𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔯 𝔟𝔬𝔶 [2]

20

When Atlas and I had gotten back to my house, our father's car was gone. I felt a little bit of the anxiety release from my body when I didn't see it. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it if he was still here, I wasn't sure how Atlas would handle it either. 

"I need to call my mom." Atlas says as he shuts the front door behind him. 

I lead him to a phone and go to the kitchen to see Gordon nursing a beer. When he sees me walk in, he sets it down, "I'm sorry." Is all he says to me. 

I rub my eyes, the whirlwind of emotions I've felt today finally taking effect on my body, "It's not your fault, Gordon." 

"I know...I just feel awful that you had to go through so much today." 

I fill a glass of water and take a sip from it, "We've both had bad days. It's ok." I take another drink from my glass and we stand in silence for a moment before I ask, "Is there any legal action we can take against him? Cause I don't want him to file for custody." 

"He won't." 

I look at my brother and I feel the sting that you feel when you fight with your body to not cry, "Yes, he would. He probably will. Promise that I won't have to live with him. Please." 

"I promise." 

"Do you mean it?" I ask, my voice breaking a little. Gordon nods and walks to me, pulling me into a hug. 

We pull apart and Gordon holds my arms, "He won't get you. I won't let him." 

"My mom is on her way here." Atlas's voice cuts in from the entrance to the kitchen. Gordon and I turn to look at him, "She'll be here soon." 

Atlas and I end up on the porch while waiting for his mom. It's cold and dark so we both have our own blankets wrapped around our shoulders, sheltering us from the cold. 

Atlas starts to speak, stops, starts again, stops again, and then finally speaks, "I'm I allowed to say that even though I don't like our dad, I'm glad that he had us." I smile at Atlas's revelation, "I've never had a sibling. It's nice, I like this." 

I smile even wider, "You won't like it went we're in a screaming match about something stupid." 

His eyebrows furrow, "I feel like there's a story here." 

I laugh this time, "Yeah. Gordon and I once got in a 30 minute long screaming match about an apple. I wanted it but didn't tell him and he ate it. I was not very happy about it." I can see Atlas's smile falter from the corner of my eye, "What's wrong?" I turn to look at him. 

"We really are alike and we had no idea that the other existed. It just seems unfair." 

"Cause it is." I answer as a car pulls up to the front of my house. 

The two of us stand up and Atlas hands me his blanket, "Do you want to meet my mom?" He asks me. 

I shake my head no, "No, not tonight." Atlas nods and starts to walk down the steps of the porch until I call out his name and he stops. I rush him with a hug and he clings to me tightly, "It was very nice to meet you, Atlas." 

"You too, Wren." Atlas says as he pulls away. He walks to his car and waves to me at the door. I wave back and then turn to go back inside. 

I fall asleep quickly. 

I woke up to an empty house and a note, "With Charlie, see you later." I throw the note away and make myself toast. 

I'm about to sit down when I hear a knock on the door, I groan and take a bite of my toast before going to the door and opening it. I come face to face with Adam, the rest of the Ducks grouped behind him. 

I manage to say, "Oh, god." Before they all pile into my house. They raid my kitchen and make themselves comfortable in the living room. Averman even steals my toast. 

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask Adam. 

"We're going to go play court-yard puck and we wanted to come get you. So...here we are." 

"Yeah, I can see that." 

"Don't you just love us?" Averman calls from the couch, Looney Tunes playing from the TV. 

"No." I answer back. Averman gasps dramatically and I roll my eyes. "I thought you guys were going to the courts, not making yourself at home in my home." 

"Change of plans." Goldberg answers. 

"No, not change of plans." Connie responds, she grabs my hands and starts to pull me up the stairs and to my bedroom, "You guys need to be ready by the time we come downstairs. Julie, come on!" 

I hear Julie run up the stairs after us and we all pile into my bedroom. 

"Well then, get dressed." Connie orders. 

"So bossy." I tease as I go to my closet, pulling out an oversized sweatshirt and some jeans. I change quickly.

When I look back I see Julie looking at the photographs that I have hanging on a bulletin board, "Hey, Wren. Why do you have a photo of Gunnar up here?" She asks me as she takes it off of the board to get a closer look at it.

"He's my friend. Why would I not have a photo of him? Besides, you guys are on there too." I point to my favorite photos of the two of them. 

"But aren't you dating Adam?" Julie continues. 

"Yeah, but what's that have to do with having Gunnar's photo?" I ask as I braid my hair 

Julie looks up at me and raises her eyebrows at me, "Cause you and Gunnar kissed." 

"And? I've kissed Adam more than I have Gunnar. Adam knows about Gunnar anyways, and Gunnar lives in Iceland. He's not really competition." 

Julie shrugs as she puts the photo back on the board. 

Adam opens the door, "Are you guys ready because Dwayne and Luis started wrestling and it's starting to get ugly." 

I roll my eyes and go downstairs to see the two boys fighting each other on the living room floor, "If you two break anything then you pay for it." They both look up at me and separate from each other, "Ok, lets go." 

I was the only one who wasn't playing the game. If I did, I fully believe that Averman would check me just for shits and giggles. So, I'm on the sidelines, watching everyone fight for the puck. 

"Hey, it's Coach Bombay!" Dwayne calls out. 

"Damn Conway, what took you so long?" Russ antagonizes. 

"Come on!" Averman urges Charlie to join the game and I smile. 

The Ducks never change. 

The two boys join the game and I watch Gordon fight teenagers for a hockey puck. Very entertaining might I say. 

At some point, everyone has lifted Gordon and placed him in the trash can that they were using as a goal. I stand up and join the team as they put him in the can. 

When he gets out, Adam lifts me up and puts me in it but when he sets me down in it I move so that he falls down, which causes the trash can to fall down, with me in. Now both of us are on the ground laughing our asses off. 

The rest of the team was laughing at us when I crawled out of it and over to Adam, "You're an idiot, Cake-Eater." I say as I kiss him.

He smiles when I pull away, "I know."