Chapter 13: Love Hurts
Bandit and Emily kept their distance from each other the rest of the weekend and when it was time to go to school Bandit quickly left for school early so he wouldn't have to see Emily and Rad. Emily noticed this in Bandit and felt bad for what she had done to him. At lunch Rad and Emily sat together with Rad's friends while Bandit sat at another table across from them. Bandit sat there reading a book while eating his lunch that his mother had made for him. Emily looked over to Bandit watching him reading his book. Stripe then walked over to Bandit and sat with him. "Hey mate," Stripe said as he sat down with his brother. "Hey mate," Bandit said in a low disappointed tone. "What's wrong?" Stripe asked while taking a bite of his sandwich. "Nothing," Bandit said, continuing to read his book. "Come on mate we agreed on no secrets," Stripe said hoping his brother would open up. "I know mate but I really don't want to talk about it," Bandit said, putting his book down and starting to eat his lunch. "Oh okay," Stripe said as he continued to eat his sandwich. "Is it about Emily?" Stripe asked. Bandit sighed before answering. "Yeah it is," Bandit answered.
"Well tell me about it," Stripe said, sitting closer to his brother. "All I did was comfort her about her brother and then… she knows I still love her," Bandit explained. "Is that a good thing that she knows that you love her?" Stripe asked. Bandit sighed again before answering. "No, not when she's pregnant and in love with our brother," Bandit said, picking at his food. "Oh," Stripe said looking down with a sad look. Emily took a deep breath before standing up and walking over to Bandit's table. "Bandit?" Emily asked, now standing at his table. Bandit looked up at Emily as she was about to speak her feelings. "Can we talk?" Emily asked. Bandit thought for a moment but then remembered what she said two nights ago. Bandit then stood up from the table and then looked at Emily before speaking. "We should keep our distance Em. I wouldn't want to get our feelings mixed," Bandit said coldly as Rad walked up to the table. "Hey mates, how's it going?" Rad asked as he put his arm around Emily's shoulder. Bandit then looks away from his brother and Emily before leaving. "Bandit?" Rad asked as his brother walked away. "What's his problem?" Rad asked. "Ask her," Stripe said coldly as he stood and left the table. "Hey! What's that's supposed to mean?" Rad asked as he watched his youngest brother leave.
"Tell me you know something Em?" Rad asked now looking at his girlfriend. "It's nothing, we better get to class," Emily said as she grabbed her bag and started to go to class. Rad shook off what was happening to his brothers and also went to class. After school Rad and Emily went to the field for Rad's Practice while Emily sat at the stands doing her homework. While Rad was doing his practice for the team and after Emily had done her homework, she got into her notebook and starting drawing. She knew Bandit was right about keeping their distance from each other but in the back of her mind she couldn't stop thinking about him. She ended up drawing Bandit in her notebook and finished the drawing all while Rad was in practice. "Hey girl!" Wendy said sneaking up on Emily. "Wendy!" Emily said, shutting her notebook. "What are you drawing?" Wendy asked curiosity. "It's nothing," Emily said, keeping her book shut. "Come on you can show me," Wendy said before taking the book and opening it. "Wait!" Emily said but it was too late. "You drew Bandit? How come?" Wendy asked, looking at her friend. "I.. well… I was just thinking of him," Emily confessed.
"Shouldn't you be thinking and drawing your boyfriend and the father of your child?" Wendy asked, confused. "Yeah I know I should be but.." Emily said trailing off as she took his notebook back. "You have feelings for Bandit!" Wendy said rather loudly. "Shhh! Keep your voice down," Emily said hoping Wendy wouldn't blow it. "What are you thinking! Having feelings for one Heeler brother and then having feelings for another! Your pregnant with Rad's baby!" Wendy said worried about her friend's emotional feelings towards the brothers. "Yeah I know that! It was a mistake," Emily explained. "A mistake?!" A voice said from behind the girls. "Stripe?" Emily said looking at Stripe. "How could you! All you do is hurt my brother and then pin them both against each other!" Stripe shouted as he grabbed his bag and ran home. "Stripe wait!" Emily said as she started to grab her things together. "Em, are you sure you want to do this? He could tell Rad everything," Wendy said as she stood up. "He's just a little kid he doesn't understand," Emily said as she hurried to go after Stripe.
