Work Text:
1:53 P.M.
Shared bedroom
An ideal way for a young teen to spend their summer would be to make the most of the little time they had. Whether it be spending it with friends, enjoying the hot sun or even wasting away precious quarters in a local arcade. Unlike most kids, Stripe chose to spend his time indoors sitting on his bed practicing his drawings. For him this was a perfect and relaxing way to keep him occupied, and without school in the way this meant more time for practice.
Stripe turned 15 not a month ago and was currently breaking in the new stencils his Mother got for his birthday. Sitting on the bottom bunk of his and Bandits bed, he was letting his hand dance across his scketch book as he attempted to draw a local pizza joint from memory.
After a few hours of non stop shading, he let his stencil drop from his hand to stretch his paw and fingers. He took this moment to look over his work and catch any imperfections. His dimensions and shading were his weakest points, despite the praise he would get from his friends and family. He always had a piece of work where he always thought could be better if he had just changed the smallest thing. But all artists are like that he thought to himself.
The bedroom door burst open, snapping Stripe out of his thoughts, revealing one of his older brothers, Bandit. Stripe and Bandits' relationship was rocky to say the least, but they stuck to each other's backs when they needed to. However never a day goes by without any insults, jabs and even roughhousing. Although it's what you can expect with sibling rivalry.
"Afternoon you dirty chook." Bandit said as he went straight to the closest to grab something. The blue heeler looked like he went dumpster diving, with dirt and grass staining his fur.
"You're calling me dirty? What happened to you?" Stripe asked out of curiosity.
"Went down the street a little too quickly on my ride. The chain on my bike came loose and sent me flying. I landed in someone's garden, Pat said it looked awesome." He turned to Stripe and showed him the bottom of his elbow then said, "Check this out."
His elbow was scraped pretty badly. There was a nasty cut and some dried up blood still on his fur. Clearly he didn't clean it, at least not properly.
"Did you tell mom?" Stripe already knew the answer.
"Hell no, she'd kill me if she knew I was going that fast." Bandit returned his attention to the closet and Stripe to his sketchbook.
A few minutes of Bandit searching he pulled out a shoe box and set it on Radleys bed. He opened the box and dug around before pulling out a pack of Winfield cigarettes. When Striped saw this he instinctively rolled his eyes. His rebellious brother was no stranger to smoking. Neither was he, but as bad as Bandit.
"It's not even past 2 yet." Stripe scolded.
"Oh relax Mum, this is for later today." Bandit said, returning the box to the closet. "Pat and I are going out past the campgrounds for a little fun. Rad's coming too so don't try to get him to stop me." Bandit teased his brother.
The three brothers weren't the innocent angels their parents thought they were. At least not Stripe and Randley the two would get caught up in juvenile actions from time to time. Bandit being the trouble maker however was used to getting an earful from Mum and Dad. He never stopped his antics despite punishment after punishment. However these antics were the one thing all three of them bonded over, a poor choice of bonding but they still enjoyed themselves.
Hearing both of them were going with Pat, Stripe thought for a moment but decided to ask without thinking of consequences. "Mind if I join?"
"Well well, what has happened to my little punching bag of a brother?" Bandit heading over to Stripes lower bunk. "What would Mum say if she knew her darling golden child was a criminal?" He always liked to mock Stripe for participating.
"She hasn't found out yet. And I'm not the golden child, Radley is." Stripe set his sketchbook down, knowing his brother's next move.
"Rad is the favorite, I'm the disappointment and you're the golden child. We've established this." Without giving Stripe anytime to react, Bandit grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him down to the floor. Holding him down and laying light but swift jabs in his little brother's abdomen.
Stripe tried to push off his older brother but the punches kept preventing him to. "Get….off…me." Stripe grunted under his breath. Putting his paw in Bandits face to disorient him to no avail.
"You gotta beat me in order to go." Bandit teased Stripe flipping him to his chest, laying more jabs in his back.
"You're too easy." Bandit laughed. Stripe was never the best at roughhousing, almost always losing. But neither could compare to Radley. Speaking of which…
Stripe felt all of Bandit's weight lift off him in a flash. Hearing a gasp and then a loud thud, he turned to see Radley with his back to the floor and had Bandit on top of him in an arm and head lock while also planting his legs onto Bandits. Bandit struggled to move but was powerless. As Stripe stood up Radley yelled, "Get him NOW!"
Stripes' muzzle grew ear to ear and Bandits dropped in fear. Stripe wasted no time and let his brother have it. Jab after jab to the stomach, hips, shoulders and thighs. Bandit was hopeless.
"Cheat, you're cheating! You're not a part of this!" Bandit shouted.
"There's no rules in the rough house!" Radley taunted with a twisted grin.
