“No,” A.J. answered. “It’s me; can I come in?”
“If ya have the key to the door, sure,” Lenore responded while wiping her eyes.
A.J. unlocked the door, then went over and sat down on her bed. “I’m not pleased that you tried to seriously hurt Jessica,” he informed her. “But, I have to know exactly what it was that she said to get you mad enough to do something so stupid.”
“You’re in luck,” Lenore replicated. “I have it all on tape.” With that she reached into her pocket and pulled out her tape recorder. She rewound it, then played it for him, so he’d see why she’d gotten so mad. When she’d finished playing it, A.J. took the tape recorder from her, rewound the tape, and then played it again.
“I can’t believe she thinks of us in that way,” he said. “After all we’ve done for her; we’ve helped take care of her since she was five or six.”
“I know, that’s why I called her an inconsiderate, cold-hearted little witch,” Lenore told him. “I couldn’t believe she could sit there, look me straight in the eye, and say all that.”
“You know that you have to apologize to her in order for Brian to forgive you,” A.J. stated. “Kevin and everyone else isn’t too pleased with you either.”
“I know,” Lenore replied sadly. “Can you tell them that I’m really sorry and that I’m willing to apologize to her.”
“Sure,” A.J. replicated heading towards the door. “Then I’ll play the tape for them.”
“A.J.,” Lenore called after him. “Thanks, and can you please tell Kevin that I didn’t mean what I said; I was just really upset and didn’t know how to handle it.”
A.J. nodded, then closed the door and went back downstairs. He walked into the living room, glaring at Jessica as he entered. “I now know why Lenore tried to strangle the rug-rat here,” he told them. “She says she’s really sorry, and ready to apologize to everyone. She gave me her tape recorder too, so that you guys can hear exactly what was said. Oh, and Kevin, she’s really, really sorry about what she called you earlier, and says she really didn’t mean it.”
“Lets hear the tape then,” Howie riposted. “I for one want to know what made her mad enough to do what she did.”
“Uh, I’d better be leaving,” Jessica stated nervously. “I really don’t wanna be here when ya play that tape.”
“It must be pretty bad if you’re wanting to leave,” Nick retorted. “I think that you should stay, just to find out how mad we’re gonna be.”
“Look, before you listen to the tape, just remember this,” Jessica started.
“I’m jealous of the relationship that Lenore has with Brian and Stevie.
She’s forever with them, making sure that we never get to spend anytime with them at all. Everytime we even look at them, she tells us off, and tries to get us into trouble. Of course she ends up getting into trouble instead ‘cause dad loves us more than her and I can see why; she’s a very rude, cold-hearted, inconsiderate, jealous witch!” With that said Jessica ran out of the living room and up to her bedroom to hide.
“I’m not liking where this is heading one bit,” Brian stated. “By the looks of it we’ve got sibling rivalry going on again, but much worse this time.”
“Let’s listen to the tape already,” Stevie cut in. “I want to know what the hell she said to get Lenore so ticked.”
They listened to the tape, getting angrier by the second. They couldn’t believe what was being exchanged between the two of them. The six of them didn’t know what to say after the tape had ended.
“Uh, Emily, Tessa, it’s time for you to go to bed,” Kevin told them, realizing that it was eight o’clock. “Stevie will read ya a story once ya through brushing your teeth and washing your face.”
With that Stevie led the two of them upstairs and got them ready for bed rather quickly, for he knew their dad would probably be home soon.
