[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Chapter 12: Harry

Lance and I ran around the house straightening up like madmen. Yeah, pretty strange for boys, right? Well, I can’t stand a messy house. Obviously Julia must have been thinking that we were acting incredibly strange, since she was standing up in her playpen laughing at us.

“It’s not funny, Elf.” Lance told her, bending over to get in her face. “Do you want your brother coming home to a pigsty?”

“Pig pig!”

“That’s right, a pigsty. That’s why we’re cleaning up, Juju.”

“La Hay lee!” Julia laughed and Lance rolled his eyes.

“Do you want a translation?” I asked.

“No, I got it.” Lance replied. “When is Brian coming back?”

I looked at my watch. “Probably less than ten minutes.”

It turned out to be less than five minutes. Just as we finished, Brian bounced in the door, happy to be home. We hugged each other as though it had been months instead of a week and a half since we’d seen each other last.

“How are you, little bro?”

“I’m good,” he replied as he hugged Lance too, then went to Julia. “I’m nervous, though. I haven’t heard back from Natalie yet. I’m thinking I should call her just in case I missed the phone call.”

Without waiting for any of us to reply, Brian headed for the kitchen and dialed my boss’ sister. I turned back and saw Julia tugging at Kevin’s pant leg now that she was out of her playpen.

“This can’t be Julia!” Kevin cried as he lifted Julia off the floor and into his arms. “Last time I saw you, you weren’t even crawling, missy.”

Julia just burbled and smacked him on the nose. Kevin grabbed her hand and pretended to eat her fingers.

I laughed. “Can I get you anything, Kev?”

“Nah, no thanks.” Kevin replied. “I’ll stay long enough to find out whether or not Brian got the job then I’ll go.”

“I’ll wait, too.” Lance said.

We turned our attention to the kitchen, where Brian stood with his back to us, listening to Natalie. After a moment, my heart fell when I saw his shoulders slump. He didn’t get the job.

“Aw, man.” Lance murmured.

I heard Kevin sigh. “He was really looking forward to getting it,” he said. “He had his hopes up so high for this.”

I went to Brian’s side as he slowly put the phone down, as though it were heavy. I gently started rubbing his back with one hand.

“I’m sorry, Brian.”

“I really wanted that job,” he whispered.

“I know you did,” I said. “But maybe you’ll find something else.”

Brian just shrugged and stepped away from me. He left the kitchen and started up to his room.

“Well, don’t forget,” I heard Lance say as Brian climbed the stairs. “Precious is coming back in a few days. Maybe she can help you.”

Brian paused, then turned and smiled at Lance. “Thanks, Jim.”

I smiled inwardly. Good old Lance. Just like him to lift my brother like that. It was easy to see from that why Lance was Brian’s hero.