"How am I going to do this?" he murmured to himself.
Travis had bought an old car for Duane for Christmas. It required a lot of fixing up, but Travis hoped working on it together would bring them closer. Duane had a true gift for working on cars. He seemed to enjoy it too. It was the only thing the two of them seemed to have in common. Even more than Dustin who was better at driving the cars than at fixing them.
For the moment, Travis was leaning against the workbench in the garage smoking a cigarette while Duane put the hood up on the car and started changing out the spark plugs. "Where's Dustin?" Duane asked.
"Church," Travis replied.
"Why?"
"I reckon he wanted to gaze at Emma Harris from afar."
Duane laughed and shook his head. "Wuss," he mumbled.
"I guess he'll ask her out eventually."
"You guys sure can pick 'em," Duane said.
Travis didn't respond. He'd seen the kind of women Duane chose and he figured he had much better taste than his little brother.
"You've been looking kind of rough, lately," Duane said. "Guess that little rich bitch doesn't like you quite as much as you like her, right?" He was working away, not looking at Travis.
Again, Travis didn't respond. It was his only defense whenever Duane was grasping for something to bait him with.
"Did you two fuck while you were snowed in together?"
Travis sucked in an lungful of smoke, burning up nearly half the cigarette.
"Yeah, I guess she probably had fun with you for a few days, took a shower and then hopped back in bed with her rich, pretty fiancé. That sound about right?" Duane looked up at him, then, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Shut up, Duane," Travis said.
"It's tough finding out you're not as good as you thought you were," Duane said with mock sympathy. "Of course, I guess you're better than me. Back in high school, I never could get that little slut to sleep with me."
Travis flicked his cigarette to the concrete and stamped it out with the toe of his work boot. "Why are you pissed at me this time, Duane?"
"I'm not. I'm just making conversation."
"Well shut the hell up or I'm going to kick your ass."
Duane laughed. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Just like the old man. 'Shut up or I'll kick your ass.' You're a real big man, aren't you? You've come a long ways. I guess I ought to be grateful you let me work for you for slave's wages and live in your moldy basement and then beat me whenever you get pissed off about any little thing."
"Duane, goddammit! What do you want from me? I'm doing the best I can by you. What do you want?"
Duane glared at him and Travis thought he'd never seen a look of such pure hatred. Then Duane put on a wicked smirk and Travis felt his rage start to take hold before he even spoke. "So what's it like fucking a rich bitch?"
Travis barreled into him like a linebacker, lifting him off the ground and slamming him onto the concrete, flat on his back.
Dustin pulled into the driveway to find his brothers fighting like two abused, caged animals in the grass in front of the garage.
Travis was on top of Duane landing punch after punch into Duane's already bloodied face. Dustin cursed. Travis was like the Hulk when he got like this. He was freakishly strong. Dustin couldn't just pull him off of Duane. He would have to charge him as fast as he could. He got out of the car and ran and slammed into Travis's side with his shoulder, knocking him off of Duane. Travis fought blindly, kicking and swinging his fists. Dustin finally pinned him face down. He pressed his knee behind Travis's shoulder blades, holding one hand bent behind his back. Travis thrashed and snarled for another few seconds until he finally calmed.
"You okay?" Dustin asked.
Travis growled, so Dustin waited a few more moments.
He looked over at Duane. "You alright, Duane?" he asked.
Duane coughed, rolled to his side and spat out blood. Then he nodded and laughed--a silent, wheezing laugh.
Dustin hated when he did this. Travis couldn't see it, but Duane knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted Travis to lose his temper. Because he knew that for Travis, rage was like alcohol. Only he hadn't been able to break this addiction...not when it came to Duane.
Duane crawled to his hands and knees, still coughing and laughing. "You think you're so much better than me, but look at you," he said.
Travis growled and tried to shove himself up. Dustin jerked his arm up higher and Travis cried out in pain. "Shut up, Duane," Dustin said. "Get inside and get cleaned up."
Duane disappeared inside and Dustin waited until Travis's breathing evened out. "You okay?" he asked again.
Travis breathed a few more seconds. "Let me up," he said quietly.