Rebel Yell

Chapter 28: The Four Brothers

It was now around 9:00 pm, Jerry and I pulled up in front of Evelyn's house first, Bobby and Jack pulling up behind us in Bobby's car right after. Jerry and I got out of the car and waited for Bobby and Jack to grab all of Bobby's things from the backseat of Bobby's car. It was a cold night, the snow had stopped falling - for now and it was pitch black out.

"Shit Bobby..." Jack started, looking at all the luggage he had in both hands, carrying it towards the house for his older brother, "What have you been up to?" He asked as we all headed up the driveway towards the front porch.

"I'm a freaking college professor Jack... what do you think I've been doing?" Bobby said sarcastically.

"Yeah right..." Jack mumbled under his breathe.

"What about you? you still sucking a little cock left and right?" Bobby teased Jack, making Jerry and I chuckle slightly.

Since Jack was a young kid, Bobby always assumed that Jack was secretly gay, but once I came around and Jack and I became serious - Bobby just teased Jack about being gay.. which he obviously wasn't. Jerry unlocked the front porch and swung the door wide open, motioning for me to step inside first before anyone else. Jack flicked on the porch light, revealing Angel sitting over in the corner of the porch, shivering and staring back at us.

"Ya'll ain't right leaving me out here in the cold." Angel stated as he stood up.

"Yo little brother, you asshole!" Bobby exclaimed as he walked over to where Angel was standing. "You missed our mothers funeral, Jarhead!" He added as he gave Angel a hug.

Angel then hugged Jerry and then me and then looked over at Jack and pulled him into a big hug.

"I haven't seen you in forever!" Jack said as he pulled away from Angel, a big shit eating grin across his face. "You get your teeth whitened?" Jack asked.

"Man... shut up Jackie." Angel laughed as Jerry opened the main door to the house and we all piled inside.

I stayed quiet as I watched all of the brothers look around the house, a mixture of sadness and happiness spread across their faces as they looked around the house. This house just didn't feel right without Evelyn. The familiar smell of her candles that she always had lit all throughout the house was no longer lingering around. Jack and I had been spending the week at Jerry's and Camille's as it was too hard for Jack to be in this house and cope with the fact his mother was murdered only days ago.

"I'm gonna make myself something to eat... you guys hungry?" Angel asked as he sighed loudly.

"Nah.." We all kind of said.

"I'm gonna get some sleep... as usually, everyone take their old rooms... I'll take ma's." Bobby instructed as he marched up the stairs.

Not even 20 minutes later, Angel had turned on the stereo in his bedroom that echoed throughout the house. It was "I wish it would rain" by The Temptations. A heavy feeling in my chest took over as I sat on the floor, my back against Jack's bed. Jack was on his bed, strumming along on his guitar quietly. I heard Bobby walk out from Evelyn's room and rush into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. I don't think Jack noticed but I definitely could hear sobbing coming from inside the bathroom. Sighing deeply, I picked up my sketch book and a pencil, starting to sketch random flowers as I hummed along to the music Angel was playing.

Once the song finished, Angel turned off his stereo. That's when Bobby came out of the bathroom, wiping his eyes with his thumbs as he walked into mine and Jack's room. Bobby plopped down on the floor beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I looked up at him and smiled weakly as he smiled at me, "You alright Amby?" He asked, his voice cracking a little. I nodded slightly, smiling weakly again.

"What about you?" Bobby said looking over and up at Jack, "You've been crying in here, you little fairy?"

Jack sighed as he placed his guitar on the floor beside where I was sitting, "Leave it alone man..." Jack muttered quietly.

"Still making racket on that thing?" Bobby asked, nodding over at the guitar beside me.

Jack chuckled as he pulled out his cigarette pack, "Yeah.. still making a lot of racket." Jack started then started to roll himself a cigarette. I tossed him up a cigarette lighter. "Is it weird being in moms room?"

Bobby laughed shortly, "Too weird... Everything is the same... she didn't change nothing in this house. All of our rooms are still the way we left them. Just everything is the same."

Before anyone could say anymore, Jerry was standing in Jack's doorway, leaning against the door frame and smiling as he stared at all of us, his smile slowly turning into a light chuckle.

"Look at ya'll" Jerry laughed.

"What?" Bobby asked softly, all of us now looking up and over at Jerry.

"Nothin'.." Jerry replied, shaking his head, a smile still across his lips. "-Just happy to see you man. Happy to see my brothers, happy to see my family." Jerry added, nodding over at me with a warm smile.

"Good to see you too, Jer." I said softly.

"Guess I'll stop by a grocery store, grab a turkey or something, have ourselves a thanksgiving dinner. Let's at least act like we are a real family. Mom would like that." Jerry stated.

I looked up at Jack who appeared to be in deep thought, staring at Jerry like he was staring right through him. Jack inhaled a long, deep drag off of his cigarette before exhaling smoke out of his nose and opening his mouth a little, letting smoke slowly escape his mouth. I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped when I noticed Angel - who was all dressed up - walk out of his bedroom.

"Where you think you're goin?" Jerry asked Angel.

Angel shrugged, his eyes scanning around the hallway as he thought of something to say, "It's just a little heavy in here... just gonna go outside for some air.. maybe go for a walk or something."

My body began to shake as Bobby still had his arm placed around my shoulder, tilting his head back against Jack's bed as he busted out into loud laughter. "You're so full of shit man! You can smell that ass from down the street huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Angel barked, becoming defensive.

"What do you mean what am I talking about? You know exactly what we're talking about with La vida Loca!" Bobby answered.

A smirked formed on the corners of my mouth as Bobby and Jerry laughed. I knew exactly who Bobby was talking about - Sofie, Angel's life long girlfriend. I had just met Jack when Angel and Sofie started dating. Sofie was Hispanic and fluent in both Spanish and English. She had a thick accent. Bobby has been calling her La vida loca - A ricky Martin song title - since they were younger.

"Ain't nobody goin' to see no La vida Loca, nothing!" Angel hissed, trying to act like he was serious.

"She's got a boyfriend." Jerry stated with a smile.

"Jerry's right" I started, finally speaking, "I've kept in touch with her from time to time while you've been gone. She does have a man now."

"Yeah! She's got a boyfriend. She's got hard dick in her right now." Bobby piped in. I held my fist up to my mouth, trying to keep myself from laughing. Jack flashed that big, goofy grin that I loved so much before he too tilted his head back and started to bust out laughing. "She's screaming somebody else's name and the last thing she's thinking about is your black ass. Leave it alone man." Bobby added, now Jerry, Jack and I were all hysterically roaring in laughter.

"I can't believe y'all are coming at me with this..." Angel shook his head in disbelief, "I'm telling all four of ya'll right now. I am not going to see that girl and I'm not--"

One hour later

A half dressed Angel and Sofie were running down the icy sidewalk, trying to out run the car chasing them. The driver of the car pulled out a pistol and shot straight up into the air, trying to scare Angel and Sofie.

"How serious are you with this guy?!" Angel yelled at Sofie as he almost slipped on ice.

"Pretty serious!" Sofie shouted back as they both ran into an alley way, losing the car that was chasing them.