After half a minute of insults and bruising a familiar voice could be heard from the ground floor. "BOYS KNOCK IT OFF NOW! YOU'RE GONNA HURT YOURSELVES!" Mum always ended their battles. But if she didn't, no one would.
The three agreed to a ceasefire and Rad let Bandit free. As he stumbled to his feet he threw one more full force fist to both Stripe and Radleys shoulders. Both laughed it off while Bandit sulked. "So can I go?" Striped asked, still wanting an answer.
"Yes you can come, right Bandy?" Rad asked in a smug tone.
"Yeah yeah..arsehole." The sore loser muttered under his breath.
An hour later the three were down in the kitchen with their Mum who was preparing for dinner. Bandit and Radley were arguing about whether or not the American band Metallica would release a new album anytime soon. Stripe had gone back to touching up his sketch in the meantime, something his mother noticed.
"It's always nice to watch you practice dear. Don't let this talent fade away." His Mums encouragement always drove him to keep pursuing his arts. It always gave him a sense of worth he doesn't feel too often.
"Thanks Mum, I'm just about done with it actually." He said.
"Don't let me see it until you're finished, I want it to be a surprise when you're all done." She said with a smile and returned to her meal prep.
"Golden child." Was all Stripe heard from Bandits whisper. He shook it off and went back to his book.
"Where did you boys say you were going again?" Christine asked her children.
"Pat's gonna show us a new trail he found by the campground. We're just gonna ride our bikes up and down till we get bored." Bandits almost instantly came up with an excuse. Good enough to fool their mother. He had practically mastered the skill over the years.
"That's nice, it's good you boys are getting your exercise in. But wear helmets please, I'm looking at you Bandit." Christine shot a look at her middle child he knew too well.
"Yes Mum, wear helmets." Bandit rolled his eyes.
"I'll make sure he does, don't worry" Radley reassured his Mum.
"Good." Chris said. She was going to leave it at that but remember to say, "Oh by the way, your Dad will be a little late coming back from the factory, he said he won't be home till after 7:30 so we'll have a late dinner. If you're gonna stay out later than usual, be back before the streetlights come on, I don't need him getting worked up like last time."
"He's always at work." Bandit spat a little louder than he wanted.
"He's trying to get some extra money. Extra money for your summer school so I don't want to hear it, mister." Christine spoke the truth. Bandit wasn't the best student which resulted in him losing a month of his summer to make up his grades.
There was a small moment of silence when there was a knock at the door. Bandit shot up out of his chair and raced to the door. Opening to find his best mate Pat.
"Hey mate, I'm ready when you lot are." Pat said with excitement.
"Alright, hold on, we'll grab the stuff." Bandit said under his breath and turned to look at his brothers. Signaling them it was now or never. "Mum Pats here we're gonna head out!" He shouted.
"Alright, remember what I said." She was oblivious to what would happen on their trip.
Radley spoke up and said aloud, "I'm just gonna grab my jacket in case it gets cold." Giving Stripe a wink hoping he remembered the plan. Stripe gave a nod.
"Hey Mum I know you wanted me to wait but, I just want to know what you think so far." Handing her his sketch of said pizza joint.
At this moment Radley left the kitchen and darted upstairs, not to his room but Dad's study. The boys were almost never allowed in there unless their Dad said otherwise. Not only because of his work area and model aircrafts, but because of the cabinet filled with booze and liquor. Radley reached behind the cabinet to grab the key that wasn't hidden well, opened the glass doors and snatched a bottle of spiced rum. Quickly he locked the cabinet and raced to their room and snatched the cigarettes, almost forgetting his jacket in the first place. Putting the jacket on and tucking the previous into the pockets, he practically jumped down the flight of stairs and waited for Stripe to finish distracting Mum. Stripe saw Rad near the doorway and waved him on. Snatch and grab was a success.
"...your shading has gotten so much better." Stripe heard Christine say as he snapped back to her attention.
"Thanks Mum, oh looks like we're ready to go. We'll see you later Mum." Stripe hurried to the front door but was stopped.
"Boys.." Their Mum said, stopping them in their tracks. Praying their plan wasn't for nothing. "...aren't you forgetting something?"
All three sighed in relief when they knew what she meant. One by one they walked back to their Mum as she kissed them on the top of their head followed by an "I love you" which they repeated back to her. Then like that, they jumped on their bikes and went off to the woods.
6:52 P.M.
Runners
The labrador and three Heeler brothers sat around each other, passing the bottle of rum and slowly killing their lungs as they told story after story all while laughing at each other's expense. Bandit had had most of the rum and was quite tipsy at this point, while the others were right on the verge of having the alcohol control their brains. They knew not to go over the limit because they still had to ride back home on top of that to have a family meal. Stripe however had the least amount of rum and chose to take in the moment to recall this day when he was older. He gets sentimental alot, probably from his Father, so any fond experience he had he wanted to remember it.
