Suzie’s House 548 : At Bruce’s Place

As Bruce stepped into his house, his fathers pride and joy – a tower of empty beer cans – crashed to the floor. One of the cans even shot out of the living room to the little entry hall where he and his band mates stood. He couldn’t have been any more mortified.

“Wow. This looks… familiar.” Gene stared down at the can bumping up against his foot.

“Heh. Yeah.” Ben nodded his head. “Just like where you used to live. Only cleaner.”

“Yeah?” Bruce knew there was a thing there, that Gene was getting adopted by Ben’s mom, but he didn’t know that much about before. He wasn’t sure he wanted to feel the connection between them.

“When I lived with my real dad, it was like this. I like it better now.” He smiled a little.

“Come one. It isn’t good to hang out in the living room when he’s like that.” Bruce lead the way.

The others didn’t argue when his father started swearing as he reassembled his tower. Bruce noticed how crusty the carpet in the hall had gotten. Funny, he didn’t normally think about it. They passed his brother’s door. There was muffled voices and thumping inside that made him uncomfortable, so he hurried past.

He opened the door to his own room, then thought better of it, but before he could close the door again, Emma had already stuck her head inside.

“Wow. A-and I thought m-my room was a mess.”

“Wow.” Tracy pushed in as Emma pulled back. “At least there’s a path to the bed.”

“Wow.” Gene backed away, looking impressed.

“Wow.” Justine blinked really hard a couple of times. “But it doesn’t smell bad. It’s just deep.”

“Hah, hah. I’ll just go ahead and say Wow without even…” Lisa glanced in. “Oh, my.” She covered her mouth with her hand.

“It’s not that bad.” Ben took a step inside. Something crunched and he backed up.

“Uh…. maybe the kitchen….” Bruce didn’t actually have much hope but he since they’d already come this far. He closed the door.

Now the mess he lived in felt more personal to him. His head hung as he lead back the way they’d come. They would have to cross through the living room. He hoped there wouldn’t be an ugly scene. Even if they got to the kitchen safely, it wasn’t like there was anything good there.

“So you didn’t have the nerve to set foot in my house but you’re fine with Bruce’s room?” Justin sounded half teasing, half insulted.

“I was just keeping Lisa company,” Ben muttered.

“I’m not talented like that,” Lisa whined. “Not that I can’t handle music exactly. But….”

“It’s fine.” Justin didn’t sound fine, but when he got like that there was no point in arguing.

Just as they got to it, the door to Bruce’s brother’s bedroom flew open. A girl ran out in tears. Great. Now there’d be no way to avoid a scene. Except a thick cloud of pot smoke rolled out, so maybe he’d be mellow.

“Heeeeeey! If it isn’t Little Brother. What you got here? A new band?”

“What’s it to you,” Bruce growled. He put himself between his brother and his band mates, and sort of paddled them safely past.

“Another pack of losers. It least these aren’t like twice your age. But how much longer are you going to do this crap?” He followed them down the hall.

“Shut up. Just leave us alone.”

Instead of going through the living room, everyone went right out the front door. Luckily his brother didn’t follow them out.

“Can I be a part of your family,” Bruce asked Justin.

“Nah. Mom makes me clean my room. Daily.”

“Let’s try Katie’s place.” Tracy lead the way down the sidewalk.

“Yeah. Katie’s place next!”

They all went off like nothing special had happened. Just more of what they’d run into all day since they couldn’t go to Suzie’s House.

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