Mickey opened his soda as he looked at his brothers and said "Guys I need your help."
Ricky cringed as he said "Whenever I hear you say that I get a cold shiver up my spine." Dawson then let out a small laugh.
"Come on man I am being serious." Mickey said with an earnest expression across his face. "If I get into trouble one more time dad has threatened to spank me." A look of embarrassment crossed his face and he quickly looked next door to see if Scarlet was anywhere nearby. He then looked back at his brothers and said "I don't want to be spanked, I need your help to keep me out of trouble."
"That is what I was trying to do earlier today." Ricky said annoyed. "And you accused me of bossing you around."
"I know, I know and I am sorry." He said very apologetic. "But I need your help now." His eyes pleaded with them as he said "Please help me guys."
The two were silent for a moment and then Dawson shrugged as he said "I guess I can help you."
"Thanks I owe you."
"But you stop pushing me around all the time." Dawson said with anger in his eyes.
An uncertain look crossed his face and he said "Okay no more pushing you around."
"And no more noogies."
"No." He said shaking his head. "I can't promise that." He could not give up giving Dawson noogies he enjoyed it too much.
"I got to agree with Mickey on this one noogies are nonnegotiable." Ricky said with a smile. He did not like Mickey picking on Dawson but the one exception he had was giving him noogies. He could not see himself stop doing that.
Dawson shot Ricky a look of betrayal and Ricky smirked.
"But if you help me I won't give you them in front of your friends anymore."
"Deal." Dawson said.
Mickey then looked at Ricky. "How about you will you help me?"
"I guess." Ricky said with a shrug.
"Thank you." Mickey said and then took a drink of his soda. "You know it is a little embarrassing that we still get spankings at fifteen."
"Speak for yourself." Ricky said. "I haven't gotten one since I was eleven when you, me and Jack got in trouble at granddad's house." His mind flashed to the switch that his grandfather used on them. It was then that he swore to himself that he would never get another butt whipping again.
"I forgot you are Mister Perfect." Mickey said.
"I am not perfect." Ricky said shooting him an annoyed look. "You forget that dad had me in the corner last month for coming home late past curfew." He still could not believe that he came home an half hour late. He did not do things like that. He was the one who always got him at least ten minutes before he was supposed to unlike Mickey who normally walked through the door at the last possible minute. But he had lost track of time at his friend's house and did not realize it was past his curfew until his dad called looking for him.
Mickey thought how he was fortunate it was not another ten minutes or his no spanking streak would have been broken.
"Yeah that was funny." Mickey said and Ricky gave him a dirty look causing him to stop laughing. "Sorry."
Dawson gave him an amused grin. "You know you say that a lot."
Mickey shot him a dirty look and then took a drink of his soda.
"Just do what you are told and dad won't have a reason to spank you anymore." He then looked at Dawson. "That goes for you too."
"That's easier said than done." Dawson said looking away from his brother. His cheeks then went red with embarrassment.
"I know." Ricky said with sympathy in his voice. "But believe me it can be done." I have managed to do it for the past four years he thought. "It's really not that hard."
Mickey looked back at the house and said "I am going to miss talking to Scarlet."
Sadness filled Ricky's eyes as he said "Me too."
Dawson thought me too.
"I think she was going to choose me." Mickey said.
"Excuse me." Ricky said with a look amusement in his eyes.
"I think she was going to choose me to be her boyfriend."
"She was not." Ricky said incredulously. "If she was going to choose anyone at this table it was going to be me."
"And why is that." Mickey said in annoyance.
"Because I am the better looking one."
"We're identical twins." Mickey said. "We look exactly alike." Mickey then said "Besides she really liked my sense of humor so I know she would have chosen me to be her boyfriend."
Dawson then spoken up. "You know she could have chosen me."
The two then looked at him and burst out laughing.
"Come on Dawson be serious." Mickey said.
"I am being serious." Dawson said with a hurt look across his face. "She could have easily chosen me."