"Wait, wait, you did what with him!?" Pat asked Radley as he thought his ears deceived him.
Before Rad could respond Bandit butted in slurring, "We walked in on them. And they were FORNICATING!" Bandit bursted into laughter at his brother's embarrassment.
"We were not fornicating." Shoving his brother knocking him over while he was still laughing. Radleys cheeks were a tad red as he didn't want that to be the way he was found out. "It was just… an experiment?" The rum wasn't helping him.
Bandit and Pat were choking on their own laughter. "How is that any different? I mean come on, YOU!? You've been with more girls than in our class." Pat managed to say while taking deep breaths.
"Look it was a one time thing alright, we didn't even do anything." Radley protested.
"Tongue rustling a guy is not a, 'we didn't do anything' kind of situation." Bandit said as he took a drag from his cigarette.
"I never expected a man whore like you, to lay down with a guy. That has got to be the highlight of the summer or even the year." Pat said while his laughter died down.
"So what? I..just got tired of the same old thing. Wanted to try something new, alright." Rad said a tad annoyed at being belittled as he took a big gulp of rum.
"Oh calm down you big baby, we're just poking fun." Pat said, trying to ease his frustration.
"Sorry, I forgot to laugh." Rad spat with rum seeping out of his lips. "Besides, I wasn't that into it so it's not my thing, no use making fun of it."
"We're brothers and mates, of course we're gonna make fun of you. What good is having fun without someone's misery." Bandit joked giving Rad a side hug. Much to his annoyance.
"At least Rad is getting some. We still have our V-cards." Stripe spoke up to defend his oldest brother.
"Just wait little brother, I'll punch mine before you." Stripe rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile. "Actually, I almost lost mine once."
"Bullcrap." His best friend called his bluff.
"I'm serious, get this. She wanted to go homecoming with me right. So she asked me and, you know she was kinda cute so I went. After like an hour or two she wanted to leave and go to the lake outside of town." Bandit took a drag of his cigarette before continuing. "I was like, 'whatever' so I took her. I stored some drinks in Dads car just in case so I put them to good use. Anyway We got talking and she was coming on to me you know?"
"No I don't know, who would come onto you?" Radley insulted his brother.
"You'd be surprised you slut." Bandit shooting an insult right back. "As I was saying before I was interrupted…" giving Radley a death stare, "...She wanted me, right? But I had a funny feeling it would be a bad idea to go through with it. Plus I didn't have protection. And she was not happy, oh my god." Bandit almost lost it. Remember how furius his almost fling was when he denied her.
"Wow, you were being responsible for once? I don't even know who you are anymore." Stripe joked at his mischievous brother, while taking a swig from the bottle.
Bandit chose to ignore his Stripe and furthered his story. "After that fiesco, I had to drop her off. Thing was, a week later word got out that she was pregnant. She almost ruined my life because she didn't know who her baby daddy was." Bandit finished his cigarette, put it out and flicked it to the ground.
"No shit. Really? What a skank, how long ago was this?" Pat couldn't believe his friend kept this from him.
"Almost a year ago. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want people to think I was lying and that I was the Father." Bandit had never felt more relieved in his life when he heard the news.
"Wow, you lucked out that night huh?" Radley said, taking one last swig of the almost empty bottle of rum.
"Sure did." Bandit realized the sun had started to set along the horizon. "Wait…shit, what time is it?"
Stripe looked down at his watch. 6:59 P.M. They had half an hour before the streetlights came on.
"6:59, we should probably get going." Stripe said to the group.
"Damn I'm still a little tipsy, I'll need a shower when we get home." Bandit said, trying not to fall over when standing.
"Are you okay to ride?" Pat asked the Blue heeler.
"Not the first time he had too." Radley spoke for Bandit. And no, it wasn't.
Once they dispose of the cigarettes they lifted their bikes up to head home. However before they could, a deep gravelly voice caught them off guard. "Hello there gentlemen."
They froze and slowly turned to see a 6' 2 German shepherd standing behind them. His height, demeanor and voice wasn't the only thing that startled them. It was also what he was wearing, which gave away who he was. A park chief ranger. The last person underage minors wanted to see after smoking and drinking. "What are you boys doing out this far, this area is restricted."
Stripe's blood went cold and he couldn't think of anything to say or do. Trying to think of a convincing excuse his mind went blank every time. 'I'm screwed. All four of us are screwed' he thought to himself.
"Sorry officer…ranger uh sir.." Pat fumbled his words. "We were biking the trail and got lost, so we decided to take a break to rest our legs. Could you show us the way back to the trail?" He asked to try to convince the ranger.
