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"Come on Sprout. Dad and John can come back of any second." A hand shook me gently back and forth.
Half awake I went up. "Let's go then." I mumbled and climbed out of my bed. I had to hold on to Scott so I didn´t fall. 'Wow.' Muttered while I did my best to hold my mini breakfast in.
Scott sank to his knees in front of me as he held me and looked at me with concern. "Alan?"
"I'm thirsty." I had myself in the hand. "Virg told me that we had to cook ourself but is there some soda?" With difficulty I pulled my face into a crooked smile. Everything of my body ached. Even breathing in and out was hell. But I had to be strong. I had to be.
"Are you okay?" He asked me with his hands still on my shoulders.
"Off course. Can we go now?" Scott kept looking at me anxious and questioningly but finally nodded off though. Like Fermat he let it drop. Together we walked down.
"What do you want to do this vacation?" Scott poured two glasses of lemonade .
"Swimming, rock climbing, maybe a little jungle exploring. The usual. "
"Not alone you know the rules?" He looked at me with Scott look, one eyebrow and a small mini smile on his lips.
"Scott, I'm eleven years you know. I can on my own walk around." I took the cup gratefully and let the cold liquid in my dry throat." Virgil showed me how to fly just like Gordon. In a few years I'm a Thunderbird just like you! I can take care a minute outside by myself. "
"I know you're a ... WAIT. YOU ... YOU have flown? "Ooooow oops ..." VIRGIL!" Scott marched out of the room. Great I was only nine minutes awake and had already caused a fight. I trotted after him but my legs were a lot shorter and I cannot run in the house. There were already problems and I didn´t want to cause anymore trouble. "VIRGIL! GORDON! COME HERE!" Scott yelled.
John and Dad came running around the corner. "Scott, why are you yelling?" Asked my father while I ducked in the arms of John. If I run I would run into trouble. Why I couldn´t do things without getting into trouble and my brothers could was a mystery to me.
"Hey Sprout. What did your brothers do this time? "He looked at me smiling and gave me a kiss on my forehead. He still had his arms around me when he send (and dad) Scott questioning glances. Dad hadn´t even looked at me while his hand rubbed my hair as a greeting.
"These irresponsible ... SMALL ... VIRGIL COME HERE! GORDON!"
Gordon came running around the same corner as John and dad. He didn´t get his ass kicked for running.
Gordon first looked questioningly at Scott then turned to guilty. "Sorry Scott I shouldn´t have used glitter glue. I know. Virgil has nothing to do with it. "
"I´m not talking about. Wait ... What glitter glue?" Blew Scott. John and I tried to stop laughing, Gordon always tried to create funny moments. Pranks, he called it. Several times had paint landed in Scott's shampoo or John's textbooks were full with pictures I wasn´t allowed to see from Scott. Dad wasn´t happy about those.
Virgil joined us. I wriggled myself free from John's grasp and ran to Virgil to ignoring the voices that said I shouldn´t run in the house. Weird adults. "I'm sorry Virg. I didn´t know… I didn´t know it was a secret. I didn´t know that I shoudn´t say anything." I mumbled.
"Doesn´t matter sprout. I´m not mad at you our something like that" Virgil smiled at me and rubbed my hair. Why were all my brothers always messing with my hair? "Go to the music room. I come to you to let you hear my new song. Would you like that?" I nodded.
He gave me a little push and I walked around the corner. There I stayed hidden to hear what they had to say. This concerned me right? Then I have the right to listen, they cannot shut me out again.
"Guys, I want to know what this is all about." Dad demanded.
"These two idiots let an eleven year old fly TRACY ONE." Scott sounded furious. "Have you any idea what could go wrong? Gordon never thinks but Virgil? I thought you had a brain."
"Actually he was ten when he flew with me." Murmured Gordon, wrong timing. I almost saw how Scott looked at him.
"Scott, he can do it," Said Virgil calmly. "Alan is better than you when you started and you were seventeen. He knows how it works and if he was stuck, he asked for help. We stayed with him at all time, watching every move he made. Nothing has gone wrong. "
"You don´t understand Virg. He thinks he is ready for to be Thunderbird soon. You know that he is still too young. Who is going to tell him that he had to stay home the next time a call comes in?" Scott´s voice was full of fire and sounded desperate. I had him never seen / heard him like this. Even when he had received pink hair from Gordon or when Virgil had painted his bird with different colored spots. "He thinks he can take care of himself now."
"Scott calm down." My father's voice was calm as always.
"No calming down. When was the last time that you've spoken to Alan? Or looked at him? You don´t know him. He hate it that he is the youngest and must stay behind every single time. At the next mission. Are you going to tell him that he should stay home? "
"He knows he is not allowed to go with you guy´s. And I do know him. He's my son!" He defended himself.
"What is his favorite book?" asked John.
...
"His best grade at school?" added Gordon.
...
"Have you even looked at his report?" finished Scott.
"I was busy." Daddy's voice sounded hurt. "He has you, right? He doesn´t even misses me." There was certainty in his voice.
"You have no idea how much." whispered Virgil, so soft that I barely heard it.
"What did you say, Virgil?" Dad sounded confused.
"You should have seen his face before I stepped out of the car. You did promise to pick him up and now I was there. "
"I had ..."
"No, Dad. I could pick John up. I even offered it a few times. You now have a chance to make it right." Virgil sounded accusingly. "Try fix this mess this vacation."
It wasn´t even about the flying anymore. Dad had now reached Scott's fury. Virgil and Gordon were off the hook.
"Dad he's only eleven, a small child. He needs you. "The diplomat John mingled in this. "Scott is right. You have no idea what goes on in his head, but we cannot quite say whats happening in there. At least we´re trying. Virgil and Gordon are him learning him to fly, Scott has taught him to swim and how to ride a bike. I´m tutoring him. Things that normally a father does ... "
"You´re tutoring him?" asked Scott surprised. Great, now they think that I'm stupid.
"Yes, I speak Alan every Saturday from three to six, a few months in a row. Often even during the week if he got a test or a paper. He helps Gordon with planning jokes. Virgil gives him an hour a week Music lessons and if something is wrong, Scott is the first who Alan calls. Dad, don´t you see that you have five sons. One still very young and who needs you. Just as we once needed you. "
And now it's enough. "I DON´T NEED YOU! 'I shouted and I saw them all turn around.
"Alan ..." John began.
"NO. I am eleven years old! I can take care of myself. I don´t need anyone, and certainly not someone who doesn´t even love me! I hate you!" I turned and ran as fast as I could through the living room, outside, past the pool, towards the beach and into the jungle. In the distance the voices of my brothers and father who called me after.
What are they thinking. The whole year I'm at a boarding school where I had to do everything on my own, they don´t even come and see how I´m doing when I'm sick or come if I have a race. And now I'm home, I'm suddenly the baby.
I can take care of myself, I don´t need a babysitter.
I decided that I was far enough into the jungle so I wasn´t to be found easily and climbed up a tree. Now I was sure no one could find me, I let the tears flow freely.
I felt tired and sick.
I didn´t want to fight, I'm so tired of every thing, I just wanted to go back to school.
Restless I fell asleep while the tears continued to flow.
Not even noticing that it started to rain.
This was easier and faster to translate with Google chrome... But now I don´t know how bad the grammar is. So please report the mistakes!
I´ll update soon!
Have a nice weekend xoxox Flora