"What?" Carl asked, staring at Betty as she was making tea, her back to him, but he continued, "What the hell do you mean dad isn't doing Family Game Night tonight? That was a week ago, and it wasn't even his fault, he shouldn't-"
"Whether he should or shouldn't feel bad is irrelevant, what matters is that he does feel bad," Betty said, "And he won't be joining us tonight. He's leaving you and me in charge, so go get Risk out of the game cabinet." "I don't even know where the game cabinet IS," Carl said, sitting down on a stool at the island. "Alright, I'll go, just watch my tea," Betty said, as she exited the kitchen. Carl sat there and looked at his nails, which he'd painted a sort of seafoam green the other night. He smiled at it, and then wondered if he was going too fast. He wasn't even exactly sure yet what he considered himself...and then Ashley came in, in torn jeans and a white tank top with writing that said, "There's no rules for dating my daughter" on it. "Hey," Ashley said, heading straight for the fridge and getting a bottle of juice out and then a glass from the cabinet. She set it down on the island and started pouring, and then looked at Carl, who had watched her, and got another glass for him too. After she sipped her juice, she exhaled and looked around, "Where's dad?" "In their bedroom," Carl said, "He's too upset about last week to come play. Claims the whole thing was his fault." "Probably because you kept telling him it was his fault," Ashley said, wiping her mouth on her arm, "Just guessing though." "Hey, dad didn't sleep with Anna's sister, alright?" Carl said, "Besides, mom's in charge and I'm sure she'll do fine....you smell weird." "That your opener for all women you meet?" Ashley asked, "You might wanna work on that." Carl sniffed around her, leaning over the island on his elbows, "You smell like...I can't place it, it's really familiar. You smell like something fruity." "Ok that's just homophobic," Ashley said, the both of them grinning. Just then, the teapot started screeching and Ashley took it off the stove when Anna came into the kitchen in grey heels and a cute strapless blue dress. They smiled at one another as Anna sat down at the island next to Carl. "I am so tired," Anna said, running her face down with her palms, "I had such a long day, and I have an evaluation next week, and it's just like...it's just too much to handle right now. Can I have some juice?" Carl gave her his glass and she drank some before pouring more into the glass. Ashley came away from the stove and leaned on the island, grinning. Carl and Anna looked at one another before looking back at her, both looking unnerved. "What?" they asked in unison. "Wanna fuck with Jason?" Ashley asked. "After last week? Yeah, I really would," Anna said, "Why? What you got in mind?" *** Jason was sitting in his car, in the driveway of his childhood home, dreading going inside for Family Game Night. He kept tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, trying to think of anything he could to distract him from everything that had fallen apart in the last few weeks, especially the previous week. Since last game night, Anna hadn't been talking to him much, and some nights hadn't come home until very, very late. This made Jason nervous for numerous reasons, most of them ridiculous. He sighed and rested his forehead on the steering wheel, unsure of what to do, when there was a knock on his driver side window. He jolted up, surprised, and then rolled the window down to see Ashley standing there. "What?" he asked. "Are you coming inside? It's gonna start soon," she said, "Also, dad isn't playing tonight." "He's...he's not?" "He feels bad for forcing that sorry idea on us last week," Ashley said, "So mom's taking over for this week. Anyway, come inside, everyone's here and-" "...I don't know that I want to," Jason said, but Ashley reached in, unlocked his door and started pulling him out by his arm. "Alriiiight, come on sad sack, let's go," she said, putting his arm around her shoulder and helping him inside. Once in the foyer, Jason straightened up and fixed his tie, smiling a little bit more. He looked at Ashley and nodded approvingly. "You're a pretty good sister," he said. "She is pretty nice," a voice said from the kitchen entrance, which Jason immediately recognized as Monica. He looked at her, his face flushed, his eyes burning with anger at his sister. He figured something like this might've happened. "It's nice to see you," Jason said. "Yeah, I guess it's nice to see you," Monica said, approaching them, "though I might be a little more lenient than my sister is right now." Monica walked back into the kitchen, which was when Jason grabbed Ashley by the shoulders, snarling into her face, a stupid enormous grin on her the entire time. "Why did you invite Anna's sister?!" Jason whispered angrily at her, "After last week, you...oh...oh I see, this is a lesson isn't it? I get it. You and Carl and Anna, you all think you're so fucking clever don't you? This is low." "That's rich, coming from a cheater," Ashley whispered back, "And I'll have you know, Monica and Anna aren't really on the best speaking terms right now. Probably because you slept with one of them while being married to the other. So you've not only ruined your own marriage, but a sisterhood as well. Well done." Ashley patted him on the shoulder before heading into the kitchen. Jason just stayed in the foyer, running his hands over his face, gritting his teeth, wanting to scream his lungs out. He felt a hand on his shoulder and put his hands down to see his mom standing there, smiling at him. "You don't hate me?" he managed to sniffle out. "I hate what you've done, but no Jason, I don't hate you. You're my son, I am