Being a Banner [ 1 of JA ]

34

*************

We take a bus to the outlets, and when we're there all three of us are attracted to a circular platform with glowing multi-colored lights.
      "Alright, Banner," Jax says, one of the lights making his face pink, "what real fun shall we have?"
      "What 'real fun?'" I ask.
      "Let's get crazy! Break some rules! —and not get caught by the cops!" Jax chuckles.
      "I've had real fun before!"
      Levi scoffs, "Sure you have."
      "When was the last time you had real fun?" Jax asks.
      "Dad took me to see Wicked." I say shrug.
      Levi shakes his head, "That's not fun!"
      "Musicals are fun!"
      "Kerry, we didn't want you to be lonely on a Friday night, and your dad felt guilty knowing you'd be all alone if he went out." Jax explains.
      "When did Dad talk to you?" I ask.
      Jax doesn't answer, only holds his hand out. "Come on," he smiles. I reach for his hand, only to have him take a step back. It's like I'm a dog and he's throwing out a treat for me to follow him. Grabbing his hand we both follow Levi to an open churro truck.
      Levi buys for all of us, and while munching he asks, "Isn't this better than eating Frosted Flakes for dinner?"
      "Yes, but only because churros only come once in a lifetime chance," I reply as we move from the truck. Suddenly, Levi jumps and hits Jax on the arm.
      "You know what we should do?" he says all giddy. "We should go to the mall!"

*************

When we arrived at the mall I went to adjust my beanie, only to realize that I forgot it. Now my awkward middle part was on display for everyone in New York.
      "What store shall we hit first?" Levi asks. My stomach wails and growls against its walls.
      "I'm hungry," I say.
      Jax and Levi look at me, scoffing in awe.
      "We just had churros!" Levi exclaims.
      "That was a snack, something to take on the road." I joke.
      "I know where to go." Jax smiles.

We walk down to Buffalo Wild Wings where we share a big platter of wings and many side dips.
"This was a great idea." I say with a mouth full of chicken. Levi and Jax chuckle before getting into a conversation about their Fantasy Football League teams.
Suddenly, shrill laughter echoes around the food court. Looking behind me I caught sight of the little play place for toddlers.
      A little girl ran into the arms of someone who could only be her father. He scooped her up and planted a big kiss on her cheek. I watched as the biggest smile etched onto her face.
      There were only certain memories I could recall with Dad when I was very young, like him singing Christmas songs to help me sleep, or sitting on a beach in Florida during a family vacation.
      "Kerry?" Levi asks. I notice that both boys are leaning over the table.
      "Are you okay?"
      I shrug and plaster a fake smile on my lips, "I'm fine."

*************

We walked on the top floor looking into stores when we were nearing a Starbucks.
      "Is Starbucks good?" I ask. There was a silence before Jax asks, "What did you say?"
      Confused, I reply, "I asked if Starbucks is any good."
      Out of nowhere Levi starts cracking up.
      "Hey Jaxth, leth go get Thtarbucks!" Levi says as if he had a lisp.
      "Are you mocking me?" I ask with wide eyes and a laugh.
      "Did you not know you have a lisp?" Jax asks.
      "I do not have a lisp!"
      "Don't worry about it, it's cute," Jax chuckles.
      I roll my eyes with a humorous smile. "I do not have a lisp,"
      "Yeth, you do!" Levi retorts.

