Cousin Snitch

A slim brown girl stared up at her cousin, who was six feet four, with palpable resentment. The boy had an arrogant smile wound up on his face. The party was so lit; why did his cousin have to call it quits at midnight? They had until ten a.m until her ‘rents returned home from the world Health Fund Conference.

She had mercilessly kicked out all his peers. Had she not been having the time of her life? That soccer player, Dave was into her the whole night. He would chat her up any time she wasn’t being completely and utterly OCD!

Avery was furious. She had hosted the stupid shindig nut none of her friends were allowed in because quote on quote: this party ain’t for little losers. It was her home but she had let her cousin, Anthony B. Rogers takeover like herpes.

He had dirt on her all the time…Avery help me throw a party while aunt’s away otherwise, your crush Dave will find out you still have a retainer and you're the one that ratted out your class for pranking Mr Pearson last semester.

Him and her were the best of friends once now he was using her academic exploits and poor dental history to leave her single and lonely for junior high. 

Avery faced him as if they were desperados in a gun match. She took her shot…

“This is all your fault,” Avery said to her cousin.

“Well, if it's my fault, it is equally yours....your mom left you in charge anyway.”

She held her head, realizing he was right.

Tony smirked, knowing full and well he was undeniably speaking the truth.

“Shut it, Tony.”

She flicked his dark forehead.

“Quit rubbing it in. Now help me clean or else well both in trouble, now!”

He squinted.

“And if I say no?” he said, crossing his arms.

She took out her I-phone and showed Tony pictures of himself flandering about with the girls from her school and of him smoking a hookah pipe.

His eyes glazed over and in a panic be hurriedly tried to snatch the phone from Avery. Avery smirked as she held it away from him.

“You decide not to cooperate and these photos are going to our moms. Then you'll be back in the country lickety split!”

My cousin grimaced. He hated the country. He would have to toil on the land; and plough and harvest.He would have to take care of the animals and the donkeys and llamas were absolutely demonic!

And worst of all there weren't any babes in the country like the ones in town. He shook with pent-up fury. 

“You wouldn't dare!”

“Try me. I am getting pretty sick of the people you hang with coming to my house.”

“You are the devil's kin.”

Avery went around collecting empty beer cans, empty cider bottles and the half drunken Rosés.

She dumped them all in the black refuse bag. The glass clattered in as she dragged it listlessly on the tiled floor.

Tony was disinfecting every bathroom. He wore his aunt's blue face mask, those large, yellow kitchen  gloves and he wore his old Van's. 

The toilet was stained brown and the rank or four of sweat, sex, alcohol and barf. Tony shuddered as he grabbed the toilet brush. The toilet lid was shit when he opened the pungent odour made his eyes water and his stomach churn uneasily.

“God, that smells awful!” he whined. 

He gagged but nothing came up from his gut. He regretted his decision to throw a house party. After two hours the kitchen and all the bathrooms in the house were sufficiently clean.

They had one issue though...the back-door was hanging of its hinges and there were stains on the ceilings everywhere. A weird sickly yellow-orange stain. The lounge and the dining had  trails of chip packets, cigarettes, condoms, gum and other varieties of garbage laying on the floor idly.

“What idiot did this junk?” said Tony, staring at the mangled door.

Avery huffed. Was he serious? Who else but his peers? She had no-one she particularly cared for at the party at all.

“Obviously your idiot friends. I'm  never letting you have a chill here ever again.”

Tony felt her icy stare freeze his backside. He warmed himself by rubbing his shoulders briefly.

Tony did not argue. Avery held the door as he screwed in back the hinges. The door was unstable but as long as the kept it shut no-one would know the difference, right?

“will this hold, dude?” she said anxiously.

“Definitely.”

She sighed. She went up the stairs which escaped the holocaust like party. Not much privacy was to be had there. Everyone had a good vantage of what you were up to: smoking or snogging…and if you were high and on those stairs it was a long fall to Earth.

Tony ran after Avery.

“Look, I know it was a mess but you should thank me for the greatest party of all time!”

Avery swore at Tony. He stared blankly at her.

“Screw you! I had a horrible time. I was surrounded by peopled drinking and smoking! And I finally saw the light….Dave is a big asshole like you! Ok, maybe he’s better, at least, I know he’d never blackmail his family to get what he wanted.

I’m warning you! If you so much as try to make me do anything for you I will send the pics from tonight to your parents; and I heard from Becky down the block you are quite famous.”

Tony paled.

“Avery, trying to be a snitch again! Don’t you dare mention my ex or tonight or I’ll….”

Avery glowered and giggled. Tony was caught off guard. He was used to her scuttling off after mumbling a timid yes or an okay.

“Or you’ll what? Not this time. If you throw another party I’ll snitch and you can say bye-bye to Jessica, Mackenzie and Brynn.”

As Avery stomped upstairs Tony remorsefully bowed his head.

“So, much for having a Fourth of July celebration,” he groaned to himself.

He sat at the foot of the black, wheeling staircase his cousin disappeared up.