Once at home Stripe ran into his room and slammed the door. "Stripe?" Emily said while coming into the house. No one was home beside Emily and Stripe. Emily then went upstairs and went to the brothers room. "Stripe? Are you home?" Emily said as she knocked on the door. "Go away! I don't want you here!" Stripe shouted. "Stripe, please talk to me, let me explain," Emily said, trying to got through to Stripe. "No! You made it clear that Bandit was a mistake!" Stripe said through the door. "I know what I said, but you need to understand my situation. Your brothers… they gave me something I've never had because of my brother and I have mixed feelings and I'm confused, please come out and talk to me," Emily begged. "Em? Are you home?" Rad asked putting his bag down. "Oh no," Emily whispered to herself. "Emily what are you doing at my door?" Rad asked seeing Emily at his bedroom door. "I was trying to talk to Stripe," Emily confessed. "Stripe?" Rad said as he tried to open the door.
"Stripe are you in there?" Rad said as he continued to try and open the door. "Go away! You two deserve each other!" Stripe shouted. "Bro this isn't funny! Open up!" Rad said now getting angry. "No!" Stripe shouted. "Rad, let him cool off," Emily said trying to convince her boyfriend to let his brother calm down. "It's my room too and he needs to open up or else," Rad said trying to open the door. "Stripe! Open this door right now!" Rad shouted. "No!" Stripe shouted once more. "Open up mate or you'll be sorry!" Rad said, putting force on the door. "Just leave me alone!" Stripe shouted. "No!" Rad shouted as he forced the door open. "Rad please!" Emily shouted as Rad forced the door opened and went into his room. "Why are you acting like a little jerk!" Rad shouted now looking at his youngest his brother. "It's because of her!" Stripe shouted with tears in his eyes. "Why do you mean mate? What has Emily done to you?" Rad asked. "Take you and Bandit away from me!" Stripe shouted. "What? She hasn't done that and you know it! You're acting like a child!" Rad shouted back. "And your about to have a child! I miss when it was just us! You, me and Bandt!" Stripe shouted once more.
"Rad, please just let him cool off," Emily said placing her hand on her boyfriend's arm. "Yeah? Well things change mate! We're not going to be kids forever! You need to grow up!" Rad shouted. Stripe felt his heart breaking as he turned and looked at Emily. "Because of you I'm losing my brothers!" Stripe shouted. "Don't you dare talk to her like that! If you want to talk to somebody like that then you say to me!" Rad shouted now getting in front of Emily. "Rad…" Emily said in a low tone. Stripe didn't have any more words, he just laid down on his bed and cried to himself. Emily shook her head with some tears as she left the room. Rad felt guilty for his Decision of making his brother and girlfriend upset. Rad then took a deep breath and sat down at Stripes bed. "Stripe, talk to me," Rad said as Stripe continued to cry into his pillow. "I miss you Rad," Stripe spoke up. Rad was surprised to hear this from his little brother. "Mate, I haven't gone anywhere, I'm still here," Rad said, placing his hand on brothers back. "Your here but your not, you're always spending time with Emily and you haven't seen me lately," Stripe said, turning and looking at his older brother. "Mate, I have a kid on the way and it's a little scary for me," Rad explained. "But that doesn't mean you should ignore me," Stripe wiping his tears away. "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way," Rad said softly.
"I already told Bandit the same thing but your the oldest and I look up to both of you guys and I don't want to feel alone," Stripe said, now looking away from his brother. "Stripe you'll never be alone mate," Rad said as he hugged his brother. "You'll be off to college soon and then Bandit will follow soon after and then it'll just be me," Stripe said as he hugged Rad back. "But I'll still be around for you mate and you'll be an uncle soon so you won't be alone in that field either," Rad said as he broke his hug with his brother. Stripe chuckled at that. "What's so funny mate?" Rad asked. "It's kind of weird to think I'll be an uncle at this age," Stripe confessed. "Well, how do you think I feel about being a dad at this age?" Rad said with a chuckle. The two brothers then laughed at themselves. "I should probably tell Emily I'm sorry," Stripe said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I think you should," Rad said. "Rad, I'm sorry too," Stripe said now looking at his brother in the eye. "It's okay mate, just… when you feel like this again just talk to me or Bandit," Rad explained. Stripe nodded as he got up from his bed and made his way to Emily's room. Stripe nodded on the door and waited for Emily to answer.