"Ohmigod! Puppies!" Levi exclaims. We had been to many stores, acting like children, and now we were walking towards into pet store.
"C'mon lets go!" Levi calls out, jogging in and around bystanders. As Jax and I enter I'm wide eyed in the sight of cuteness.
Puppies roll and run around a little play pen, jumping on each other, and barking at toys. My eyes catch a little brown Cocker Spaniel in a corner biting a flavor bone treat.
Our eyes met, and instantly the dog bounced to his feet, but as he took his first step the dog tripped over his long ears. It reminded me and how long my hair was, it always being in my way but never wanting to do anything about it.
      After the pet store, Jax leads the way to the bottom floor, and leads us into a sports store called, Sports York.
"What are we doing here?" I ask, looking around the store.
"Jax? Is that you?" a tall, balding plump man walks in from the back door. He wears a Giants baseball jersey with khaki pants.
"Yeah it's me!" Jax calls out. "I brought some friends!"
The man and I make eye contact, and a big smile crosses his face as he points a finger at me.
"Banning. . .Banner—Kerry?" he asks.
I nod, "How—"
"Jax always talk about you," the man chuckles. "He never shuts up about you—"
"Vince this is Kerry, Kerry this is Vince, my uncle!" Jax interrupts as he slides up next to me. I shake Vince's hand, but from the corner of my eye I catch Jax staring at his uncle hard.
"Vince!" Levi cries from the other side of the store. He holds a lacrosse stick, and even cradles it like a real player. "Can we toss a ball?"
"Of course, just don't break anything, and use a tennis ball please!" Vince cries. "I'm going to finish up some paper work."
The store was closing, and no one was in Sports York at all but the four of us.
"He lets you guys run around?" I laugh.
Jax nods as Levi tosses him two lacrosse sticks.
"Yeah, it may not be allowed in the mall, but technically Vince owns the store, so we can do whatever we want!" he explains.
"How come I'm just hearing about your uncle, huh?" I ask.
Jax's cheeks turn slightly red as he nervously chuckles, "I. . .just didn't think you were into sports—because of your heart thing,"
I laugh, "There's a difference between playing sports and liking sports. I watch the Dodgers,"
Jax's face falls into confusion. "You don't like the Yankees?"
"Yankees suck!" I yell as I turn to Levi, who cradles a tennis ball into the lacrosse stick. "Levi! Over here!" I run through racks of jerseys as I leave Jax behind me in full laughter.
Levi hurls the tennis ball, and it hits a rack of football jerseys, gently falling to the ground. I scoop the ball up and turn a corner next to a wall of footballs, but Jax jumps in the way.
"How could you not like the Yankees?!" he cries. "They're the whole soul of New York!"
"My dad likes the Dodgers, my uncle likes the Dodgers and so does my cousin!" I say as I chuck my stick and watch the ball go flying across the store. Jax turns around and runs in the direction of the tennis ball.
From the back wall of the store, I can hear Levi and Jax fight for the ball.
"LET GO OF THE BALL YOU HUNK!" Levi exclaims, making me topple over in laughter.
"I'll take that as a compliment!" Jax yells back.
We continue playing for twenty minutes, chasing only one ball, keeping it away from whoever went after it with you. Levi was the one Jax and I teamed up against, and in the last battle we won because Levi was too late on catching a ball I threw.
"SHIT!" he screams, throwing the lacrosse stick on the ground. "Oh—damn, I can't pay for this if I broke it—"
"Oh my God," I laugh, "I need a drink, but the mall is closed."
"Vince has drinks in his office, I'll go grab some," Jax offers.
"No, I can do it!" I say, then turn to a hallway behind the long counter with cash registers. "Back there?"
"Second door on the right." Jax informs me.
I place my lacrosse stick on the counter and walk into the hallway, approaching the door that read 'Manager' and knocked.
Vince smiles as he opens the door. "Hey Kid!"
"Jax says you got drinks?" I ask, "I think we're all worked out,"
"I can see," Vince laughs, letting me enter the office. "Water's in the mini fridge."
I squat down and grab three bottles from the fridge.
"You are a very close friend of Jax?" Vince asks.
"Yeah, a long time." I reply, standing back up.
"You got family in New York?" he asks.
I nod.
"Jax worries about ya, he said your old man isn't around much, but you can always come here kid." Vince smiles.
I freeze, staring at Vince, my face blushing red.
"Jax said that?"
Vince nods, "Yeah, says you haven't seen your uncle in a while. Guess he doesn't know much about him, but knows you care about him,"
I nod slightly, my body shaking and not from the coldness of the water bottles.
"He talks about you a lot, yeah, so much that I'm wondering when he'll ever be a man and ask ya." Vince chuckles.
"Ask me?" I ask, starting to panic. "Ask me what?"
Vince face falls, and suddenly he is embarrassed. "Oh—you don't—he—"
      That's when I feel a sharp tear in my spine, my brain felt like a radar sending out a signal. My stomach churned and suddenly I felt all the food I've eaten tonight rise to the back of my throat, their flavors pungently covering my breath.
      "I'm gonna—I gotta go—" I spin out of the room and run done the hall. Throwing the water bottles on the counter, I snag my jacket and head to the exit doors.
      "Hey Banner—" I step out of the store, that being the whole mall and into the September-October night. The breeze burns my cheeks and the cold hits the pants of my legs. I begin to run and never stop.

*************

When I had made it back home, I burst through the door to see Dad pacing in circles and looking down at his phone. He looked up at me and sighed with a smile.
"The pull—I could sense you—" I hugged him tightly and buried my head in his chest. "What happened?"
I didn't reply for a long time, but when I did I told him I was upset and confused. He said he could feel it. I lied and told him I thought something was wrong with him, but it was me who sent the pull.

*******************************************************************************************************

Oof why did I post this and half edited it??