never going to hate you, even if I disagree with your choices," Betty said, "Come on, help me set up the board." Jason followed his mother into the living room, where she put Risk down on the table and took the lid off. Jason sat on the couch, not even helping, just watching her as she set the game up. He ran his hands through his hair, exhaling loudly. "I can't...I've ruined my whole life, and worse than that, I've...I've ruined Anna's life too," he said, "As if I don't feel bad enough already...and not because it came out that it happened, but because I did it in the first place. Anna doesn't come home until late now, I don't know what she's out doing or anything. She won't talk to me, which I deserve, and I don't have any right to know everything she does, she's her own person, but still..." "When your father and I were in college," Betty said, "Or, rather, when I was in college helping your father, there was this couple in his morning class. They were living together off campus, and at school everything seemed fine. They were sweet and lovey to one another all the time. Then, one morning, they're late for class and when she finally comes in, she's asking for help and she's got blood on her. She shot him, right there in their kitchen, because he was abusing her. He wasn't even getting drunk and using alcohol as an excuse, no, he was just beating the shit out of her of his own want in their home. She put up a good facade in public so nobody asked any questions, but he was so controlling, and she couldn't do anything she wanted with anyone she wanted, friends or family, whatever. She finally had enough and probably saved her own life, all in the name of self defense. Still, people came to the guys defense far more than they did for her. They claimed if he had reason to be suspicious, then maybe she was doing something behind his back, as if jealousy is any justification for killing anyone, man or woman. So, when the shoe inevitably drops, if you and Anna break up, just know that no matter what happens, you'll win out in the end, even if you weren't the one in the wrong, all because you're a man and society is conditioned to believe you far long before it even considers believing her." "I know all about the inequality women face, believe me, I'm not a sexist, you know that. I love Anna so much, but I don't think I'm the person she's supposed to be with, and like what you said, no reason is going to justify what I did. Excuses, excuses, all that jazz. She...she deserves someone better than me. I think we got married because it was easy. There was no risk involved. We liked one another, and it was safer than putting more time into someone else after that many years together," Jason said. "That's how life is, often, Jason," Betty said, stroking his hair, kissing the top of his head, "I'm going to get the others." Betty exited the living room, leaving Jason alone. He just sat and stared at the game board, and then his eyes wandered over to where his father should be sitting, if he wasn't upstairs, feeling ashamed. Jason wanted so badly to go upstairs and get his dad, bring him down, make him see none of this was his fault, but he just didn't have it in him. Sometimes people need their space. He was coming to learn that the hard way. Betty, Monica, Ashley, Anna and Carl came into the room and all took their seats. Risk is designed for up to 6 players, so with Harold sitting this week out, everyone got a chance. Anna was sitting directly across from Jason, next to her sister on one side and Ashley on another and Carl was beside Jason, with Betty at the end of the table. "Well, I actually have good news," Ashley said, "I found a new client to replace Snack Cats. Looks like I won't be in the red by the end of this year after all." "Hey that's great," Carl said, as they all set up, "I have another job interview tomorrow, so this looks pretty promising actually. Hopefully by next week I'll be employed." "This guy I met last month is taking me to this fancy ass boat house his folks own up in Tahoe next week," Monica said, "I'm pretty excited, 'cause I haven't had time off from work in months it feels like." Everyone had something going for them, things were looking up for everyone, except Jason. He needed to win this game. He needed SOMETHING. *** "Oh god, it's nearly 1 am," Anna whined as Ashley yawned, sitting in the big lazy chair. It had come down to Ashley, Carl and Jason. Anna, Monica and Betty had been taken out, and Ashley was on the brink of destruction, teetering on failure. Jason had everything except Ashley's hold on South America and Carl's hold on Asia. Ashley leaned closer to Carl and whispered while Jason mulled over his options. "We fucked up and Monica is out, but she and Anna are talking more...still...I'll give in to you if you take Jason out. He needs to topple," Ashley muttered, and Carl nodded. "I can do it, I know I can," Carl said, "Just leave it to me." Ashley set about setting up her own downfall, allowing Carl to take control of her armies and land, and putting him into prime position to set up Jason's demise. After the next few turns, Ashley was out as well, and went to sit by her mother. Carl looked across the table at Jason, and could see his brother chewing on his nails, which he knew from growing up that he only did when he was really nervous. "So where'd you meet this boat house guy, Monica?" Ashley asked. "At the country club, where I wait tables, well I'm actually the head of the kitchen department, but waiting tables just saves time when explaining my job to people," Monica said. "That must piss off all the rich white people, eh?" Anna asked, "That you're a successful black woman at their country club?" "Honestly, Anna, the prototype country club