"Come in," Emily said as Stripe came in. "Stripe?" Emily said looking at then blue Heeler. "Emily, I'm sorry for the way I acted. I hope you can forgive me," Stripe said looking down. Emily smiled as she got off of her bed and walked over to the youngest Heeler brother. "It's okay, I forgive you," Emily said, giving Stripe a hug. "But can I ask you something?" Stripe asked. "Yeah you can ask me anything," Emily said pulling away from her hug. "You love Rad but then there's Bandt," Stripe asked. Emily sighed knowing she would have to explain herself about Bandit. "Stripe, both of your brothers are special to me and I'm having a baby with Rad and he's the one I love," Emily said knowing she has to be right about being with Rad. "But what about Bandit? He really loves you," Stripe said as he sat down on Emily's bed. "I know, but… sometimes love hurts and we can't control it," Emily explained. "But he's hurting," Stripe added. "I know…" Emily said thinking about her choices of Rad and Bandit.
"Hey! Do you two want to get ice cream!?" Rad asked from downstairs. "Yeah! That sounds good babe!" Emily called to her boyfriend. Emily then looks back at Stripe and takes in a deep breath. "Can we keep this between us?" Emily asked while holding both of Stripe's hands. Stripe didn't want to keep this from Bandit but knew he didn't want to cause any more trouble than he already had caused. "Yeah," Stripe said as he got off of Emily's bed and headed down stairs to join his oldest brother. Emily then grabbed her bag with her notebook. Emily then opened her notebook to the page of the drawing of Bandit and tore it out and threw it in the garbage. "I'm sorry Bandit," Emily said to herself before leaving her room to join her boyfriend and his brother for ice cream.
Bandit was at the ice cream parlor with Pat while thinking about Emily. "Hey mate, your ice cream is going to melt if you just let it sit there," Pat said while eating his sundae. "Oh, yeah I'm not really hungry I guess," Bandit said as he took little licks of his ice cream. "Well, are you going to finish it?" Pat asked, eyeing Bandit's ice cream. "No, you can have it," Bandit said handing his friend the ice cream. "Are you feeling okay? You never give me your double chocolate ice cream ," Pat said while eating both his and Bandt's ice cream. "I'm just not in the mood mate, I think I'm going to head home," Bandit said as he got up from his seat and started to head for the door. As Bandit reached the door and was about to leave the ice cream parlor, he bumped into Emily. "Emily… I'm sorry I didn't see you there," Bandit said nervously. "It's okay I wasn't paying attention either," Emily replied nervously. "Hey mate, were you just leaving?" Rad asked while walking up with Stripe. "Yeah… I have some homework to finish," Bandit said as he tried to hurry along.
"Oh, well I was going to see if you wanted to join us mate," Rad said as Bandit started to really hurry himself along. "Nah mate, I really have to get this homework started. Bandit said, now walking down the street. "Okay! See you at home then!" Rad called out to his brother.
Bandit didn't say anything then he just continued walking. Emily knew Bandit was off as he wouldn't act that way if things weren't so awkward between them. The three of them then went inside the ice cream parlor and got their ice cream and sat at a table. Back at home Bandit indeed started his homework and just as he was finishing up his mother walked into his room.
"Bandy could you collect all the trash and take it out to the bin for me?" Chris asked her son while taking the laundry to her room. "Sure thing mum," Bandit said as he got up from his desk and started to gather all the garbage together. Bandit then went into Emily's room and gathered her garbage until he found the drawing of himself that Emily had made. "Does she still think of me?" Bandit asked himself. "Mum! We're home!" Stripe said from downstairs. Bandit then quickly hid the drawing in his pocket and quickly took all the garbage and headed downstairs. Bandit walked past his brothers and Emily as he took the garbage to the bin.
As Bandit took the garbage to the bin. He couldn't help but to think about the drawing and what it could mean. Was Emily stilling thinking of him? Or was it something else? Bandit didn't know what it was but he hoped maybe Emily was still thinking of him. Bandit took out the drawing and continued to look at it as it started to rain. Bandit sighed before putting the drawing away and heading back inside with his family.
(6 months later…)
Bandit rushed over to Rad who was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. "Rad! Is she okay?!" Bandit asked, trying to shake his brother out of his misery to get him to talk. "Talk to me!" Bandit asked, grabbing his brother and pinning him again the wall. "What happened!" Bandit shouted now with tears in his eyes. "It came out of nowhere," Rad answered with tears running down his muzzle. "And the baby?" Bandit asked Loosen up his grip. "I don't know…" Rad replied.
Kodiwolf321 A/N: Oh man well things are getting awkward between everyone at this point and with this ending to this chapter we're getting closer and closer to that moment and I can't wait to write that moment because it's going to pull on the heart strings of these characters. I hope your enjoying this as much as I am making this for you. Me and Rakoon1 are hard at work making these chapters and updating as much as possible. Thanks for reading and we will see you in the next upcoming chapters really soon!