Son

12 capable of love?

"So what's the plan?" Reggie asked and I shrugged. "Honestly I think I just sit here and wait." He sighed putting his head on the kitchen table "You coming to school tomorrow?" He asked and I nodded. "Might as well, if I stay off school but don't go home your dad might start asking questions. And it's less awkward than restarting all over again later. I just dont care anymore I guess" i said tiredly.

There were footsteps down the stairs and I assumed it was Mr Clark but a 20 year old boy came down the stairs. He looked like the older, sicker version of Reggie. His eyes darted around the room cautiously till they pinned on me. "Hey Robbie, this is Rhett, my friend from school" Reggie said gently. "I didn't think you'd make friends with a kid as busted up as him, didn't have a fighter like you put with a worm like Reg" he grinned viciously. When he saw Reggies hurt face he seemed to be hurt himself "So how'd you two become friends?" He asked biting into an apple before spitting it out in disgust. "The school bus," Reggie said "He's a transfer kid and I met him on the bus and when his host family dropped out suddenly because of an emergency I offered to have him" Reg shrugged. I looked over to Robbie who was eyeing me up weighing me out. "I need some fresh air, who wants to come with me to the bar?" He asked and Reggie looked unsure. "Are you meant to be staying away from there?" He asked and Robbie laughed "Don't be such a worm dude, remember when we used to break the rules all the time?" He mocked and Reggie scowled "Yeah look where that got you" he muttered, the room turned deadly cold. "I'll drive" I said picking up the keys "You know how to drive?" Reg and Robbie asked and I grinned "sometimes a little rule breaking isn't too bad" Reggie rolled his eyes but Robbie cheered "Now that's my boy."

I drove to the pool bar in a beaten up ford pick up truck. It was a bit worn but not bad to drive. Nothing compared to Mercedes or lambaginis I'd driven with dad when I was younger. On the drive I thought about all the different lives I had lived. From having nothing not even food or a name when I was seven to having everything by eight. I was in the richest one percent and then lived in the white house, got married before my time and now lived in an age of government terrorism trying to track me down, and up to now, driving a guy who's just got out of rehab to bar so his brother and I can watch out for him. What life did I prefer most? Honestly? I hated life at the WhiteHouse, constantly lied to and watched. Here I can't get any peace because of my dad. It was so much easier when I had nothing. Nothing but friends.

I took the keys out of the engine and looked up at the bar. It was familiar. I hadn't been here before had I?

"Let's go pussys" Robbie grinned and I shook my head laughing. "Why the hell did you think bringing my brother who is fresh out of rehab to a biker bar was a good idea?" Reggie growled angrily. "As you said, we're replaceable, if we didn't take him he'd find a way here, and at least we can watch him make sure he doesn't get his hands on anything" I shrugged. "Look I've been around addicts my whole life, cutting them off from the world isn't going to help, they need to gain control in the real world where they will be. I know it's hard but there's a good chance that if you cut him off from the world you might loose him again. But I'm not an expert, if you want us to take him back we will" I said and Reg looked over at Robbie, "gotta try I guess" he said sadly. I pulled him in for a hug and walked in. I ordered Reggie a coke and the same for myself. I leant into the bar tender and gave him a heads up telling him not to serve Robbie more than two drinks and nothing too heavy. He nodded and headed over to someone else. "I don't know if we should be here" Reggie said worriedly. A fight broke out in the corner and people started to cheer. Robbie had attached himself to the darts board and I was watching him carefully.