that rich white people created is just a way to still have some form of slavery over african americans. It's still a huge, overly rich plot of land, not unlike that of an orchard or plantation, and they love to 'employ' us. They barely have any other folks that aren't black working there, it's...kinda sickening. But the pay is rather decent, so I keep it until I decide what I really wanna do," Monica said. "I agree," Jason said, which took everyone by surprise, as he looked up and scratched his head, "I mean, she's not wrong. The entire idea of a country club is for luxary for those who can afford it, and we don't allow people who aren't the majority, white, to be able to afford it. We fix the system in our favor, stack the odds against them, and then tell them they just need to 'work harder' or some bullshit, when, let's face it, a lot of those white people didn't work at all and were born into that money. She's totally right." "Well, thank..thank you, Jason," Monica said, and Anna smiled. "Speaking of toppling the top 1% white male patriarchy," Carl said, "I'm about to destroy your entire regime. Game, set match." Everyone looked at the board and realized he wasn't joking. Jason looked up from the board at Carl and saw Carl was staring at him with the most intense look in his eyes. "...I...I just...wanted..." Jason mumbled. "Oh, YOU wanted something? Well, I bet your wife wanted someone who wouldn't cheat on her, with someone in her own family nonetheless. By the way, this lesson has nothing to do with you being a straight while male, like so many people seem to think these days, no, it has to do with you being just kind of an asshole. Stop. fucking. hurting people," Carl said, and Jason stood up, the both of them standing there, staring at one another, "I know that that's the risk one takes when you trust somebody, especially in something like marriage, but-" "What the fuck would you know about marriage?!" Jason shouted, "You've barely ever had girlfriends! You're so fucking sad and unmasculine, you think you wanna BE a girl!" And that was it. There was a collective gasp within the room, as even Jason's eyes widened, and he realized what he'd just said. Carl's eyes were swelling with tears, as Anna stood up and walked to Carl, putting her arms around his shoulders. "Carl, I'm so-I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean-" And down Jason went to the floor, as Ashley's fist collided with his jaw. Jason rolled onto his back, clenching his jaw with his hand, massaging it as he looked upwards at his sister, towering over him. "Fuck you!" Ashley shouted, "How fucking DARE you say that to anyone, let alone a family member! The fuck is WRONG with you?!" And then Ashley grabbed the board and started beating her brother with it. "Ow!" Jason said, shielding himself with his hands, "The fuck, Ashley, stop! That hurts!" "Yeah, well, getting beat up is the risk you take, I guess, for being a dick!" she yelled, continuing to beat him with it. After a few moments, Harold was standing behind Ashley, holding her back, looking at Jason. "Dad?" he asked. "I can't leave you people alone for a single week without it devolving into a soap opera," Harold said, "This right here, this is why we even HAVE family game night, is because families fucking hate eachother, and that shouldn't be the norm. Look at every single family sitcom since the late 90s, it's all insults and backhanded remarks, it's a snarkfest. Families should not hate one another. You're supposed to love your family. You're supposed to be able to depend on them. They're supposed to be the one group of people in your life who won't hurt you or abandon you. Look at yourselves. I guess I failed in raising you, or maybe society just corrupts us no matter what our base influence is, I don't know, all I know is that this is sick and this fighting has to stop. Jason, apologize to Carl." Jason looked from his father to his brother, stood up and rubbed his jaw a bit more before putting his jacket on and just left. Everyone looked at Carl, who just turned and went upstairs, nearly sobbing before even shutting their bedroom door. Harold sighed as Betty got up and helped him start to pick up the pieces of the game. Monica looked at her sister, and then went out the front door as well, maybe to follow Jason, nobody was sure. Ashley looked at Anna, who just stayed sitting in the chair. After Betty and Harold left the room to put the game away and head upstairs, Ashley sat down on the couch and looked at Anna. "...Anna, you know you can stay with me as long as you'd like, but I can't tell you what to do about your marriage," Ashley said, "I mean-" "Harold's wrong," Anna said sternly, taking Ashley by surprise. "What?" "Your father...is wrong. He sees fighting and yelling and thinks that's bad. He thinks that because he knows no different. I come from a family who adopted a black sister, which is great, but that was because they wanted to prove they were good people, that they weren't racists. To someone who has a family, you don't know what having no family is like. Yeah, you all fight and yell and stuff, but you're together, you keep coming back week after week and everything works itself out. That's a hell of a lot better than not having any family at all," Anna said. Ashley stood up, walked to Anna's chair, sat in her lap and kissed her. Anna's hand reached out and pulled the string on the floor lamp, turning it off, leaving them in darkness.
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Family Game Night follows the Fuller family, a (possibly too) tight knit family who meet every Thursday night to play board games...and air their dirty laundry. Archives
March 2019
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