I will always love you part: 11

Michael POV

We started playing "Take Me Back." I was finally focused, but the fools behind me weren't. They kept laughing at their gas and rating their burps and other dumb stuff that we shouldn't have been doing, and soon I joined in.

"Buuuurp!"

"Ahh I'd say that one was a five"

"Nuh uh, Michael, you're cheating! That was at least a seven!"

"Randy, just face it, you can't burp like Jackie, dance like Michael, or sing like me," Said Marlon as he continued to crack up laughing.

"Hey, you forgot about me!" Tito said.

"Oh yeah, right. You're in the same boat as Tito!"

We all laughed until we heard the front door creak open. We all scurried to our positions and basically stood at attention like military soldiers. Lucky for us it was just Janet coming to tell us that dinner was ready. We all went inside to eat. Mother had outdone herself tonight. Everyone complemented her on the juicy chicken, smooth gravy, fluffy macoroni and cheese, and the delicious spinach salad with cranberries, goat cheese, red onion, bell pepper, almonds and balsamic vinaigrette. There were also potatoes, but since childhood we haven't wanted any. We went months at a time eating potato soup, potato salad, potato sandwiches, potato casserole, potatoes that were baked, mashed, boiled, fried. Anything that you can do with a potato, mother did it because Joseph's job allowed him to pick up the left over potatoes; and we knew that once another bag of potatoes was brought into the house, that would be all that we ate. Mother started to talk about our visit and I was absently listening until she said,

"... And Michael met a lovely young girl today too." My head whipped up and my cheeks got hot. My sisters gave me funny looks while they snickered and laughed. My brothers on the other hand looked at me with a raised eyebrow. But Joseph simply paused eating and then continued, looking at me only once. I knew this meant that we would have to talk later.