Disclaimer: See previous chapter.
Promises Failed
"But, Scotty, we wanna go play at the park," Gordy whined. He and Alan had been begging and bugging him for most of the morning to take them to the park. Virgil and John were only who-knew-where and their dad was in meetings at work. Grandma was, from the smells wafting into his bedroom, baking cookies for the boys' afternoon snack.
Slowly counting to ten, the twelve-year-old looked up from the book he'd been reading and into the sad expressions of his youngest brothers. "I said I would take you, Gordy, but I'm trying to read this for school."
"You promised, Scotty. You promised and you can't go back on a promise," Alan argued.
Not for the first time that day, Scott wondered just what the heck he'd been thinking when he made that promise. He knew from past experience that his brothers would remember everything he promised them but they could conveniently forget everything else unless they were benefiting from it at the drop of a hat.
"I will take you to the park after I finish reading my assignment and not a moment before, got it?" Alan and Gordon stared up at him with mixed emotions playing across their faces. "Now go downstairs and watch cartoons or build something with your legos or whatever."
Shoulders slumped, Alan padded out of the bedroom with Gordon behind him. Typical of the red-head, he couldn't just leave without having the last word. "You're a big meanie, Scotty. And I don't like big meanies." Sticking his tongue out at Scott, he dashed past Alan and into the hallway. He slowed down only long enough to make sure he didn't fall down the stairs.
"GORDY, WAIT FOR ME." Alan yelled, hurrying after his brother.
Scott sat at his desk, staring at the now empty doorway. "I know I promised but I also promised Dad that I'd get good grades. Setting his book aside, he looked at the small framed picture of him and his mom. "I'm trying, Mom. Really I am but I don't know how to make everyone happy. I can't break my promise to Dad. And I don't want to break my promise to Gordy and Allie. I just feel like I'm breaking my promise to you. I promised to look after them but I can't do it all."