North Star Boys

Chapter Eleven: Reunion

 {Palm Springs, California}

     Holiday break for NSB has finally come to an end. Ty and Kane arrived before any of boys did. Justin returned at the same time as Regie and Darren. Ryan was the last to return of the boys. Oliver and I already let Ty know what was happening at home so at the moment it was only Ty and Ryan that knew what was happening. Manager Ty has granted us a longer break due to this family emergency that none of us were expecting. I let Dylan know as well since we were making plans to meet up after I had returned. It was a new house so Ty made up the new room assignments: Regie and Oliver; Kane and Bae; Darren and Sebastian; Ryan and Izzy; and Justin and Manager Ty. This house only had five rooms so someone had to room with Manager Ty. The boys were starting to wonder where we were, especially our roommates. "We were all told to back today so where are Oliver and Sebastian?" Darren asks impatiently. Regie is still feeling the affects from home but has yet to inform anyone else on what was going on. His parents basically gave him an ultimatum to fix his occupation or they were going to kick him out because they did not immigrate to this country for him to disgrace their family. His dad had even suggested sending him back to the Philippines but his mother had mentioned that it might be going to far. 

    "I agree," Kane says. "We have tour coming out and multiple songs to release." 

    "Not to mention the music videos," Bae inputs. 

"Bae and I can not just whip up all of these videos just before their deadlines," Izzy adds to Bae's comment. Ryan stays silent, meeting Manager Ty's eyes. Regie is in his own world with his own problems at the moment to even notice the discussion that is taking place right in front of him. 

    "Everyone, go unpack. We all have a lot of work to do so let's get going instead of wasting time worrying about all of this," Manager Ty takes control of the current situation. The group disperses to their new rooms. Ryan stays behind for a moment only for Manager Ty to reassure him that he was going to make the call immediately. 

{Tallahassee, Florida}

    I woke up abruptly to the sound of Alex yelling at Mateo about going to school. I groan because I have a throbbing headache from lack of sleep. I roll over before sitting up to get out of bed. I put my feet into the slippers that rest on the floor by my bed. The door shuts silently behind me. Oliver has already beat me down the stairs. "Mateo, I'm not playing games with you. You are going to school. I am not about to be arrested for your truancy," Alex shouts. 

      "No! I can't go to school," Mateo yells louder. He crosses his arms. Oliver is attempting to calm Alex down from his anger which is probably in the right here but yelling at Mateo is not going to get anything through to him. I sit down next to him on a stool by the kitchen island. I gently ask my baby brother why he can't go to school. "Because I got suspended." Oliver and Alex stop talking and look at our little brother. Alex closes his eyes and groans in frustration. What is happening? Mom would know what to do; she always did. I feel sick to my stomach at the reminder that she is no longer here. It was not fair of Oliver and I to leave Nick and Alex to handle Mateo by themselves. I have Mateo return to his room because my brothers and I need to discuss what to do next. We migrate to the living room. Oliver asks if Nick and Alex reached out to Dad. 

      "Oliver!" I say sharply. "We are not leaving Mateo with him. How could you even ask that? You know what he did." Alex agrees with me. All of us are on the same page about contacting DCF about this because we do not want to lose our baby brother. We are out of options. Nick couldn't handle the pressure of caring for Mateo. Alex is clearly in over his head especially for doing all of this on his own. Oliver and I have NSB and we have worked way to hard to just walk away. We can't leave him with Dad. And we are not contacting DCF. "I have an idea," I say after awhile of deliberating. My brothers glance at me with hopeful eyes. "Pack him up. I have a phone call to make," I get up from my spot on the couch. This might mean that we have to give up the house that we grew up in but this is what's best for Mateo and that is what's important right now. I know that it will be a big ask and Oliver, Alex, and I are going to have a lot to do but we can get it done. I have Alex pull Mateo out of school and get access to all of his records. Alex can finally go back to his life after this. Mateo is a little discontented with what we are doing nevertheless it will be better without a constant reminder that Mom is gone. That might be the reason why I wanted to go out to LA in the first place due to the fact that it is on the other side of the country. I have Oliver book the flight before he and I start packing to go back.