Little Mars

[9] Like Father Like Son

"Bruno dude you are not gonna believe this!" My best friend Ryan Keomaka said throwing open front door of my apartment.  Pete was sitting atop his brawny shoulders, a wide grin plastered on his cute little face. Ryan had taken Pete on one of his many morning runs.  Much to my displeasure, Ryan had come rumbling in here at like 6:00 this morning to come and retrieve my son, waking up both Kate and I in the the process.

"Ryan dude!" I said in a mocking tone. I was so not in the mood. My head was killing me, and i just wanted to get my coffee and chill for awhile before i gotta jet to the studio. "What?"

"You are not going to believe me until you see this!"

"Okay.."

"Come check it out!"

"Check what out?" I said, childishly stamping my feet on the ground. 

"Its outside! Just c'mon Bruno! Trust a brotha!"

"Please daddy!" Pete said giving me the puppy dog eyes, sticking out his bottom lip. He knows I can't say no to that!

"Guys I'm still in my drawers!"  I said looking down at my black and white boxers.

"Dude no one is gonna see you! I swear it'll be real quick!" Now both of them were giving me the eyes.

"Fine! I give up!"  I said throwing hands in the air above my head. "But you!" I pointed at Pete sitting on Ryan's shoulders. "Stop being so cute!"

"What about me?" Ryan asked opening the door to my apartment. The brisk breeze made me shiver. 

"E for effort." My sock covered feet moved down the cement steps, passing Kate's apartment. "Where and what is it?" I said once we reached the parking lot. Ryan led me to his rickety old truck in my guest parking space. Running a hand through his long black hair he faced me. "C'mon! I just want my coffee its too early for this shit!"

"Bruh its like 8:00!"

"Point in case." I mumbled. He just rolled his eyes putting Pete on the ground before reaching behind him into the bed of the truck.

Is that a puppy? "Ryan what?" I said as he placed a little black and brown dog in my arms. "Wha-"

"They were in this cardboard box outside the grocery store with a 'FREE ROTTWEILERS' sign on it! It was the only one left and it just looked so lonely and cold." He said looking down at the squirming brown dog in my arms.

"So is it a boy or a girl?" I asked lifting the little dog up. "Oh its a boy alright!"

"Can we keep it daddy?" Pete said tugging slightly and the leg of my boxers. I moved his hand away looking down at him. His bottom lip pouted out with his bright blue eyes staring at mine. "Please?"

"Ugh fine! But I told you to stop being so cute!" Ryan and Pete both high fived before we went back to the apartment. I put the puppy on the ground once we walked inside and watched him waddle around. What a clumsy little shit

."Hey!!" I heard Pete shriek as I fiddled with my coffee maker "Don't touch that!" I turned around to see the little dog prancing around with Mr.Bananna in his mouth. I rolled my eyes turning back to what I was doing before. "Thats mine give it back!!" Pete shouted running down the hall to chase after the puppy.

"Dude he is just like you!" Ryan said grabbing two mugs from the cabinet.

"Like father like son." I said bringing the mug up to my lips.

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"Daddy?" Pete asked later that morning as I was helping him get dressed. "I have to go to Amber's today?" Amber is his baby sitter and she kind of a freak. I understand why he doesn't like being there but I just don't have another place to take him.

 "Yeah I'm sorry buddy." I said putting a black sock on his left foot.

"Why can't I go with you? We play the drums like last time! I don't like Amber's?"

"Why don't you like Amber's?" I said playing dumb. I knew exactly why he didn't like being with Amber.

"Its no fun! The studio is fun!"

"Don't you have any friends there, Pete?" He looked like he had to think about it for a moment before he answered.

"No." I stopped fiddling with his shoes and looked up at him. A frown covered his face and I immediately felt bad for him. 

"What about that red haired girl...mhm whats her name? Oh yeah Abby? You and Abby are friends."

"Girls are gross!" He said shaking his head making his curls bounce. I chuckled softly, picking him up of the edge of the bed.

"You're gonna be alright." I said as we exited his little room and headed for the kitchen.

"But daddy?" He said pulling on my curls. "Can I please please please please please go to the studio with you? I really don't want to go to Amber's."

"Who's Amber?" Kate asked as we entered the kitchen. She stopped spreading cream cheese on her beagle and looked at me.

"His babysitter." She nodded going back to her food. I looked over at Pete to see his bottom lip pouted. His freaking cuteness could stop a war. "Okay fine! But under one circumstance!" I said point ting my finger at him.

"Whats a circu-cir-castance?"

"It means under one.... condition.. You have to be on your best behavior at all times! You understand?"

"Yup!" His curls bounced as he nodded. 

"That's my boy."