The Brothers

10 - {Mom and Dad}

~Flashback! Young Chance's POV~

I was running around the bedroom with my little brothers, Liam and Theo, and we were being what every child was. Adorable bundles of joy and sunshine! At least up until I heard a piercing squeal from downstairs. I stopped and headed out to check what it was, but Liam pulled on my hand. "Where are you going?"

"Downstairs. I heard something and I have to see what it was," I told him in the calmest way possible.

"I want to come with you!" Theo butted in, wanting to be included in anything that he thought sounded like fun or exciting. Shaking my head, I told the two of them to wait for me and I struggled my way out of my younger brother's grasp, going downstairs.

Cautiously walking down the stairs, I noticed Mom and Dad in the center of the living room. They looked tired, but they sounded like speakers because they spoke loud at each other. Were they getting too old to hear or something? I honestly had no idea.

"Mr. Heller? Mrs. Heller?" I was convinced by friends of mine at school to address parents the same you would with a teacher, no matter how many times my own parents said to call them 'Mom' and 'Dad'. If my friends say it's more polite that way, then it's more polite. It sounded fitting anyway.

"Oh- honey," Mom looked up at the clock ticking on the wall above the television. "Chance, we're taking you and Liam to school tomorrow. You missed one or two grades, sure, but we can patch that up!" she laughed lightly, slightly leaning against Dad.

I crossed my arms. "I don't want school! I have to stay here and protect him and Theo."

Dad scooped me up in his arms, sitting on the couch with me struggling to balance on his legs. "Chance, come on. You're all going to the same school, okay? It will be so much fun!" he chuckled, bouncing me like I was a toddler. "You'll be a grade or two apart, but that's okay. You can make tons of new friends and-"

I shook my head. "I don't care who I talk to or what I learn, I want to protect my siblings. My friends said school is the worst anyway," I huffed, stubbornly.

"He shares your stubbornness, honey," Mom stated with a smile. She sat down beside us and bopped my nose gently. "Can you be a good little boy for Mommy and Daddy? Just one day, at least? If you decide you still hate it, we'll find another school. How's that?"

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Liam, Theo and I were waiting at the bus stop for the school bus, for whatever whacky school our Mom and Dad signed us up for. Dad told me to go to the front office to find out our classrooms. We were still going to be separated, so I figured it didn't matter what we did here. Mom said they were going to do take us to a new school anyway. I looked to our left as the bus screeched its way to us, stopping abruptly a few times before getting to us.

"Get in, kids," the bus driver shouted and we got on the bus. I looked for a seat with the opposite seat being empty as well, so I could sit by them without needing to worry if something happened to them or not. I led them to the middle part of the bus and made them sit in the empty seat, and I sat down, making Liam and Theo sit in the seat across from me, with Theo on the inside and Liam away from the window.

I felt a tap on my back and turned, only to get flicked in the face. "What was that for?" I glared at the blond with light blue eyes.

"Just wanted you to know I noticed you, Chance."

"How do you know my name?"

"You think a kid with two weird parents will slip by any of us? I mean, what in God's name do your parents do for work? Or are they too poor-"

All of a sudden, the bus stopped and the doors flew open. I peered out the window and sighed in relief, forgetting we were on the school bus. It was just another kids' stop. As expected, a few kids climbed aboard and took their seats. Unfortunately, the blond boy was still pestering me and being annoying. "What do you want from me? I'm not in the mood right now."

He paused for a moment before pushing me over and sitting right beside me, making those anxious, creepy-crawly feelings rise up again. I looked over at my brothers, and thankfully they were looking out the window or looking ahead, not noticing the annoying kid with me. "I want to be friends."

I glared at him and punched his shoulder. I wasn't furious, only bugged. Maybe a little angry, but that didn't matter. "I'm not your friend, and never will be. And never talk to me or my brothers ever again, you hear?!" I pushed him out of the seat and he started crying, getting up in a wobbly way and returned to his own seat. I wasn't being too mean, was I?