My Best Friends Brother

Chapter 7

JOSH'S P.O.V.

"Man, it'll be fine. Stop panicking. Liam's here now and he's helping Brie with her attempt to cook." I can hear Brie cursing her future husband from the other side of the phone but he isn't wrong, she can't cook for shit. "Heather will be here in five and Aleah said she's happy to do drop off and pick up at Chrissy's so we don't have to see each other. Just relax, you've got enough on your plate with all the other kids you're in charge of for the next week."

Don't fucking remind me.

The camp looks smaller than I remember but I can hardly see it through the abundance of post-pubescent bodies that seem to be fucking everywhere. The bus for our school still isn't here and I'm not leaving this car until I absolutely have to.

"Yeah okay, just make sure he doesn't forget his inhaler before bed and if he has nightmares put on Monsters Inc, it's his favourite. Oh and-"

Steve chuckles. "I know Josh, your email was five pages long. Look, I know we're not massively close but he's still my brother and I can take care of him. I'll get him to video chat before bed, okay?"

I hate this. I've never been away from that kid for more than a few days and even then, when I saw him again he cried for two hours. He's sensitive, really sensitive. He reminds me of the way I was as a kid, until I decided to cover it all up by becoming a little prick for a few years.

"Okay man." The Westbrooke High bus turns into the parking lot and I realise it's time to face my fate. "I've got to go, just don't let him out of your sight and tell him he can call me whenever he wants. Wish me luck man."

Steve chuckles. "Just remember everything you would've done at their age and stop them doing it. Or more precisely, everything Jayce would've done."

Oh god.

The kids start to pour off the bus, basketball players and cheerleaders alike. I see a few of the people get out of their cars around us, all mostly older than me but looking just as unsure about what lays ahead of us as I do.

Finally I spot a familiar face, Milo's friend from outside the restaurant smiling at me with the biggest set of perfectly straight white teeth. I don't miss the gang of girls that seem to be fighting to walk in his shadow, although a few hold back and wait as the final member comes off the bus whilst talking to Coach. Milo. He doesn't notice me, although I'm so distracted waiting for him too that I completely miss the man that's just walked up and extended his hand to me.

"Hey man, I'm Scott, Luke's father." He says it like it should mean something but I haven't got a fucking clue who Luke is.

I grab his hand, shaking it firmly. I may have left my suit at home but I know a business man when I see one, he recognises it in me too.

"Josh. I'm um.." Milo's friend feels like the wrong thing to say here. "With Milo. I'm a friend of his brother."

Scott nods, a smile on his face that only grows at the mention of Jayce. I'm used to it, people find out you know Jayce Thompson and they're suddenly interested in you, although if I'm perfectly honest, I've always preferred Aleah.

"Fair enough. Me and the other Dads usually ditch the first night and go to this bar down the street, Hooters type place but they don't get so worked up about you touching the merchandise. We leave at seven if you're in?"

To sit with forty something year old straight men, drink shit beer and watch them sexually harass the poor waitresses? I'd rather be trapped on a desert island with Brie and a karaoke machine that only played songs from fucking Aladdin.

"I've got some work to do while I'm here so I'll pass but thanks."

He smirks. "Ball and chain won't let you go? None of us are gonna tell your wife man, what happens on tour stays on tour." I'm suddenly realising why my father always agreed to come to this thing.

Straight people; given the gift of marriage without a fight, use it to cheat on their wives the second they leave town.

"My wife wouldn't care, it's my husband that's the problem." The almost caveman stumbles over his own feet trying to scurry away but I just hold in my laugh as I watch him recant the horror of being within four foot of a rainbow flag waver to the other neanderthals. Fucking pathetic.

Coach calls everyone's attention, assigning room numbers before walking over to me. Milo spots me, immediately dropping eye contact when I see him before throwing his duffle over his shoulder and following the rest over to the dorms. That was weird. That girl Zoe gives me a gentle wave and a small smile before chasing after him.

Coach doesn't smile though, Coach never smiles. I've never understood how someone who always looks as ready to burn the world down as he does is married to a ball of light like Elizabeth. Opposites attract I guess.

He throws me a key, probably hoping I'll drop it so he can berate me like back in the day but I catch it with ease. For a second I think I see a smirk coming onto his face but it disappears quickly.

"Thank fuck you're here, assistant coach got called into jury service so he's out, I need you to step in."

"Like fuck." I don't know why I said it like that, I didn't fucking mean to, it was an immediate reaction! But the moment his evil glare meets mine I know I've fucked up. I'm a grown ass man now, but this dude always scared the shit out of me, and if he told me to run laps in this moment I might fucking consider it. "I just meant, you've got three other Dads over there, pick one of them."

He glances over to where the early man impersonators have gathered at the back of a pick-up, giving me the glare that I know means they aren't going to be getting changed in the same locker room now they know what I am. I'd laugh if it wasn't so fucking sad.

Coach let's out a chuckle but it's the furthest thing from happy. "Those lot? They couldn't shoot back when they had their original fucking hips. I need you, you were ranked three back in the day if I remember rightly. We both know if you wanted to you could've got a sports scholarship to go to L.S.U just like Jayce, now stop being a bloody idiot and get your shit together. First practise is in an hour."

Jesus Christ, this man remembers he's not actually my coach anymore right?

So the question is... Why am I already running?

The dorms are packed and I'd give anything to fuck off to a hotel right now. Coach gave me the end room at least so I can use the fire escape outside my window as a balcony. The rooms have been improved since I stayed here last, the sheets don't look like ten different teenagers blew their loads over them which is more than I can say for when I was here the first time around. I didn't even want to sleep in the bed back then.

I have the room to myself but it was made for two people to stay, probably a coach and assistant. Dumping my bag on the other bed I throw myself down on the one closest to the window, hardly getting time to take in a breath before my phone starts to ring.

Checking the screen I half debate on ignoring him but I know it won't stop him calling.

"Hey Charlie, you know I'm on holiday right?"

I wait for the speech about how he needs a holiday and I should be grateful to hear off him but instead he's dead serious, I can hear him typing away in his keyboard and that's never good. He only ever does any work when he absolutely has to.

"Josh, that prick from the Gearson project finally got back to me, well less got back to me and more walked his peachy little ass straight in here and demanded to see you. I explained you're away but he almost blew his own head off screaming, like he didn't skip the meeting last week and cause all this shit! Anyway, he may have the face of an angel but that queen is pure demon. He wants it now at 9am on the Monday you get back and he isn't taking prisoners so I just wanted to warn you."

I haven't actually met this guy in person yet but even dealing with him over email I know I won't fucking like him, I'll never understand why some people think doing business requires you to be a right dick to everyone around you.

"Fine, but make it public. I don't need him trying to rip into me at the office, book the private room at the Goldsmith and set it there."

Charlie huffs. "Rainbow, do I look like your damn secretary? Do it yourself. Honestly..." He trails off, clearly thinking he's hung up but I listen for another few minutes of him calling me all the names under the sun and trying not to laugh before getting things sorted. The WiFi here is still shit but I manage to ring and book the rooms I need, leaving the details with this assholes receptionist for Monday. Suddenly spending a week here doesn't seem so bad, at least here I can do the yelling.