Not-So-Warm Welcomes

Charlie is sixteen years old.

"Promise me that you guys will be nice."

Miles and Bass looked at each other, then back at Charlie.

"No," they said in unison.

Charlie stared up at the boys with a pleading expression on her face. "Ethan's really nice, you guys will like him if you just give him a chance."

"I doubt it." Danny's voice came from behind them as he and Uncle Ben came into the backyard. No one seemed the least bit surprised that Rachel had decided not to attend the fourth of July, barbecue that Miles held for the family every year.

"Hey, bud." Miles gave his nephew a pat on the shoulder and asked, "why do you doubt that I'm going to like him?"

Danny made a pained sort of face. "Because the guy's a total douche-"

"Danny!" Ben scolded his son for his choice of words, but the fourteen year old merely rolled his eyes.

"Well he is! He's a football player, so all the girls like him, and he knows it."

"Shut up, Danny, you don't even know him-" Charlie started to say, but Danny interrupted her.

"Oh, but I know of him, and that's bad enough."

Charlie growled at her little brother just as their guest came around the corner of the house. The kid looked about sixteen or seventeen, he was wearing jeans and a football t-shirt. He was tall and muscular, and grinned as soon as he saw Charlie.

"Ethan!" Charlie shouted happily, as she all but bounced over to him. She took his hand and pulled him over to where the men stood.

"This I my dad, Miles; My uncle, Ben; and my dad's friend, Bass." She pointed to each of the men in turn before indicating her brother, "and you know Danny, right?"

Ethan smiled and nodded at Danny, "hey, man, what's up?"

Danny's only response was to glare at him. Getting the picture, Ethan turned to Miles with a hand outstretched, "it's nice to meet you, Mr. Matheson."

Charlie glared at her dad, daring him to be mean, so he put on his best menacing smile and shook the kids hand. "Yeah, Charlie's told me all about you." He squeezed the kids hand a little harder than necessary, succeeding in making him look a little afraid, but stopped when he saw the frown on his daughter's face.

Luckily, the boy was saved by the sliding glass door opening and closing, as Jeremy came out onto the back patio. "Come on," Charlie grabbed Ethan's arm, "that's Jeremy."

The four guys watched the two of them as they chatted with Jeremy. Bass broke the silence by saying, "I don't like him."

"Told you," Danny added.

"I don't know," Ben said slowly, "he kind of reminds me of what you and Bass were like when you guys were that age."

Miles' eyes went wide as he groaned up at the sky.

"What's wrong, Miles?" Ben asked.

"If that kid is anything like we were, then we're all in for some serious shit."

"Damn," Bass frowned over at the boy who currently had his hand on Charlie's back, much too close to her butt for his liking. He looked over at Miles, "do you think anyone would notice if he went missing?"

Miles looked thoughtful for a moment before Danny pitched in. "He lives with his dad, who works a lot, so you guys might have some time to work with."

"Alright," Miles said, "Danny, you go distract Charlie. Bass, go get the duct tape out of the garage. I'll handle the kid." He glared in Ethan's direction.

"You guys are kidding, right?" Ben asked nervously, though judging by the dead serious looks on Miles, Bass, and Danny's faces, they weren't. "Ok, you know what? No. You two," he pointed at Miles and Bass, "can do whatever you want, but you are not involving my son in premeditated murder."

"Dad!" Danny whined. "She's my sister." He said it like he thought that it was a perfect excuse for killing someone.

Realizing that he stood absolutely no chance against the angry mob of over-protective men in Charlie's life, Ben walked away, not wanting any part in their scheming.

"Yeah, it's easy for you," Miles called after him, "you got a boy!"


A/N Thanks for reading everybody! I hope you like this one! :-)