"Come on Dawson there is no way that a fourteen year old girl would choose to date a thirteen year old boy." Mickey said.
"I hate to say it but Mickey is right." Ricky said. "Girls like older boys."
"Yeah she wants to date a man." Mickey said.
Dawson then smirked "You are dumber than I thought if you think you are man."
Ricky saw Mickey's hand form into a fist.
"Mickey don't."
Mickey looked at his brother whose eyes pleaded with him not to do it. His fist clenched and unclenched several times as he decided what he want to do. He really wanted to punch Dawson for the remark but did not want to get into anymore trouble with his dad.
"Don't." Ricky said in a pleading tone. He did not want to see Mickey get any more trouble today.
He looked at Dawson who had a nervous expression across his face. The urge to hit him was strong but he pushed it away as he sighed. "Fine."
"Dawson you need to apologize." Ricky said.
"I'm sorry I called you dumb."
"Apology accepted." Mickey said as he shot him a dirty look.
Lori came out with the food a few seconds later and saw the tension in the boy's eyes. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes mom." Ricky said. "Everything is fine."
A skeptical look crossed her face as she said "Okay." Lori back into the kitchen where Pete was eating his grilled cheese. She grabbed a plate and put two sandwiches on it before sitting down to join her husband. "I am going to need to go shopping for the party and I want to take one of the boys."
Pete shrugged as he took a drink of his soda. "Take Ricky and Dawson." He thought how he would take Mickey on his errands.
"Wow you are loaning me two of the boys today." She said with a small smile. "I feel blessed."
"I'm in a generous mood." Pete said jokingly.
"You must be." Even though Pete claimed not to believe in the concept of women's work he seemed to have no problem in prioritizing yard work and work on the cars as more important than housework. Too often she had asked him to have the boy's help her with cleaning around the house and she was told they were busy helping him. Or he would only have one of the boys help when she could have used all three. She could not help but think that is partly the reason behind Mickey's attitude towards laundry and doing the dishes.
"Besides most of what I needed them to do today is done." Pete said. "They can focus on helping you get the house clean for the rest of the day."
"Thank you." She then thought that a lot of the housework had already been done. Mickey had cleaned the breakfast dishes and did the laundry for her while she had finished the vacuuming and cleaned two of the three bathrooms. There was still the boy's bathroom that needed to be clean and the kitchen needed to be mopped.
The door then opened and the three boys quickly walked in carrying their food and drinks. A concerned look crossed Lori's face as she asked "What's wrong?"
"Mister Benford is on his back porch cleaning his gun and staring at us." Ricky said with a bit of fear in his eyes.
The boys put their plates on the table and sat down.
Lori's face twisted in anger as she said "That maniac." She then looked at her husband and said "I can't don't know if I can take this anymore Pete, we can't allow that man to continue to torment our sons."
"I know and my brother is coming later this afternoon and he is going to put a stop to it." At least he hoped that he will. "I'm going to go talk to him."
"No." The three boys said loudly.
"Dad don't go out there he will shoot you." Ricky said.
"He's not going to shoot me." Pete said.
"That's what people always say before they get shot." Dawson said as his voice filled with fear. He then looked at his mom. "Please don't let him go out there."
Lori's face was filled concerned as she said "Perhaps it would be best if you stay in here Pete. We don't want to antagonize him." The image of Benson gunning down her husband went through her mind.
Pete let out a sigh as he said "Okay I won't go out there." He then pulled out his cell phone and texted his brother about the situation. A few seconds later his brother replied telling him not to confront him. He assured him that he would be there in a couple of hours to take Dawson's statement and he would deal with him. "Okay boys finish your meals."
He then told Ricky and Dawson that they were going grocery shopping with their mom while Mickey was going to the hardware store with him. He had expected some kind of protest from the boys but they seemed to accept it which he was glad for because he really wanted to go the rest of the day without having to punish his boys.