The ranger looked at all four of the boys with a blank expression, only adding to his threatening stance. Stripe could tell he was not amused by Pats' fib. The ranger looked down, bent over and grabbed something off the ground before raising the item to their gaze. A cigarette butt. "This belong to any of you?" The ranger asked, his voice lower than it was a moment ago.
No one answered him. Too afraid to lie and too afraid to come clean. Stripes mind and heart was racing, what could anyone possibly do to get off scot free. Nothing. 'I am so screwed, Mum is gonna freak out I can't even think what Dad will say…or do.'
Just then the ranger looked over to Radley who was holding the almost empty bottle of rum behind his back. The ranger stepped forward to about 6 feet apart from him and sternly asked him "What are hiding from me son?"
The jig is up, they all thought. This was the end of the line. At least it should have been, because what happened next only prolonged the inevitable. Radley slowly turned his head to the three out of the rangers sight and mouthed out the absolute dumbest solution he could think of. Run.
Within a second Radley bolted away from the ranger and the three followed suit. "Hey HEY!! GODDAMNIT!" The ranger swore and he gave chase.
The boys ran as if their lives depended on it, which in a way they did. Radley was in front, Pat and Strip were in the middle and Bandit was held up the rear. Occasionally Bandit would have to pick one of them up if they tripped and fell to the ground. They trenched over dead branches, a creek, dirt mounds and slid down hills. No matter how fast they ran or how evasive they were, the ranger was hot on the tails. "RUNNING AWAY WILL ONLY MAKE IT WORSE!" The ranger yelled at the top of his lungs. That didn't stop them though. 'Shit shit shit, no no no what am I doing!? This is stupid why did I run!? I can't keep going but I can't stop either. I'm gonna die from a heart attack before my parents kill me.' Stripes' mind raced as fast as he ran.
About two minutes of running, the boys made their way back to the campgrounds. The ranger had lost track of them but knew they had to leave now. Catching their breaths for a moment Stripe noticed the exit gate was wide open.
"Guys come on, we have to go now!" Stripe said, making a beeline for the exit. It was right there it seemed too good to be true. Because it was.
As soon as Stripe made it to the gate, a 4x4 range rover seemingly came out of nowhere and parked, blocking the exit. Before he could react the same ranger came out from one of the park's bathroom structures and grabbed Stripe and pushed him on the ground scraping his knees. "GOTCHA!" The ranger said with pride. Stripe tried to fight back but the ranger was too strong. At this point he knew there was no point in fighting and let his body loosen up. The range then stood him up keeping a death grip on his wrists and said "Boy, you and your friends are in a heap of trouble." He didn't need him to tell him that he already knew it. He looked back hoping to see his friend and brothers out of sight, but soon realized they too had been caught and were being held down. Stripe was terrified at this moment, all he could do was hang his head and hold back tears in his eyes thinking of what was to come from his parents.
7:46 P.M.
Street lights on
The Heeler brothers were now sitting in the back of a police cruiser being driven straight to their home where their mother waited for them. When the Cops showed up at the campsite, they were given the option to come clean and they would be sent home with a warning or keep silent and spend a night in the county cell. All four gave in and told the truth. Normally they would still be going to the police department. But given how reckless the rangers assessed the situation, nearly running over Stripe for the element of surprise and scraping both of his knees after being tackled the officers compensated and would let them off with a warning. Pat was being driven to his own house, no doubt getting the belt from his old man.
The boys sat in silence. Radley feeling guilty for making the choice to run, roping everyone else in. Bandit assumed he was going to get most of the blame because of all his previous affairs. Stripe in his thoughts only wanting the day to be over so he could lay in bed and hate himself. The Bloodhound officer driving looked in the rear view mirror to see the brothers in their own heads. He decided to break the silence and spoke, "Well I hope you mates learned your lesson." The boys stayed silent. After a minute the officer looked at Stripe and spoke again, "Sorry about your knees, son, but in all honesty that was your mates ticket out of a night in jail. Still, it was mighty stupid to run away." The cop added with some insult to injury, "Even if you did get away one of your bikes has your address on it." Stripe shut his eyes tight, 'Of course it had to be mine.' Feeling even worse now, Radley noticed this and placed his paw on his brother's shoulder to comfort him. For a moment Stripe felt some much needed ease. Even though they would be chewed out by their parents they still have each other. It didn't last long though, the officer came to a stop and the boys looked to their left to see their home. Dad's car wasn't in the driveway yet so at least they would have more time to prepare for him.
The cop turned the key and the car's engine died. He looked back at the Heelers and said, "Time to face the music." Before getting out to escort them to the front door. Once there the officer put the boys in front of him and didn't wait to ring the doorbell. 'Here we go.' They all thought.
The door opened to reveal their mother. They had never seen such a face on her before. Blank yet filled with disappointment but most of all…hurt.
