Heart's Reflection Read Free Page B

you've
got a new tattoo there?" Mr. Ellsworth pointed his knife at his son's arm.
"Did you get one of your biker friends to do it with an infected
needle?"
    "No."
    "Maybe
septicemia's already setting in. Ever think of that?"
    Mrs. Ellsworth
jumped up and grabbed a water pitcher from the sideboard. "It's so nice to
have you here tonight, Tara." She grabbed my glass, which was
three-quarters full already, and began pouring. "We haven't seen you in so
long. Isn't that right? A longtime. How's your grandmother? I
haven't—"
    "Minnie,
stop." Mr. Ellsworth picked up the saltshaker and waved it around in the
air. "I'm trying to talk to my son."
    "You don't
need to talk to him now," Mrs. Ellsworth said with a wan smile in my
direction.
    "Why not?
You're always talking about the family conversing at dinner."
    "But we have
a guest."
    "Tara's
hardly a guest," Mr. Ellsworth scoffed. "She's like one of us."
    Mr. Ellsworth
smiled in my direction and I mumbled, "thank you."
    "She's aware
Keagan's a delinquent screw-up."
    Liam stifled a
laugh, disguising his snort with a cough into his napkin as I pierced him with
a glare.
    I wanted to shout
at Mr. Ellsworth to shut up. But he was an adult and, no matter what he said
about it, I was a guest in his home. Mr. Ellsworth's verbal abuse of Keagan was
bad enough but lately Liam had been getting more and more infected by the
attitude.
    My eyes returned
to Keagan who was playing with his potatoes again. He drew two eyes with the
tip of his knife at the starchy circle center before he directed his gaze back
to me and drew a frowny mouth.
    "Well?"
Mr. Ellsworth demanded of Keagan.
    The mental vibes
of "I'm keeping my promise but it's damn hard" were wafting my way in
waves from across the table as he answered his father.
    "No,
sir," Keagan finally replied.
    "Been
expelled yet?" At his son's shaking head, Mr. Ellsworth continued,
"If you're not flunking out or getting in trouble, what are you
doing?"
    "I'm playing
football. I'm the team's new middle linebacker."
    "Linebacker?
Hmmmm." Mr. Ellsworth took another bite and chewed. With his mouth still
full of food he said, "You're a decent football player. I'll give you
that."
    Mr. Ellsworth was
a fiend for football. Figured his only half decent comment to Keagan was about
that sport.
    "Thanks,"
Keagan drawled.
    "'Course with
Liam as running back, you don't stand a chance," Mr. Ellsworth continued.
    "Yeah. The
Flyers are gonna win whether you're on that pathetic team of not," Liam
piped in.
    "Oh really? The
Hawks are a great team. We're gonna murder you."
    Keagan's words
took my breath and turned the food in my mouth to rock salt.
    "I'm
personally gonna score at least one TD by breezing right by you," Liam
shouted.
    "Dream on,
bro," Keagan shot back. "You won't get one play past me, let alone a
touchdown."
    "You can't
touch my speed," Liam yelled, clutching his dinner knife as if it was a
stiletto he was about to stab his brother with.
    "You move in
slow motion. Your team sucks and so do you," Keagan said.
    "Don't talk
to your brother that way," Mrs. Ellsworth shot out at Keagan.
    With a glare at
me, Keagan threw down his napkin as he pushed the chair back.
    "I'm so outta
here," he said, before stomping his way to the front door.
    "You come
back here, young man," his dad shouted.
    The words had no
effect and Keagan continued out, slamming the door behind him.
    Mr. Ellsworth
turned to Liam with his fork upturned as he waved it almost like an epee.
"Just make sure you play a good game, son. I hear there'll be a scout there
from the University of Georgia."
    "Yes,
Dad."
    The rock salt
dropped from my mouth to the pit of my stomach. The chance of convincing Liam
not to play in Friday's game had just officially gone from slim to none.
    * * * * *
    Sitting and
holding hands with Liam on the Ellsworth's porch swing after dinner would have
been a peaceful bliss, a respite after the family hostilities, if not for the
fact that my mind was churning. Liam's voice blah