Hearts Afar

...8... Clay's POV

Chapter 8

Clay’s POV

When Brent told me that Claire finally agreed to go out with him, I felt a little surge of jealousy. If we were kids again, I so would have told him I had first dibs because I saw her first. Than we learned that she had a boyfriend. Granted, it is a long distance relationship but I wasn’t going to be the cause of a break-up.

When Friday finally rolled around, I was dreading it because Brent asked me to tag along with him and Claire so she wouldn’t feel like it was a date. I agreed but I was having troubles finding a date for myself. I didn’t want to tag along and feel like an outsider.

I got up out of bed and went and checked on mom. I hated seeing her so weak after she’s been so strong all her life. To see her like this and knowing that I would be heading back in a matter of time, killed me. After seeing that she was still sound asleep, I went and checked on Hannah and Mikey. They were the reason I enlisted. I knew that mom would eventually need some help and there was no one else but me to do it. They lived a good life and that’s all that mattered to me. I peaked in Mike’s room and saw that he was already sitting up in bed.

    “Hey kiddo,” I said, walking into his room.

    “Oh hey,” he replied with a stretch and a yawn. “What’s up?”

    “Wanna go for a run with me?”

    “Sure,” he smiled.

After he was dressed, I left a note for mom but hoped that we would be back before she or Hannah got up. We started running around the block and when we passed by Jessica Larson’s house, I slowed down a bit.

    “Why ya slowing down?” Mikey asked me.

    “I’m thinking about asking Jessica out tonight. I’m going to that carnival with Claire and Brent and I don’t want to seem like a third wheel.”

    “She has a boyfriend,” Mikey said with a hint of jealousy in his voice. I ruffled his hair and couldn’t help but think that he had every right to be jealous, Claire was a very attractive girl.

    “Got a little crush on your nanny, huh?”

    “I do not,” he defended.

    “Let’s keep to that than. Come on, last one to the house has to cook,” I said, setting off like I was going to outrun him. Just as we rounded the corner to go to the house, I slowed down and let him take the lead. We did this all the time while running but he loved it and I just wanted to see my little brother and sister happy.

    “I want chocolate chips pancakes,” he said when I walked into the kitchen

    “Sir yes, sir,” I saluted.

About the time that I started getting everything together, Hannah walked downstairs. She walked straight over to me and wrapped her little arms around me. After giving me a hug, she skipped into the living room where I heard the television click on and I heard the Phineas and Ferb song start playing. I laughed at it and then set to cook breakfast.

Just as I was pulling the last pancake from the skillet, the doorbell sounded and then I hear Brent holler out. Luckily, I made enough in case he decided to pop by. It took him a minute to come into the kitchen but I noticed he was helping mom in.

    “Thank you, sweetheart,” she smiled at him when she was sitting down safely.

    “No problem, mom two,” he smiled back at her. “What’s the special Chef Clayton?”

    “Don’t call me Clayton,” I warned. “Mikey wanted chocolate chip pancakes.”

    “Yummy,” I heard Hannah say.