"Mrs. Heeler, I assume you know why I am here with your sons?" The officer asked.
"Yes, I just got the call a few moments ago." The parent said with melancholy in her voice who never thought she would see her sons, let alone all three of them, at her doorstep accompanied by an officer. "Thank you for bringing them home, I will take it from here…Boys. Living room. Now."
They complied. All of them sitting down waiting for Christine to return. Stripe couldn't help but think this was the most quiet the house had ever been. After a minute of waiting, their Mum entered the room. And so it begins.
"I am at a loss for words to say the least. I don't even know how or where to start, so I guess I'll just start from the beginning. First of all you lied to me, you lied about where you were going and what you were doing. You all know how I feel about lying in this house. Second…Drinking and smoking. I can't describe how hurt I am. My boys….my young boys drinking your Fathers booze, which you stole I might add, and smoking cigarettes. You were killing your brain cells and your lungs. It's bad enough your Father does it but now My Boys! You all know better, you all know you are too young to be doing that but you did it anyway. And when you were caught, YOU RAN. From the park rangers. I've never thought my boys would stoop so low." This was a mouth full for Christine. Too much for her to handle, she tried to be stern and tough on them but every word she had to say made her heart ache. She couldn't hold back anymore, her tears broke free and so did the lump in her throat. She took off her glasses and put her paws over her eyes and stood there crying.
Radley wasn't a cryer but his hardened personality was gone at the moment and his eyes shed a few tears at the sight of his mother's sadness. Bandit has never seen this side of his Mum before. This was something he couldn't bear to see. He had to turn away and fight back his tears but would soon lose that fight. Stripe was a Mama's boy, to see her so disappointed in all of her children made him feel like the worst son she could have had; he would soon follow the waterworks as well.
After a moment of this she wiped her eyes and recomposed herself then started from where she left off. "You boys were very lucky they let you off with a warning. And as far as I know your luck just ran out."
She looked at her first born. "Radley, you are supposed to be the one guiding your brothers. They've looked up to you since they could walk, and you're teaching them that it's okay to break the law and to run from the authorities? You are meant to lead by example and be the bigger dog. You are better than this." That left an impact on Radley. Being the eldest he needed to guide them, protect them and teach them. But instead he failed and told them to run. He didn't even want to call himself their brother after today. All he could at this time was four words, "I failed you, Mum." He let his head hang and cried silently. "Don't fail me, be better." She left him with that and turned to her second son.
"Bandit, I don't know why, but everytime something bad happens I'm not surprised if it had something to do with you. But this has to be far worse than everything you have done combined. I give you the benefit of my doubt because I know that you are still a good dog on the inside. But here we are again. Once more me or your Father have to crack down on you time and time again. Why do you have to keep pushing us to our limit? What happened to my son?" Bandit couldn't fight his tears any longer. He felt as if his Mother hated him for how he acts. He wanted nothing more for a second chance. But at the moment he felt like that would never happen. For once he thought he wasn't a part of the family, like he was out of place."I'm sorry Mum, please don't hate me." Bandit choking on his words. "I want to believe you're sorry, but I have a hard time believing it. You'll have to work hard to earn my trust, but you'll never have to work for my love. I would never hate my children." Finally she turned to her youngest.
"Stripe, out of the three of you. You shocked me the most. You've always kept your nose clean. You stayed out of trouble and you've always kept true to yourself. But hearing this makes me wonder if there is anything else you've kept from me. My youngest, who has always told the truth and nothing but, went behind my back and disobeyed me. I know what it's like to want to fit in with your siblings, but booze and nicotine? You should've known better. I don't know what else I can say other than I expected better out of you." Stripe was speechless. Out of the three of them, she expected him to stay away from this stuff. He felt like he disappointed his mother so much she would disown him from this one instance. "You're right Mum, I disappointed you. I can't change that. I should've been smart. I should've known better. I'm so sorry." Stripe spoke his emotions. Enough to touch his mothers heart. "I can only hope that this was your first time going behind my back, but I have my doubts as well. I advise you to make this the last time Stripe." However, now is not the time for comforting them. They need tough love in order to learn from their mistakes as much as it pained her to do so.
She took a deep breath and said what they were waiting for but dreaded when she would. "We'll wait until your Father gets home to discuss your punishments. I suggest you take that time to think about what you've done if you haven't already. Until then, no telly, music or games. Understood?"
"Yes Mum." They said in unison.
"Go to your room. I don't want to hear one peep out of you three." And with that they left the living room. Leading with their heads looking at the ground. They reach their room and shut the door behind them and retire to each of their beds. No one said a word. It was quiet enough to hear the cool breeze coming from their cracked window.
