Crown-less Kings

Brother love

Reagan was finally back in school, Riley was excited about her tumbling classes, Braden was becoming a very good friend of mine and Rey...well Rey was being Rey. It all added up to a kind of slow month. And I was still listening to Sheppard go on and on about football.

"I just really like it. I plan on getting at least three options for colleges to play football at. The coach said I'm definitely getting on vastity next year since I'm already on junior-"

"Mooommm! Will you pleeeaaassseee tell him to stop? I'm drowning in useless talk about smelly football. I'd rather listen to him talk about girls!" I fake bang my head on the island.

Sheppard stops talking and glares at me from behind the countertop. Mom also glares at me for whining and making fun of Sheppard -even though my whining and mocking was definitely necessary to shut him up. I honestly would rather hear about his gag worthy crushes than listen to more football talk.

"Barkley, your brother is excited. Let him talk about what he wants," She gives me a pointed look.

"Come on, please! I know you don't care about this at all," She crosses her arms and I prepare for bullshit.

"I like hearing about this! It's nice for one of my sons to share anything about his life with me. He's passionate," I can't help but roll my eyes.

He's the youngest and normal, that's why mom lets him talk about anything nonstop. Both my parents would give anything in the world to Sheppard. It was bad when he was only the youngest, but when he became the not-a-disappointment-child, not even a real baby is as babied as Sheppard.

"Whatever," I stand up straight and am about to leave the room when Mom calls my name.

"Barkley, wait!" I sigh and turn around, "Why don't you and Shep go out and go shopping for your father's birthday? We're having cake, and your grandma is even flying in for his 50th." 

Great, celebrating my no longer father of a father and his equal obnoxious mother -Grandma Tawny- sounds like a good party. Maybe I'll just buy him some toilet paper, it is his 50th, I have to go all out. 

"Ooh, yeah," Sheppard slips off the barstool and snatches my keys off the dinning room table, "I'm driving."

"Uh-huh, dumbass, my car, I drive," I ignore mom yelling at me for language as I chase after Sheppard.

I grab my wallet on the way to the door, Sheppard already out and in the driver's seat. I groan, slamming the front door shut and reluctantly slipping into the passenger's side door.

"Where are we going and what are we getting dad?" I cringe at every movement Sheppard makes, critiquing him in my mind and out loud.

"Don't know, don't care. Whatever you want, we'll just write my name on the card," I take my sunglasses out of the glovebox.

"Barkley! I don't know what to get him? What do you get a dad for his 50th birthday?" He keeps whining but drives to the small outlet mall. 

"Again, don't know, don't care. I'm not sure if you noticed this, but I'm not exactly close with Dad anymore," I glance at Sheppard before looking out the window, "I try to keep the feeling mutual. Doesn't care about me, don't care about him."

"He cares about you," I give him a look but he doesn't notice, "I think you're too hard on him."

I sit up, gasping, "Too hard on him? Sheppard, you have no idea! You should have saw how he reacted when I came out to him. When I was most vulnerable! He basically spits on me! I'm lucky he even lets me live with you guys," I shake my head, forcing myself not to feel sad.