Page 10 of Property of Mercury

“What’s your point?” Orion parries. “We know I’m an overgrown child, Merc, and as far as I’m concerned, life’s too short not to enjoy the things we like. So there.”

“You gonna stick your tongue out at me next, child?” Mercury asks, smirking at Orion.

“Expect the unexpected,” Orion retorts. “Which means, no, because you’re anticipating me doing that very thing, I’ll keep my tongue to myself.”

I snort and voice my internal thoughts, “You remind me of that commercial when Toys ‘R Us was still open and a kid's dream.”

“Hey! I resent that. I was a Toys ‘R Us kid. I had every matchbox car ever printed,” Orion says, looking affronted.

Laughing, I admit, “My cousins were like that with Barbies, me however, I went for all of the remote control cars and had them in abundance.”

“You and I would’ve been besties,” Orion announces as Mercury rolls his eyes and reaches out, placing his hand on my back to escort me out of the room. “Hey, what’s the rush? I was making friends, Mercury.”

“Y’all can do that in the truck,” he grumbles. “The smell of antiseptic is burning my nostrils.”

I sniff and look at him as if he’s grown a second head. This isn’t a traditional hospital, it’s more like a clinic. It has a clean, sanitized smell but it isn’t to the point that your nose hairs feel like they’re going to singe. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Get used to it, he’s like a stick in the mud,” Orion says, snickering as he reaches out and plucks me away from Mercury, much to the man’s displeasure if the growl he emits is evidence of that. “You need to stick with people who share your enthusiasm for life, Fin. Leave the surly assholes in the rearview mirror.”

“Why are you baiting him?” I lean in and whisper out the question.

“Because the fucker ate the last bowl of my cereal this morning. He knew I had been dreaming about eating it since dinner last night,” he complains.

“How would he know that?” I ask as we walk through the sliding glass doors.

“The asshole knows because I was drooling over it when I told everyone to keep their hands off of it,” he tells me.

“Y’all really are a bunch of overgrown kids,” I giggle.

Orion lets go of me, takes a step back and bows, using his best Elvis impression, he says, “Thank you. Thank you very much.”

“Jesus fuck,” Mercury growls as he hits the keyfob for the truck and unlocks it. “Would you two get in already?”

Placing my hands on my hips I give him my most surly look and state, “We just got here! Patience is a virtue, Mercury.”

Apparently, tired of our antics, he scoops me up and sets me on the seat, placing the small bag of things I’ve accumulated at my feet. Looking at Orion, he says, “Get in, fucker, or get left behind.”

I don’t know what I was expecting when I saw the clubhouse for the first time, but this was not it. I’m not a judgy person per se, but this place looks like it’s standing on a hope and a prayer. “Did you go buy out all of the bubble gum the stores had? Is that what’s keeping this place standing?”

“We inherited it. It’s a work in progress,” Orion admits as he cringes.

“It’s getting there. It’s not quite habitable yet, but there’s plumbing and electricity,” Mercury tacks on. “For now, we’re staying in the main house behind the clubhouse. But the driveway leading there is fucked up, so we park here and walk to the house.”

“Oh, this is what a girl who was just released from a doctor’s care wants to do. A trek through two feet of weeds,” I bellyache. Giving Orion puppy eyes, I ask, “Piggyback ride?”

“Hot damn!” Orion shouts. He crouches down and says, “Hop on, I’ll give you a ride you’ll never forget.” Once I’m securely on his back he turns to his cousin and says, “Last one there has to clean the toilets!” He races off with me giggling on his back.

Mercury is hot on our feet, picking up speed which has me leaning into Orion, hollering, “Pick up the speed or I’m gonna sell you to the glue factory!”

“They’d reject him, he’s got rabies,” Mercury prattles as he passes us, laughing.

“I didn’t know he could do that,” I say to Orion.

“Do what?” he asks, his tone pouty.

“Laugh,” I answer.

“He has his moments,” Orion tells me as he slowly lets me glide down his back. He stays steady until he knows I’m not going to lose my balance as Mercury steps back off the porch and comes over, lifting me up in his arms. “Well, looks like Merc has found his inner gentleman.”