About ten minutes went by, which felt like an eternity, when the boys first came into their room. They stayed silent following their mothers orders to stay quiet. Radley sitting on the edge of his bed staring at the floor, Bandit on the top bunk with his face to the wall and Stripe on his chest with his head in his arms. All three of them thought of how hurt their Mum was and what was going to happen when their Dad came home.
Bandit keeping his eyes on the wall spoke softly just enough to be heard, "You think he's gonna beat us?" The question itself seemed far fetched. But both Stripe and Radley could help think Bandit was being serious. "Honestly, I wouldn't put it past him. Anytime he yells at me it looks like he holds back, but I get a feeling he won't this time." Bandit said in a cynical tone.
"He's not gonna beat us, but he'll probably shout enough to blow our ears out." Stripe knew how his Dad got when he was mad. He would always raise voice and take out his frustrations on the garage work bench. Granted that was always when house work or car tuning never went his way, when it came to the family he would only get upset and hold back. But his anger could still be seen in his eyes. Now however they were expecting to hear ringing in their ears for the rest of the night.
Radley, filled with guilt, looked over to both his brothers and said under his breath, "I'm sorry."
Stripe raised his head to the oldest while Bandit stayed still. Stripe questioned Rad wondering if he was blaming himself for everything, "What?"
"This is my fault, I got us into this mess." Radley would have continued to blame himself but was interrupted by Bandit.
"Shut up, you didn't bring that ranger to us. We got careless and we got caught. We're all to blame." Bandit had a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"Not so loud Bandit, Mum will hear." Stripe warned them. He could tell there would be a dispute if he didn't try to defuse the soon to be argument.
"Still, I feel guilty." Radley lowering his voice.
"Yeah? So do I, quit whining about it cause it won't change anything." Bandit slowly got more irritated at his brother's sulking.
Radley was also developing a temper from Bandits harsh words. The last thing he wanted was his snarky remarks.
"What are you so pissed about? Shouldn't you be used to this by now?" Radley spat only making it worse.
Bandit shifted his look to Rad, who saw his puffy eyes stained in tears and rage. "I ask myself that every fucking time. And no is still the answer. I haven't gotten used to being a disappointment, I haven't gotten used to hating myself and I haven't gotten used to making Mum cry." Bandit then turned back around to face the wall.
Stripe had to say something or else the two would be at each other's throats. "Guys stop it. We're already in the shit, fighting is gonna make it worse." Stripe looked at Radley, "Bandits right, we all drank and ran away. We have only ourselves to blame." Rad was shocked to see Stripe take Bandits' side. Until Stripe spoke to his brother above him. "I know you're a mad Bandit, but so are we. Taking it out on Radley is just gonna divide us for no good reason." Bandit wanted to snap at that moment but resisted knowing he was right.
Stripe continued, "I've…We've already been through alot today. Not to mention we still have Dad to look forward to. I doubt I'll be able to handle that and I don't think I can handle my brothers fighting each other either. So please the both of you, just stop." Stripe said with a little bass in his words. Just wanting to deescalate the brothers bickering.
"Fine." Radley said not wanting anymore conflict.
"Whatever.." Bandit still acting difficult. And with that they all waited for the inevitable.
7:54 P.M.
Bob's arrival
After spending what should have been quality time with his wife and sons, Bob was just now pulling in his driveway to his home. His family argued he works too much at the factory, he argues he does not work enough. Regardless he still uses the few hours he has with his family when possible, as long as nothing needs fixing. This was not one of those days however, he thought. After getting a call from his wife which had his blood boiling with anger, he realized now he had to give the boys a long sit down. His sons would think he would burst through the front door yelling grounding the boys until they turned 20. But on his long drive home he had since calmed himself and thought of a more suitable approach.
He exited his jeep and entered his home to see his wife sitting in the living room, presumably waiting for him. He wasted no time and asked her, "Are they in their room?"
"Yes dear, I've already talked to them." Christine continued to tell her husband all of what she spoke to them.
"Alright, I won't be long." He said bluntly, similar to that of a military drill sergeant. As he turned to the stairs his wife stopped him.
"Dear." Chris placed a paw on her shoulder. "Go easy on them, they've already been worn out mentally enough as is."
Bob turned to his wife, placing his paw on hers, "I'll hold back, but I'll get my point across." He said with a straight face.
"No shouting okay?" Christine wanted his reassurance to not lose his temper.
He looked his wife in the eyes, sighed and repeated her words, "No shouting." With that he walked up the stairs and found himself in front of his son's bedroom door.
Taking a deep breath, not even bothering to knock, Bob opened the door to look at his kids laying in their respected beds. Said kids caught off guard by their father's sudden entrance braced themselves for what he would do next. "You know the drill boys." Was all he said.
