Zenon's Game Chapter 168

"Your parents made mistakes," I told them both, "Especially yours," I mumbled to Zenon, before addressing them both again, "But now you're here and neither of you have another brother. Why don't you make that count?"

I thought that was a passionate speech. My mind was a bit foggy with red wine and I waited for the boys to respond.

"Because he's an assh*le," Jake answered, pointing at his brother, "You said so yourself."

"I called him a j*e*r*k, actually," I mumbled.

My j*e*r*k. There's a difference.

"Go ahead," Zenon raised his hands, "Both of you. It's not like I carry the weight of this family. You don't do sh*t around the house Jake, and the pressure to be somebody falls on me."

Annika accidentally knocked the two bottles off the coffee table and apologized, not wanting to interrupt their argument.

"Yeah right. I could invent a time machine and dad still wouldn't look at me twice!" Jake argued back.

"What is there to look at? You came here and disrespect my mom every day-"

"Your mom is-"

"Jake," Zenon snarled, getting close to the couch and very close to Jake, "If you say another word about my mother, I'll punch you."

Why did this have to escalate so quickly? We've witnessed too many arguments today.

Jake squared up to Zenon, "You don't scare me, Zenon. Your mom is a home wrecker."

And just like that, Zenon's fist came into contact with Jake's jaw.

With a crack.

I screamed.

Jake had tried to move out of the way, since Zenon had given him a warning, but wasn't quick enough.

Jake rammed his body against Zenon in retaliation and I screamed at them to stop. The sound of that first punch was all I kept hearing in my ears.

"STOP!" I tried to get between them, but they were fighting each other so aggressively, it was hard to see how I wouldn't be punched by mistake.

Zenon raised his hands over his head protectively before jabbing Jake again. Jake threw all his weight behind his punches.

SMASH

The boys looked over. Annika had smashed a bottle against the coffee table and was holding the top half.

"I thought this would get your attention," she said.

"It will get their parents'..." I whistled, staring at the smashed glass pieces all around the couch and carpet.

Zenon and Jake slowly, very slowly, separated. Jake nursed his jaw, holding his hand against the blood on his mouth. Zenon pressed his arm against his left shoulder and rolled it back.

It was 1.30AM on a Monday and we were a complete disaster.

I faced the two boys, "One of you fools tell me where the broom cupboard is."

I had zero pity for them. Watching boys fight like zoo animals was not something to applaud.

"We don't have a cupboard," Zenon answered. He saw the anger and disappointment on my face and sighed, "We have a vacuum in the kitchen. I'll get it."

"Good idea," I said. "I'll come with you."

We entered the kitchen and he flicked the light on. The metallic surfaces of their kitchen appliances reflected that light. I closed the door behind us to give us some privacy.

How his parents still hadn't woken up after all that noise made me think that they were on some serious sleeping pills.

"Jake's drunk," I said. "What's your excuse?"

Zenon didn't respond.

"Are you pleased with yourself now?" I asked him, crossing my hands over my chest, "You were already angry and you took it out on your brother."

"Stop calling him my brother."

"That's what he is! And no amount of punching him is going to change that!"

Zenon walked towards a fruit basket on the kitchen counter and picked out a banana. I watched him peeled the banana and eat it. He winced at the pain in his shoulder.

This boy

"You're stressed and tired and that's given you anger issues," I said, reaching out to him, "You beat up Art and now Jake-"

"Insightful, Candace," he stopped me.

He put the banana down.

"Maybe you can look at it from my side for once," he suggested, "You're my girlfriend so why do I keep feeling like you're on everyone else's side but mine?"

I didn't have anything to say to that.

Zenon continued, "How do you think I feel about you and Jake? You made it clear at one point you liked him. Now you're defending him?!"

I didn't say anything. We both knew I didn't like Jake like that.

He said, "My parents made a big mistake and my mom is paying for it. It was her idea for Jake to come live with us, and he keeps disrespecting her. You heard what he said to her at dinner on Saturday. He makes these digs at her and no one will tell him to stop because they don't want to hurt his sensitive feelings."

Zenon turned away from me and exhaled. He stared up at the ceiling.

For a well-known person, Zenon had so much about him that no one knew.

I suppose that's how life is. We never know what people are going through, even those closest to us.

That being said, Zenon's my boyfriend and I was trying very hard to learn.

I stayed quiet. I wanted him to let this out, to release all the tension. Finally he was opening up to me.

Zenon looked at me. "Do you think I like being the kid that my parents hound every second of the day? Charlotte f*cked off in her typically outlandish way and Jake refuses to do anything our parents ask. I can't complain because everything in my life is meant to be so f*cking perfect."

"Nothing is perfect," I said, "No one is perfect."

I guess even Zenon Albert needed to hear that.

I ventured further, "But that shouldn't make you a bully."