"Stop telling me what to do," I said into the phone. Still in bed I glanced out the window at the rain. Lumped up on a pillow next to me Critter purred loudly.
"Just because you don't accept Jesus as your personal savior, doesn't mean you're off the hook. Don't argue with me. I'm coming by tonight, and you're going to listen," Avery said and hung up.
"Crrrappp!" I headed for the shower. No amount of scrubbing could get rid of my anger. Back in my room I dressed in jeans and a heavy sweater and went down to breakfast. Felipe was taking waffles from the waffle iron.
"You look pissed," he said.
"That's an inadequate word. My brother is coming over tonight. He doesn't take no for an answer. The only way I've ever learned to deal with him is to just not be here when he shows up. So, what would you like do to tonight? There's a good band at High Rocks Pub across the river in Gladstone."
"He's big into Jesus, right?" Felipe asked, assuming an expression similar to one a child wears right before it does something devious.
"Oh yeah. Everything he doesn't want to take responsibility for, he assigns to his savior."
"Jeeeessieee," Felipe yelled. He set the waffles and syrup on the dining room table and went back for the plate of eggs.
"Yes?" came a voice from one of the downstairs bedrooms.
"You up for some fun?" Felipe asked.
"Absolutely." Jessie entered the room. "What's up?"
"What say we teach Raven's brother about Jesus?" Felipe said.
"Count me in," Jessie said. "Remember the last time? I'm still getting letters from that lady."
We sat down to eat.
"What kind of letters?" I asked.
"She keeps offering me her soul," Jessie said.
"No matter what he tells her, how he explains what we did, she's still convinced it was all true," Felipe said. "It's hard to believe how many people don't want to grow up."
"What did you do to her?" I asked.
"The same thing we're going to do to Avery." Felipe laughed. "Only this time...."
"What you got planned?" I covered my waffles in syrup and took a bite.
"Don't sweat it," Felipe said. "You just get to writing. We'll handle Avery."
Chapter 20