With that Bandit and Stripe got up and went to Radleys bed, where all three of them sat up straight. This wasn't the first time he sat them like this and it may not be the last. He could see the guilt all over their faces. He stared down at his children and began his lecture.
"So…this is what my sons have been getting up to when they're out. Smoking cigs, and drinking alcohol." He paused. "Sorry, My alcohol. And trying to avoid the law when they got caught red handed. To say that I'm disappointed is far from how I really feel. Far from it. I. AM. LIVID." The brothers flinched at their fathers words. But Bob didn't care at the moment. "The three of you have done some pretty stupid things before, but this is by far the worst. How do you think I feel hearing my sons show up at home in the back of a cop car? What would possess you to do something so stupid? What were you thinking?" He asked his sons but not expecting an answer. He could see their guilty faces now showing a hint of fear the more he continued. He noticed how he seemed to be belittling them and was seconded guessing his approach, but he persisted and continued.
"You've broken my trust and most importantly you've broken your Mum's heart. You three can say goodbye to sunshine because you are not leaving this house unless I say so. You are gonna take care of the yard work fixing up anything I tell you to fix, if nothing needs fixing I'll break something for you to fix." The boys hearing they're practically lost their summer upset them, Bandit especially who was looking more irritated by the minute. Bob could see how angry his second born was.
"If you think that's bad, you guys are lucky I'm not my Father. When I did something as bad as spilling a tin of oil on the garage floor he used to make me dig a ten foot deep hole and after I was done he'd make me fill it back up again. And that's if he wasn't hitting me upside the head. Clearly I'm not hard enough on you three as I should. Maybe I should be more like him to get through to your thick skulls." Bob was getting more heated than he already was. Talking about his Father always angered him. He was never kind to him, shouting, insulting and beating him at a very young age.
It was at that moment he remembered something he told himself when he was in a similar situation as his sons. He told himself if he ever had kids, he would never treat them like his Father treated him. As he recalled this he paused his lecture and put two and two together. He then examined his sons more clearly. He could tell by their expressions that with every comment he made, he really was just like his Father. Practically insulting them and using forced labor as punishment, the only reason he was yelling at them was because Christine had to ask him not to.
He tried to shake these thoughts and double down. "I can't… you three are…I've…" He tried to continue but found it difficult having realized what he was actually doing. Bob had realized that he wasn't disciplining his kids, he was making them hate him.
Regretting what he said to them he hung his head and sighed as he sat down on the bottom bunk bed. He needed a better approach, he needed to apologize and he needed to connect and talk to them properly. He carefully thought of his next words and began to speak softly.
"...Who am I kidding, I am my Father. I get mad easily and take it out on you boys." This was the only time the boys heard Bob speak softly to them. Before they could process this he spoke again. "I shouldn't be talking to you like that, it's not right. You're my only sons' and I stood there and called you idiots."
The brothers were thrown for a loop sharing confused glances to each other. One second they saw their Father at his worst and in the next he was feeling sorry for himself.
"You know…when your Mother first told me she was pregnant with each of you, all I wanted was for you three to be girls. I wanted that more than anything, I didn't want someone who would be my spitting image. And then out popped all three of you. At first I was let down that I didn't get what I wanted, but the second I first held you all, I wouldn't change a thing." Bob remembered holding Radley as a first time parent like it was yesterday.
"Even though you got my looks from me, I guess I sometimes forget that you boys are just like me when I was your age. I did that stuff too…and when my Father found out." He paused for a moment to let out a defeated sigh. "He would yell and beat me. I always hated him for it. Seems like I'm almost doing the same to you." The boys were practically speechless seeing their Dad open up about their grandfather who they never met. Now they know the reason why.
"I'm sorry boys. I'm sorry I haven't been the best Dad for you. In the moment I just overreacted, you made a mistake and you need a Father to guide you. But instead I pushed you into hating me…just like my Father did." After that he didn't have much else to say. However he wouldn't have to say anything because Radley spoke up.
"I don't hate you Dad. I just hate how you get sometimes." Radley knew that was what he needed to hear. That he still loved him but needed to change his anger problem.
"Yeah, you are a good Dad in your heart, but when you get mad it's like we have to walk on eggshells. Like anything we say that upsets you we won't hear the end of it." Stripe had wanted to say that for a long time, he figured now was the perfect time.
Bandit contemplated staying silent but swallowed his fear and spoke up. "When you yell at me…It makes me feel like I'm worthless. I know the stuff I do is my fault but the yelling doesn't help, if anything it makes me want to do bad things out of spite. And I don't want to have that type of relationship."
Bob could feel the lump in his throat growing larger over hearing his sons tell them the pain he's caused them. This was a wake up call. He truly never wanted to hurt his sons, but his anger and frustration blinded him. With that he couldn't hold it in any longer. Standing up he walked over to his only children, kneeled down and pulled all three of them into a warm, loving embrace. Radley and Bandit accepted the hug while Bandit was hesitant at first but returned it in the end.
