Vacation from Hell: Part V

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Vacation from Hell

Part V

An R.L. Mathewson Chronicle

“We’re hungry,” Mathew said as his little brother Joshua stood by their cousin’s side, glaring down at Cole, who simply gestured back to the pile of Tic Tacs, old gum, and the expired granola bar that he’d managed to scavenge from the bottom of Aunt Zoe’s purse, Uncle Trevor’s backpack, and his old gym bag before he returned his attention back to the YouTube video that he was watching.

“Can I have a ribbon in my hair?” Jessica asked as he frowned down at the video, wondering how he was supposed to pull this off braid off without a hundred mini hair elastics.

“I don’t think we have any,” Cole said absently as he worked on the next series of braids.

“Mom might have some,” she said, sounding hopeful and as much as he would love to wake Aunt Zoe up, he couldn’t.

Mostly because Uncle Trevor would kill him.

“Let her sleep,” he said, glancing over to the other double-bed to check on his sister and noted that she was still reading.

“We’re hungry,” Joshua bit out with a glare.

“Too bad,” he said, really hoping that Uncle Trevor hurried up so that-

“What’s a period?” Jessica suddenly asked, making him pause mid-braid to share a look of horror with his little brother Joshua only to find his brother frowning at down him.

“He doesn’t know,” Mathew murmured as he shifted his attention to Elizabeth, who was sitting there, staring intently down at her book, and pretending that she hadn’t heard them, effectively screwing him over.

As one, they turned their attention back to him. “Well, what is it?” Joshua asked.

“Well, it’s umm,” he started to mumble as he took in the three small faces looking at him expectantly as he sat there, struggling to remember how to breathe.

“Is Mikey gonna die?” Jessica asked, her bottom lip trembling.

“I don’t want Mikey to die,” Mathew said with a glare down at him as though this was somehow his fault.

“Look, it’s just-”

“Don’t all girls get periods?” Joshua asked, making Jessica gasp.

“Am I gonna die? I don’t want to die!”

“No, you’re not going to-” he started to say only to end up sighing heavily as Jessica jumped off the bed crying and ran into the bathroom before slamming the door shut and locking it and before he had a chance to go after her, the boys were back in his face, glaring down at him.

“You’ll pay for that.”

Shaking his head with a sigh, he tossed the iPad aside and said, “Whatever,” just before they made their move.

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