Dead to the World Read Online Free

now, huh? Since the only time you’ll be in that house is when I invite you in! Which may be never!’
    Three days after Christmas, Edgar joined the Marines and left town – permanently, he hoped.

TWO
    BACK HOME
    T here were different reactions to being left home on their own, each according to the particular sister’s views and personality. Alicia, the foster sister and newest member of the family, had been left alone on many occasions in her foster career and barely noticed; Bess was stoic about it. Being left alone meant responsibilities, but she was a responsible person and could totally handle it; but Megan … Megan was delighted, if not downright joyful. She could think of a million things to be done in the two days her parents would be gone that would otherwise never be accomplished. She even played with the thought of losing her virginity, but didn’t have a boy in mind for the honor, so nixed the idea. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t stay out late, find someone to buy them beer, or find an adult station on cable … like, there were
so
many temptations to choose from!
    There aren’t a lot of rules in the Pugh household: don’t hit if you can help it; if you’re male, put the seat down in the bathroom; if you’re female, keep sanitary products out of sight; if it’s on the floor anybody can use it (like a sweater, scarf, pen, whatever); and the newest one (and mandatory to all), knock before entering a room with a closed door. Megan had that one half down. She knocked on her sister Bess’s door that Saturday
as
she opened it.
    Bess had half a second to slam shut her newly acquired yearbook and shove it under her pillow before Megan was upon her.
    ‘You’re supposed to knock!’ Bess said.
    ‘I did!’ Megan answered, flopping on Bess’s bed.
    ‘
Before
you enter the room, stupid!’
    ‘Don’t call me stupid!’
    ‘Then don’t do stupid things!’
    ‘Whatever. Are you going to the dance?’ Megan asked.
    ‘What dance?’
    Megan sighed. ‘The spring dance. Now who’s stupid?’
    ‘No,’ Bess said emphatically.
    Megan turned from her stomach to her side so she could look her sister in the eye. ‘Why the hell not?’
    Bess shrugged. ‘Don’t want to.’
    ‘Bullshit.’
    Bess did not reply. She rolled off the bed and headed out the door of her room.
    ‘Where are you going?’ Megan demanded.
    ‘To the kitchen. I’m hungry.’
    ‘You’re never hungry between meals, Miss Goody-Two-Shoes!’ Megan said, following her sister out the door.
    ‘Whatever.’
    ‘You’re up to something!’
    Bess sighed long and hard. ‘Get over yourself! You always think something’s up when nothing is! You’re an idiot!’
    There was also a rule about name-calling, but it was widely ignored.
    ‘You’re the idiot!’ Megan shot back as they headed down the stairs.
    ‘Bite me,’ Bess said.
    ‘No way. Your skinny ass would taste awful!’
    ‘God, you are soooooo funny.’
    They found their other sister in the large kitchen sitting at the table, eating a slice of cold pizza. ‘Breakfast,’ Alicia said with her mouth full.
    ‘Any left?’ Megan asked, beating Bess to the refrigerator.
    ‘Yeah. Couple of pieces. Should we put something out for dinner tonight?’ Alicia asked.
    ‘Naw. We’ve got plenty of money. Let’s go out!’ Megan said.
    Bess snorted. ‘We
do not
have plenty of money! They’re gone for three days and Mom left us fifty dollars. We spent seventeen on the pizza and breadsticks last night. Going out for the three of us would be at least twenty to twenty-five dollars. And this is the first full day. Which would mean we’d only have like eight to ten dollars left for all day tomorrow!’
    ‘So we’re going to church with Grandma, right?’ Megan said. ‘She’ll take us out to dinner after church, right? So what’s the prob?’
    ‘Bess, I have to agree with Megs. And I don’t want to cook, and I certainly don’t want to eat anything Megan cooks—’
    ‘Hey!’ Megan