The Stepfather

Hi, my name is Jackson.

PAIGE: Bad news.
ME: Did you double book your bed again tonight, Paige.
PAIGE: No, Chris is here.

She was referring to our stepfather.

The one who wants to kill me.

I knew I shouldn't have let Mom stay so long. She's like a magnet for crazy people.

ME: Where is he?
PAIGE: In the living room.
ME: Is he packing?
PAIGE: When is he not?
ME: Where's Mom?
PAIGE: She crawled out the fire escape leaving her children to die by her husband's hand.

Am I surprised?

Not at all.

ME: Text Jeremy and tell him not to come home. Then you go out the fire escape.
PAIGE: I can't leave you here!
ME: Paige, listen to me, if I die--someone has to kill Mom.
PAIGE: Good point.

I went into the living room to see Chris sitting on the couch.

CHRIS: Hello son.
ME: Hey Pop, how you been?
CHRIS: Real good. Finally beat that double homicide rap.

Damn the American Justice System.

CHRIS: Where's your Mom?
ME: She bailed. I'm sure if you threw yourself out the window you could still land on her.
CHRIS: Still got that smart mouth.
ME: You bet.
CHRIS: Question is: do you have my money?

I had given my mother drugs so that she would be in the right frame of mind to supply the funds I needed for my fantastic lifestyle.

It just so happened that money belonged to Chris.

ME: That money's long gone, Chris.
CHRIS: That's not exactly what I wanted to hear.

He got up and before I knew it, he was grabbing the back of my neck.

CHRIS: I guess I'm going to have to--
VOICE: Hi Chris.

We both spun around to see Jeremy standing there with Hank and Billy.

JEREMY: Have you met our boyfriends?
CHRIS: I could care less what you little fags do. All I care about is retribution.
JEREMY: It was just money. We're family, aren't we?
CHRIS: Considering this--

He held out a piece of paper, and let it fall to the floor.

CHRIS: I'd say money just moved up.

I picked it up.

Divorce papers.

Chris was divorcing Mom.

Part of me was happy, then the other part of me informed the first part that the divorce meant I was now eligible to be thrown into the nearest river by my former stepfather.

JEREMY: Sad to see you go, Chris.
CHRIS: I doubt that.
JEREMY: Then you doubt right.
BILLY: It was nice to meet you, but you should head out now.
HANK: We already called the police.
CHRIS: You're lying.

That was when we heard sirens.

ME: Guess it's time to head out, Chris.

He looked around, then smiled at me.

CHRIS: This isn't over, Jackson.

Isn't that what all the bad guys say?