Heaven Is

The Pub

I follow Steve and Pete into the bar flanked by Rick and Sav. Rick holds my hand in the friendly 'big brother' way he always has. From a young age he claimed me as his younger sister, I'm ten months to the day older than him. I was born January first and he was born November first. He doesn't like to be reminded of that though. Sav holds onto my other hand but I don't think it's in the same brotherly way. His fingers are laced through mine and he brushes his thumb along my thumb. I might be wrong though.

I'm put between them at a table as Joe went to go get drinks. Pete looks up at me.

"So you kicked our Rick's ass?" He wonders and Ricks sighs.

"Still on this are we?" He mumbles and Pete quiets him with his hand.

"Yeah on a couple of occasions." I admit and they laugh.

"What do you weigh, maybe a hundred pounds?" Steve questions.

"Ninety-eight." I say and they laugh again, harder.

"Okay, okay, laugh all you want. She plays hockey and rugby." Rick adds.

"Field hockey?" Sav asks and I shake my head.

"Ice hockey." I say and he looks shocked.

"Holy shit." He mutters. "You're so tiny, they must use you as the ball in rugby."

"No, I play scrum half." I admit and he smiles.

"You any good?" Sav wonders.

"My team back home won a couple of provincial championships." I admit and he nods.

"Not bad." Sav says approvingly.

We talk for a long time after that, I spend most of the night drinking with them. I look down at my watch and realize what time it is. It's nearly one o'clock in the morning and it's a Thursday, I have school tomorrow morning.

"Shit." I mutter upon realizing this.

"What's wrong?" Rick wonders, then it clicks in his head. "You have school tomorrow."

"Yeah. I'm sorry boys but I've got to go." I say standing up.

"I'll walk you home." Rick says standing up, I shake my head.

"I'll be fine, don't worry." I say and he shakes his head.

"Too bad, I am." He says in his big brother way.

"You're worse then my..." I trail off.

I was going to say mum. Rick is quiet to. My eyes dart around like I just swore in church, that's what it felt like. Nobody says anything for a while, we all look around refusing to make eye contact with each other.

"Well if he doesn't walk you home, I am." Sav says from the table.

"Why don't the both of you walk her home, it seems to be bugging her that you're worrying." Pete smirks and Sav stands up taking my other hand, I've lost.

"Bye boys." I say as they pull me out of the bar.

"Where are we going?" Rick asks and I lead them in the direction of my grandparents' house.

We walk for a little while in silence before Sav bumps my shoulder, bumping me into Rick, to which he falls, pulling us all to the sidewalk. We laugh as we pull ourselves back up and continue walking.

"They're going to kill you, right?" Rick asks.

"Who? My grandparents?" I wonder and he nods. "My grandad thinks that every time someone knocks on the door that 'the gerries' are coming for him, he doesn't give me much problem. My grandmum on the other hand, thinks she's the queen. So if she hears me come in, she might."