"What's two kids like you doing in a bar like this?" A biker asked sitting down next to us. "Meeting someone" I said taking a sip of my drink. The biker looked at me closely. "Have we met before small fry?" He asked and I grinned. "I doubt it. My names Rhett this Is Reg," I said confidently my eyes roaming the place. "If you didn't look twelve I'd think you were cops" he said accusingly. I grinned "if you think I'm a cop Jesus Christ." I grinned, I had every cop and secret agent after me in the country and he thought I was a cop? "Man you have no idea how far from the truth that is" he looked at me again "You get in fights often?" He asked leaning back. "It's not much of a fight when the five guys with badges have shot guns" he grinned this time. "A cop beat the crap out of you? Whys that?" I sighed "wasn't a cop, I was at school and they started raiding the place and so I try to go out the back doors but this guy just slams me with his rifle, then the others come" I shrugged. If you wanna make friends in this kind of place you can't be friendly with the Cops and you have to be angry. "Dickheads have no right but it's not like anyone's gonna stop them" i said and he nodded. "Rhett? Wasn't it? Yeah. I'll see you again soon," he said shaking my hand before standing up to make his way over to the corner of the bar by a pay phone.

I looked over at Robbie who was shouting at some guy. I jumped up and pushed Robbie back. "Hey hey cut the crap and sit down or we're going home" I ordered him but he kept pushing.

"Robbie" I said again but the guy behind me who he was shouting at got back involved. "This little rats dead" he growled and pulling out a knife and lunging towards us. Suddenly he was slammed into the ground and pounded by several teens in black leather jackets with patches. I pulled Robbie over and ran out of the bar. On the way out I saw the guy who talked to us earlier nod as one of the teens in black jackets came up to him with a broken nose.

I jumped in the pick up Reg pushing Robbie in then jumping in himself.

I looked in the wing mirror and saw no one was following us. "Shit what the fuck was that?" Reggie cried out on the verge of a break down.

"Calm down, Robbie you're nuts, next time you start a fight I'm watching." I growled making a sharp turn. He punched the dash board "those bastards started it, they kept on talking shit saying that he was looking for me" he shouted angrily. I pulled the hand break and we skidded to a halt. "Who?" I asked quietly. Robbie sunk back into his seat nervously. "Uh no one?" He tried but I grabbed his shirt "who's looking for you Robbie?" He looked around nervously till I gave him another shake. "Falco, it's Falco. They tried to make me go back and see him. Apparently whilst I was in rehab he called everyone in and gave them a hunt. But I don't wanna work for Falco anymore, dad said if I do it again he won't give a character witness nor nothing. I'll serve time. I can't do that I'll die." He said shrinking into himself.

I started up the car again "You stay away from Falco Robbie, he's no es bueno" I said quietly.

We pulled up at home and all hopped out. We walked into a full house. About twenty Cops were sat round the table with beers and brief papers. Robbie shrunk back even more and ran immediately to his room. "Oh hey there boys" Officer Clark said and we received a series of greetings from the Cops. "Hey" we both said. "We're probably going to go to bed now" Reggie said nervously looking over at me, but I was too busy eyeing the papers on the table. A picture of me. It was a family photo Angelina made us have, I was dressed like a lawyers son and was sulking about how posh I looked. Sofie smiled into the camera professionally and Angelina had a smile of power  and an air of omniscience, I looked into the shot unhappy; but it was President Mcarals who shocked me. I hadn't seen the pictures before but I hadn't of expected him to be looking at me with a small genuine smile of care.

"Well night then boys" Mr Clark said but I hadn't snapped out of it, I walked towards the picture and picked it up. "Who's this?" I asked trying to think of a reason as to why I would have picked it up. I looked up and the officers all shifted uncomfortably.

"He's the Presidents son, he's gone missing. That's why those people came to the school" Mr Clark said and I nodded. "Goodnight" I said following Reggie on the stairs.

"What was that?" Reggie whispered but I couldn't focus right now.

Sometimes I'm just able to forget that people aren't wholly evil, that the simplicity of good and bad was only ever granted to us in childhood. I'm a bad person, I've caused innocent deaths but I try to be good. I try to help I try to be nice but when your father's a drug dealer or a corrupt president you feel like no amount of petty niceties will ever make up for not exposing them. But Reg was right, if they were overthrown they would merely be replaced, and at least I know these two are capable of love.

I think.