Bad Blood Read Free

McNeal that Rachel and I had eaten a huge lunch, and I certainly didn’t want her to know how terrified I was to hear that she had prepared duck eggs and that mysterious poke salad just for us. The last thing I wanted to do was get on my future mother-in-law’s shit list. I was still thinking about Ernest’s odd behavior and the menacing voice of Janet, but I managed to sit down with a smile on my face.
    A few minutes later Rachel returned. Shuffling behind her was a young woman, also in her twenties, in a brown corduroy dress and men’s house shoes. She looked a lot like Rachel, too, except she was slightly taller. There was a dazed expression on her face as she looked me up and down.
    â€œHoney, this is my baby sister, Janet,” Rachel said, introducing her.
    I leaped up and stumbled over to Janet with the biggest smile I could manage, even though all kinds of questions, concerns, and disappointments were bouncing off the walls inside my head. “I’m glad to finally meet you, Janet,” I said as I reached out to embrace her.
    â€œDon’t you tetch me!” she yelled with a Southern drawl that was so thick, it sounded fake. “I know you the one that’s been sneaking into my room in the middle of the night and playing with my titties!”
    â€œJanet, this is my fiancé, Seth. He’s never been here before.” Rachel didn’t even bother to hide her exasperation. She turned to me with an apologetic look on her face. “Honey, my brother and my sister were both born with a, uh, few problems. But they’re just fine, as long as they take their medication.”
    â€œOkay,” was all I could think to say. Medication? Both of Rachel’s siblings have to take medication? For what? My chest tightened, and my brain felt as if it had frozen. Uh-oh. What have I gotten myself into? I wondered.

Chapter 2
    Rachel
    S ETH OFFERED TO TAKE OUR LUGGAGE TO MY OLD BEDROOM, BUT Mama insisted on taking it herself. Naturally, I followed behind her, because I could tell from the look on her face that she had something to say to me that she didn’t want Seth to hear. I was right. The moment we got inside the neatly organized room, with its roll-away bed, mismatched dressers, and frilly yellow curtains, she set the luggage on the floor, shut the door, and lit into me.
    â€œHow come Seth is looking like somebody knocked the wind out of him?”
    â€œWhat do you mean, Mama?” I asked dumbly.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with you, girl?” Mama snapped, shaking her finger in my face. “Didn’t you see the look on his face when Ernest refused to shake his hand?”
    â€œI didn’t notice.”
    â€œWell, I know you noticed the way he looked when Janet yelled out and then when she came into the room. You ain’t blind.”
    â€œNow that you mentioned it, Seth did seem a bit surprised, I guess.”
    â€œSurprised? The way that man was looking, you could have knocked him over with a feather. If I didn’t know no better, I’d swear you ain’t told him about our family.”
    â€œI haven’t told him everything,” I muttered. “I didn’t want him to get the wrong impression about Janet and Ernest before he met them. I wanted to wait until we got here.”
    Mama gasped so hard, she choked on some air. I clapped her on the back, and as soon as she composed herself, she continued. “Oh, my Lord in heaven! All this time he thought we was just a typical American family?”
    â€œMama, as far as I’m concerned, we are just a typical American family.” I began to wring my hands and pace the floor.
    â€œStand still, because you making me even more upset.” I stopped in my tracks, but Mama still seemed just as upset. “There ain’t no such thing as a ‘typical American family,’ unless you count the one on Leave It to Beaver. This is a new day. Even Bill Cosby’s TV family and his