Maple Warriors

Mathew

"Hey Kuma." My pet polar bear didn't correct me when I got his name wrong. It was something I really couldn't pronounce so he let me use a nickname.
He looked up at me with his little black eyes. He was actually blind and only knew people by their scents. That's what he told me when I first took him in.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"It's just me." I held out my hand for him to sniff.
"Who?" He asked again, unable to place the scent.
"Mathew. Your owner." Kuma didn't have a very good sense of smell either.
But as soon as he knew who I was, he was always happy to see me.
"Mattie!" He stood up on his hind legs and lifted his front paws like he usually did when he wanted to be picked up.
I obeyed, cradling his heavy form in my arms.
He was soft. I always tried to keep his fur well brushed.
"We're going to bed early Kuma." I told him. Kuma nuzzled my neck.
"Why?" He asked. He could sense my sadness. He usually could.
"Because I'm extra tired today." I sighed. I wasn't actually tired. I just wanted to curl up in bed with my best friend and get my thoughts together. This was my way of keeping myself from getting angry. I didn't like being angry.
At about ten thirty I heard my brother yell "Fine!" Grouchily from the top of the stairs. It was followed by the slamming of his bedroom door and the creaking of bedsprings.
So many nights ended like this. Alfred was a bit of a short fuse.
I sometimes heard him crying, though, late at night.
I never said anything to him on the matter. The crying was his business. Not mine.
Francis knocked on my door a few minutes later. I tugged my blankets closer to my body and buried my face into my sleeping Kuma's fur.
"Matthieu!" Francis called. I didn't reply.
My door squeaked open. I never locked it. I had no secrets from my family.
Footsteps shuffles toward my bed and I felt my body lower as my guardian sat down at my side.
"I know you are awake mon ami." Francis spoke quietly.
Back when I was young Francis would tuck me into bed every night. He would comfort me. Shield me from the perils each day brought.
But I wasn't a child anymore. I could deal with this by myself.
"Matthieu, what's going on. You know you can tell moi."
I still didn't respond.
"Fine, be zhat way. I'll just drink zhis bottle of maple syrup on my own." He teased.
Oh no. My weakness.
I could hear a cap being unscrewed and I mentally screamed. I really loved maple.
"Okay. I'm up. I'm up. Just give me some of that eh." I sat up and grabbed the bottle out of Francis's hands, taking an eager sip.
"Zhere 'e is!" Francis cooed. "Mon petite Garson!"
I sighed at my friend's trick. He knew me too well.
"Zhere is a meeting of zhe members of our gang tomorrow morning. Would you like to come, mon ami?"
I sighed again. "I'm always at the meetings."
They just never knew I was there. I never really had opinions and when I did I thought they were too unimportant to be brought up.
"Oh yeah...well if you're interested zhere is one tomorrow." Francis gave me a tight hug and then slipped away, back to his own room.
"Yeah. Whatever." I muttered.