena mentioned her name. “Who is she?”

“No one I want to remember,” I mumbled, turning to face the front. I said nothing after that. I was too busy fuming, knowing Sable had the gall to mention my name. I should have ripped out her tongue when I had a chance.

Patton looked at Paxton and Presley. “This is so not good,” he whispered.

“Nope,” they both agreed.

We finished our detention and went home. As soon as I hit the door, I went straight to my room, slamming my bedroom door. Payton walked out of the kitchen. “What’s with the slamming of the doors?”

“Sable told Selena she knew Parker,” Patton answered him.

“s**t,” Payton remarked as he rubbed his face.

“Payton, it’s only a matter of time before Parker’s temper flares,” Paxton warned him.

“I know, and the last time it happened, it took the four of us and Uncle Nixon to subdue him. Pops don’t know and need not know,” he warned them as our parents walked through the front door.

“We need not know what?” Pops asked them.

Having to cover for me, they threw each other under the bus with different indiscretions. Let’s say they endured a grounding because of it.

I laid on my bed, thinking back to that night. All I could think about was the humiliation I endured because I cared too much about the wrong damn person. I would never make that mistake again. I didn’t care who they were. No one would ever get close to me like that ever again.