Perspectives

Rooftalks

Riley & Hayden

"I brought you your favorite tea" Riley scoffs and moves even further away from the window where his brother just emerged. "you know, dad didn't mean any of it" Hayden says.

Riley quickly turns around and looks at Hayden in surprise with a grin on his face.

"Yes he does and you know that"

"c'mon Ril-"

"NO! I'm sick of dad always picking you and Rodney and Cam over me" A tear started to form in the corner of Riley's eye but his glasses hide it well. All of Riley's older brothers played football and played well. Riley tried, he really did but he preferred books over social interactions. Riley was a freshman, then came Rodney, he was a sophomore, then Cam, he was blonde and a popular Junior and then Hayden, he had always been Riley's best friend up until he went to high school, then he got busy and got girlfriends and always playing football. "Dad is never proud of me, he doesn't care about me! Mom did!"

That took Hayden by surprise. Riley was always a momma's boy, she encouraged him to do what he wanted when her husband was out of earshot. Hayden thinks that their mom knew all along that Riley was going to be different. He was the only one that needed glasses, and on family night he was the only one that objected to watching football and said there was a rerun of Planet Earth on Animal Planet. Their father just hushed him down and told him to watch and be a man.

Tonight had been just the same, it had been family night and they were all in the backyard playing football. Cam threw extra high so Riley didn't catch it.

"Riley, can't you do anything right? Why can't you be like the men in this family?" his father had said.

That broke Riley's heart. His mom would never say that. So he ran into the house and into his room he shared with Rodney and out the window onto the roof.

"Mom's not here Riley"

"I know" he mumbled. "and that's not my favorite tea" That made Hayden laugh. He had that laugh that made everyone laugh, so Riley laughed with him.

"you know, Dad knows nothing about all that poetry stuff you read and all that literature. I bet he can't even spell literature, but you gotta know that sometimes is' good to be different."

"no cause then everybody will hate you"

"NO, where do you get that from? No one hates you, dad jus' doesn't understand you. That's all"

Riley looked at Hayden, he was staring down at his mug, because he didn't understand Riley either, but he wanted to. Although he didn't understand him, he knew he was doing something right.

Riley started shivering cause the fall was nearly ending. Hayden noticed and turned to fetch Riley's coat.

"here you go, that Sherlock coat you love, I bet you'll be like him one day, solving mysteries and stuff. Cause you're smart."

Riley smirked and threw himself on Hayden. Hayden just chuckled.

"he'll come around, I promise"

"Thank you Hayden"

"anything, big guy"

They sipped their not favorite tea that night and talked about everything, the earth, their mom and how to spell literature.