"I'm so sorry I hurt you boys. You don't deserve to have that pain. You're good kids. From now on, I'm gonna change how I act for you and your Mother." Bob was going to do everything he could to change for the better of his family. It only took his sons almost getting arrested for it to happen.
After they ended the hug Bob could see his boys smiling at him, seeing this it would be his motivation to keep his word.
"I think you three have already been through alot today. Of course we still need to discuss your punishments, but I think your Mother and I will sleep on it. We'll just leave it at that okay?" The boys forgot they wouldn't get out of this scout free, but they nodded in unison.
"Why don't you get yourselfs cleaned up? I think I can smell dinner." The four were equally starving for the late dinner. So much so, Bandit asked. "What are we having?"
Bob thought for a second and had thought of a good one. "More free food. What more do you want?" Bob's smart remark sparked a few chuckles in his sons, which after today they needed.
Bob then left the boys in the privacy of their room and headed down stairs where he found his wife setting the table for their meal. His eyes lit up when he noticed what she made, oven cooked steak and her homemade gravy along with the typical mashed potatoes and green beans. The family's absolute favorite meal. After today, they deserve this, he thought. "Are they coming down yet?" Christine asked.
"They'll be down in a minute dear." He said with a smile on his face. Which gave Christine a sense of relief that the talk went okay.
"So? How did it go?" She timidly asked him.
"It was a good talk. It really opened my eyes." He could still feel how warm his heart was from hugging his sons.
"What do you mean?" Christine was a bit confused at that last bit.
"I'll tell you about it later when we discuss their punishments. But right now I could use a good meal." He held his wife's hand as the two shared a look and Bob gave her a peck on her forehead like he used to do when they were teens. Christine could help but blush and giggle. The two finished getting the table ready as they waited for the boys to join them
Upstairs the brothers were cleaning the dirt and grass stains from their fur, and Stripe was disinfecting the scrapes on his knees. As they did so, they discussed what had just happened a few minutes prior.
"Well, I think it's safe to say that it went WAY better than what I expected." Radley said while straightening his fur.
"Last thing I expected was for him to apologize. But hey I'll take that over anything else." Bandit spoke while drying his muzzle and hands with a towel.
"You think he's actually gonna keep his word?" Radley had faith in his Dad but knew he had to put his words into actions.
"When was the last time he ever talked to us like that? Yeah it remains to be seen but he's never opened up about grandad before. I don't know but I think he will." Stripe was putting a little bit of trust in for his Dad. No Father is perfect and for lack of better words he was far from it. However it takes the person in the wrong realizing the pain they may have caused on others to change for the better. It was a step in the right direction. He would do his part and the boys would do theirs gaining their parents' own trust back. "We probably aren't gonna get to do stuff like that anymore though."
"Not you guys at least, I've got a year and a half till I'm legal." Radley bragged about his age.
"Mom and Dad may stop us from partying, but they won't stop me from kicking your arse." Bandit hadn't forgotten about their fight earlier. He was already plotting his revenge against the two.
"Try me. Anyway, you guys hurry up, I'm starving." He playfully shoved Bandits shoulder and went downstairs, the other two following suit.
Stripe reached the dinner table last with his stomach growling for his Mothers cooking. "Aw yeah, oven cooked steak!" He exclaimed sitting down next to Bob. He couldn't wait to fill his plate.
"That's what I said." Radley and Bandit said at the same time. Quickly the two looked at eachother and tried to jinx before one another. Radley of course beat him to it. "JINX."
"JIN.. aw come on, that's not fair I never Jinx you." Bandit complained.
"I'll let it slide…this time." Radley showing mercy but lightly ruffling up Bandits head fur. Much to his annoyance.
"Alright you two that's enough." Their Mother warned them. As she sat down with the rest of her family. "Okay, foods not gonna get any warmer, dig in."
"With pleasure." Bob said while going straight for the main course.
Stripe found himself once again taking the moment in. His Mom, Dad and brothers share a nice and quiet family meal. Bob was sharing work stories, Christine was telling her husband about what house work needed done. Which Stripe assumed would be what he would be doing tomorrow given the situation. And Radley and Bandit again bickering about the next Metallica album. Stripe kept quiet just enjoying the meal and the moment. He took a second to look at his Dad. The two made eye contact and Bob smiled at his youngest. Stripe figured it was his way of saying 'I love you' without saying it. Bob gave him a few pats on his shoulder then returned to his plate.
Stripe did the same. Recalling how an hour ago he wanted the day to end and forget about it completely. Then again you've gotta take the good with the bad, and the things we care to remember sometimes stem from bad situations. But even then we chose to cherish them as a lesson learned.
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