"I didn't mean to throw his keys out the window! It was a jerk reflex! Look it up," said Tommy slyly, as he was met with a disbelieving stare from his father.
"Give it up. He didn't mention anything about keys. This is about homework."
The jig was up. Tristan anxiously bit her lower lip as she prepared for the worst. Two chairs slid out from the table as Jack’s eldest sons Adam and Liam, ages twenty and eighteen, attempted to exit the room. Jack’s eyes tracked his oldest sons from across the table, and squinted with disdain.
"Where do you two think you're going?" asked Jack, sounding perplexed and annoyed.
Adam, quick with a charming smile, turned to his father and replied, “I graduated two years ago. Don't you remember? You were there."
Meanwhile, Liam answered simply, "Iced tea.”
With irritation clear in his voice, Jack barked "Sit it down. I didn't excuse you from my table."
Liam and Adam exchanged a look indicative of, "What the hell did we do now?"
Jack scratched his head in disgust as he began to speak again. “Like I was saying, I received a call from Mr. Kendricks today. Why am I being told that none of you children ever hand in a certain assignment for his class?”
Jack’s eyes peered over his glasses as he surveyed the room for answers.
"You two,” Jack said as he pointed his fingers into the chests of Blake and Tommy, who had the misfortune of sitting on either side of him, "Are in danger of being put on academic probation... again! You are in the same English class as your younger sister! Don't you think that is a problem? Do the damn assignment. Or else."
Tommy began to open his mouth, but was interrupted by a large, calloused hand over his mouth. “Please, anyone but Tommy… Thomas, shut up,” growled Jack.
From the opposite side of Jack, Blake stood up. Though typically mild mannered, Blake spoke to his father with a firm and direct tone. “I will not do it, and you cannot make me.”
Jack, surprised by the firmness in Blake’s voice replied, “Yes, you will, you all will, for the sheer fact that if I receive another progress report or failing report card from that school, you all will be cleaning out the barn instead of playing football or whatever it is you people do for fun.”
“I don’t play football,” Blake retorted snidely.
“I prefer hockey,” remarked Tristan. Frustrated, she asked, “Do you even know what the assignment was about?”
All at once, voices overpowered one another, fingers pointed across the table, faces turned from worry to utter annoyance. Tristan remained still with her arms crossed as she peered around at her dysfunctional family. Using two fingers, Tristan a whistle sounded from her lips.
"Dad, I asked you a question. Do you even know what the assignment was?"
Cheers and comments from the others in the room called out in response to Tristan’s question. Jack quickly responded, “Shouldn’t matter. Homework is homework. The reason they failed last year is because they didn't hand in this particular assignment. I know I won't have this problem with you. I never have this problem with you.”
Tristan’s eyes began to water as rage began to quake inside of her. “No matter what I hand in for this particular project, it will not be good enough for him!”
"What do you mean? You have a near perfect average."
"The subject is not something I know anything about, and it is not something that is easily researched."
"Kendricks didn't mention that. Okay, I'll bite. What was the assignment?"
Tristan broke her glare from her father, as Blake cleared his throat.
“Create a detailed biography on a family member. Kendricks assigned each of us a family member to investigate and write an in-depth history about. Tristan was assigned Mother. We don't want to complete the assignment to support Tristan.”
Jack looked taken aback, as he gulped down air. He was not expecting this. Jack had assumed the project was a report for a book no one wanted to read. Words would not come to his mouth. He stared blankly as his children stared back at him, angry and confused looks all directed towards him.
"Kendricks said that this project makes or breaks the quarter. I told the others to do theirs so they wouldn't get into trouble," informed Tristan.
Jack stared quite blankly at Tristan, no emotion could be read on his face which caused Tristan’s cheeks to flush.
Liam, who normally stays out of such matters, piped up, “You know he’s just trying to get information on the well to do families…”
"Too bad this family is not well to do anymore," said Tommy.
“Not like he knows that...” piped up Adam.
“He knows more than you think…” grumbled Jack under his breath.
Adam eyed his father suspiciously, his temper starting to boil over the surface. Jack sat at the head of the table, pensive and quiet for a moment as the gears in his head spun round and round, processing various thoughts at once.