Brax sat at the table eating his sandwich while watching his 12 year old brother heath argue with his other brother casey who was 8. "you watched your rubbish programme in the morning case, it's my turn!" said heath shrugging of caseys attempt to grab the remote. "liar!give it me" wailed casey, "stop it you two" said brax as he stood up and put his plate in the sink, he raised casey and heath like his own and they usually listened to him but they carried on argueing, "you want it...come and get it" heath stood up and waved it above his little brothers head. "heath" frowned brax but heath just laughed "OW!" he cried as casey kicked his leg. Heath crumpled and casey laughed "hey! Case what have I told you!" said brax. Casey looked down while heath recovered from his leg "you shouldn't have teased him mate" said brax to heath "favouritism" mumbled heath, brax just shook kiss head. He ruffled caseys hair and scooped him up. He was light and loved it when brax picked him up, casey was different from heath as heath was stroppy and hated to be picked up casey was more innocent and gentle and brax guesses that's why he seemed to look out for casey. "brax!" called cheryl there mum "what?" "I'm going to the pub be back at 8 oh and your dad'll be back at seven" cheryl ran off to get drunkbagain as usual."I don't want dad to come back" shivered heath "same" said casey. There dad Danny was a thug and hit his kids, he didn't hit brax alot any more as he was 20 but he hit casey and heath alot, especially heath and he broke heaths arm twice. Brax vowed to protect his younger brothers and knew the signs all to well so took them to the beach when it all happened to get away. "he won't hurt you when I'm around" he reassured them but keep knew Danny would, casey brightened up but heath looked unconvinced. "I got pay day today good wage so let's get a takeaway and meet up with the boys" his brothers cheered up instantly. The boys were braxs surfie gang which he lead they were his age 20 to heaths age 12 at the youngest there were only 9 so far, even though brax didn't want his younger brothers in his gangs bad reputation heath had worked his way in bit casey only visited. Brax picked up his wallet and keys and left with his brothers to the beach.
"I'm stuffed" said heath as they walked up to their house, they'd returned from eating chips at the beach with the river boys (the gang) "me too" yawned casey "its half eight, your going to bed case" said brax as they neared the house they heard shouting "dads back " said heath,he froze on the spot. "right walk to the bathroom,brush your teeth then we go to my room without a word" said brax. Adrenaline rushed through him, they entered the house and saw cheryl on the sofa drunk and Danny also drunk argueing. "DDAARRYYLL" slurred Danny and brax thanked that he didn't say heath or casey. Brax ushered his brothers to the bathroom to brush there teeth and wash and they ran fast. "yes dad" said brax. Dannyvwalked over "gimme a b-beer!" he slurred, brax walked to the fridge and opened two bottles of cold beer and handed them to Danny. The one man brax was afraid of was in front of stumbled back to argueing with a drunken cheryl. Casey and heath emerged clean and fresh and ran to braxs bedroom, brax went into the washed, went the toilet and cleaned his teeth then emerged to see casey waiting at the door. "need the loo" said casey then ran in. Brax went into his room, heath was watching t.v "go get yours and caseys pillow and blankets, your sleeping in my room tonight" "man! Again" wailed heath, "I like my privacy to but dads drunk and I prefer it when he's hung over" brax said. Heath left mumbling in annoyance but didn't dear disobey his big brother who raised him. Brax flicked through the tv until he got to a programme about surfing, he turned up the volume to block out the shouting when he heard Danny shout "CASEY!" brax flew out of his bedroom to see heath frozen in the hallway with the pillows and blankets in his arms with his eyes wide. Danny had casey in a grip, caseys small arm in dannyz huge hands. "what did you want a little drink" teased Danny, brax ran up to them "dad leave him..." "DON'T Tell me what to do Daryll!" shouted danny, caseys blue eyes locked with braxs and they swam with fear. "here's a drink!" danny smashed a bottle up the walls making casey cry out." 's what you are!" danny shouted tightening his grip on caseys arm. Brax stepped forward " .alone." growled brax, heath stood beside him his eyes wide as he looked on at his little brother. "you!you made theboy soft!" growled back danny "but I'll toughen you up!" and before brax could lunge forward danny hit casey with such a force around his face it sent him smack into the wall. Brax lunged at danny and split his lip but danny kicked him and punched him before slamming out of the house. Cheryl burst into tears and left for the pub. Brax ignored his throbbing cheek and ran to casey who lay crumpled in a heap, heath followed. "casey!case, mate are you okay?" he picked his eight year old brother up and saw a big black/grey bruise on his tear-streaked cheek. "yeah" he said bravely buthis bottom lip trembled. Brax hugged casey it was obvious casey was trying to be tough like his brothers and thwwhole town feared them and the river boys."don't worry case, he broke my arm but look at you! Tough as nails no...tough as a bullet" said heath and ruffled casey hair. They cleaned up and slept in braxs room their door safely locked but as they slept in peace and quiet they didn't know their troubles would get worse.