The Grudge: A Neighbor from Hell Chronicle

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The Grudge

Part I

An R.L. Mathewson Chronicle

“What are you doing here?” Jonathan asked, shooting him a questioning look as he dropped his backpack by the door before throwing himself across Sebastian’s bed.

“I live here,” Sebastian pointed out as he shifted his search to under his bed.

“Barely,” Jonathan said before asking, “What are you looking for?”

“Something to read,” he said, sighing heavily as he shoved another stack of books that he’d already read aside and decided to take another look at the books on his desk.

“Why didn’t you go to the library?”

“Because it’s closed today,” he said as he went through the books on his desk, hoping to find something that he’d missed earlier.

“Then borrow mom’s Kindle,” Jonathan suggested with a shrug as he turned on their television and grabbed a game controller.

“I’ve already read everything on there.”

Well, at least the books that he was allowed to read, he silently amended even as he couldn’t help but wonder if his father would be willing to let him buy a new book. Probably not, since he-

“Then borrow Mikey’s Kindle,” Jonathan suggested.

“I would, but she’s not talking to me,” he said, still trying to figure out what he did this time.

“She’s downstairs.”

“What is she doing here?” he asked, already heading for the door.

“No idea,” his brother called after him as he quickly made his way downstairs, pausing along the way to look for her only to find her sitting on the living room couch with his father, watching TV, and absently rolling the baseball that he got her last week between her hands.

“I thought you weren’t talking to me,” Sebastian asked, glancing back at the television to see what she was watching.

“I’m not,” Mikey said, making him frown.

“Then what are you doing here?” he asked, noting that they’d already watched this movie as he walked over and sat down on the couch next to her.

“I’m hanging out with my new BFF,” she said, pointing towards his father.

 “I told you that I was sorry,” he bit out as he sent his father a glare.

“Really? And what pray tell are you sorry for?” she demanded sweetly, making his father wince in sympathy.

“For everything?” he said, hoping that was enough.

With a glare, and god, where did she learn to glare like that, she turned her attention back to the movie that had bored her to tears the first time around. For several long minutes, he sat there, glaring at her as he racked his brain, trying to figure out what he did wrong until finally he gave up and said, “You hate this movie.”

When she ignored him, he went back to glaring at her, drumming his fingertips against the armrest as he debated his next move. He briefly considered stealing her ball and keeping it until she forgave him, but-

“Bye, Dad! We love you!” Jessica and Mathew said, barely sparing them a glance as they raced towards the front door with his twin not too far behind.

“Where are they going?” he asked, frowning as he watched them leave.

“Kasey invited them to sleep over tonight so that they could help her taste test new pizza and brownie recipes,” his father said as he glanced down at his watch.

“Then what is she doing here?” he asked, gesturing towards Mikey, who was already back to glaring at him.

“We have plans,” his father said before glancing down at Mikey. “You ready to go?”

“Absolutely,” she said, shooting him one last pointed glare before heading towards the front door, leaving him sitting there, wondering what was happening.

“Wait. Where’s mom?” he demanded, looking around the room for the one person that could help him make sense out of what was happening.

“She’s working late at the Fire & Brimstone. Lucifer is implementing a new payroll system and he needed her help trying to figure it out,” his father explained as he tossed him the remote and got up.

“Wait. I’m coming too,” Sebastian said, moving to follow after them only to have Mikey yell over her shoulder, “You weren’t invited.”

“That had to hurt,” his father said with a sympathetic wince as he closed the door, leaving Sebastian standing there realizing that there was only one thing left for him to do.