Both

Vicky leaned her head backwards over the edge of the tub as her mother used the showerhead to remove the paint from her distraught daughter’s hair. Every so often, she had to remind her child to keep her eyes closed. Olivia couldn’t help but flinch every time she heard her husband swear at one or both of their sons. Eventually, she had to tell Don to tone it down.

“Sweetie, can I talk to you for a minute?” Olivia beckoned her husband.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Can you cool it a bit with them for a little while?”

“If I don’t yell at them, then they’ll think they’re getting off easy,” Don reminded her.

“I’m not asking you to stop yelling at them. I’m just asking you to keep it down until I’m finished cleaning Vicky’s hair. Every time you yell, I get nervous and get closer to accidentally getting paint in our daughter’s eyes,” Olivia informed her husband.

“Oooh. That wouldn’t be good. Alright Baby, I’ll clam up for now.”

“Thanks Mom!” Jimmy smiled.

“Don’t thank me! As soon as I’m done helping your sister, I’m taking the muzzle off your father. If he wants to tan your little ass, he’s got my blessings. It’s the least you deserve for being a wretched little shit!” Olivia scolded her sons.

The two boys were stunned. They had never heard their mother swear before. After that, the cleaning continued at the Walker house. It went on for several hours. At midnight, Olivia declared that she had been able to get most of the paint out of Vicky’s hair and would take the girl to the salon in the morning. The boys however, were just getting started. While Don was too tired and too unwilling to wake the neighbors, he still made the boys clean up what they could. He called it quits at about three in the morning.

“Okay boys, while their out tomorrow, you’ll tackle the bathroom and the stairs. The place is all yours again, Vicky!” Don said to his children. Vicky glared at each of her brothers she walked past them.

Across town, while the Walkers did their best to rid Vicky’s apartment of paint, Zack tossed the bag full of his paint-covered clothes in the trash. He then took to cleaning the in-ground pool that dominated his parents’ backyard. As he skimmed the pool of leaves, he couldn’t help but think of Victoria and how hurt and embarrassed she looked when the pain had first hit her. Zack prayed that she never had to endure that again. After adding chlorine and rolling out the solar cover, Zack put out the trash and brought in the mail and newspapers that had accumulated over the last few days. As he wandered around his house, his phone vibrated almost constantly. Each time he checked to see if the message was from Victoria. Each time it wasn’t and his phone went back into his pocket. After doing some laundry, he finally had **** but to answer.

“Hey” he sent to Chloe.

“ABOUT TIME YOU ANSWERED! What happened?” his best friend replied.

“Vicky had a bad night” Zack answered.

“What happened 2 V?” came from Ashley’s number.

“I don’t know how much she wants me to tell everyone, so I’ll leave the details to her,” Zack told his other blonde friend.

“TELL ME!” Ashley demanded.

“All I’ll tell you is that involved her brothers and we won’t be back tomorrow,” Zack refused to budge.

“Enuff said!”

“Okay, I’m wiped out, so I’m going to bed, I’ll try to call Chloe tomorrow,” Zack sent before shutting off his phone for the night and crawling into bed.