Chapter 9
The Brother Code
Sunday 4:35 AMAs soon as Drake entered his bedroom it started to rain outside. Not a storm, just a
gentle shower tapping the windows like gentle wind chimes. He was drained from this
whole weekend and just wanted to collapse on the bed. Which was what he did when he
took off his boots. Then the lights came on. Granted it was on the dimmer switch setting
but Drake knew as soon as he wanted to put his head on his pillow those lights were
going to come on.
"Drake," Josh propped up his own pillows and sat up, "How was your trip with Mom?"
"Fine."
"We got disconnected yesterday on the phone."
"No, Josh, we didn't get disconnected. I hung up on you."
"Why?"
"Why? You have got to be kidding me. You told Mom things that how do I put this Josh?
Oh, I know. Things that are none of your business. You broke the code, man. And just so
you don't ask me later, I'm grounded for a month."
The only exceptions that Audrey and Walter made were for paying gigs otherwise he
wasn't allowed to go anywhere but school, save for going to Torey's house to apologize.
"What code are you talking about?"
"Did you drink stupid juice while I was gone? You were nothing short a fifth grade
tattletale. Today is the anniversary of my dad's death. Which I am surprised that you
don't know. So maybe everything is so cut and dry for you because your mother is
shacking up with some guy in a trailer park in Ohio. But you broke the code. So if you
don't turn off that light in five seconds and if you make me get out of bed to do it I am
going throw my alarm clock at you."
Josh turned off the light. "I'm sorry, Drake."
Drake turned around and buried his head in his pillow. Only one thing mattered today
and that was seeing Torey.
Drake woke up at six thirty in the morning to get dressed. The rain had stopped a few
hours ago and all of the plants and grasshad a mixture of morning dew and raindrops
on them.
He wanted to wear a more conservative shirt today and picked his white short-sleeved
button down shirt that he would usually wear to church. There would be no church today.
He was certain his mother was still tired from their trip but April 12th was always a
different day in this house. Dark jeans or faded jeans? He chose the faded. He wanted
everything to be perfect. Josh opened up his one eye to look at the time on the clock.
He wasn't sure if he should speak to Drake or not.
Drake talked about this stupid code thing, but he said some hurtful things himself.
He didn't want to fight with him. Not today. Not when three people in this house lost
someone very important in their lives. He wondered if his dad felt like an outsider
today? Josh certainly did. Drake was tying up the laces on his tan colored sneakers
when Josh got up.
"Morning, Drake."
"I'm still not talking to you."
"You know," Josh walked over to face his brother, "I'm going to let this all pass because
of what today is, but you said some terrible things yourself, BROTHER. So this code you
are talking about, well you broke it too."
"This conversation is over." Drake walked out of the room.
He had to go into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He hoped that Torey would at least
listen to what he had to say.
Words were all he had. Music he could do with his eyes closed. Finding the right words
to say was the most difficult thing of all.
It was eight o'clock when Drake found himself on Torey's porch. He looked at his
reflection in the mirror of the glass door and smoothed down his hair one last time
before ringing the doorbell. His heart was in his throat. He was barely able to eat any
breakfast today which would have been difficult to do on this day regardless. There was
no sign of Audrey or Walter when he came downstairs, he only saw Megan spraying
whipped cream on some frozen waffles. He would have said something to her, like he
always did every year, but she had a look on face that translated to 'don't bother me or
I'll kick you in the shins'. Megan didn't see him so he was able to grab an apple and
juice and sneak out to eat on the back porch.
He knew that Parker expression of disdain. Megan was always a happy child but that
changed when their father died. Now she was all about practical jokes, "getting even",
and copping attitude with anyone who got in her way. It didn't take a genius to figure out
that was her coping mechanism.
Drake's face had the same look when it was Mindy Crenshaw who opened the door.
"You? Why are you here?"
"Not that it is your business, but I've been keeping Torey company this weekend. Her
Mom has to work this morning. I hope you don't think that you are entering this house,
Drake, because that isn't going to happen."
"Only Torey can speak for herself. You probably brainwashed her against me."
"No, you did that yourself."
"I don't hit girls, but I will shove you if you don't get out of the way."
She relented but only because she was going to tell Josh every word of this
conversation. Every word.
"Boy you really are a prince charming." Mindy said as Drake ran up the stairs.
Drake knocked softly on Torey's bedroom door. She had a Victorian teddy bear
poster on it and she had a custom made mini personalized license plate above
the poster.
"You better give us some privacy." Drake whispered as he closed the door behind
him.
She was sleeping. She was clutching her wizard teddy bear with the purple pointy hat
with moons and stars on it complete with a matching velvet cape.
There were mounds of tissues all around her bed to dry the tears that he had
caused. He didn't want to scare her. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder.
"Torey,"
She opened up her eyes and pulled her covers up.
Drake got on his knee to get on her eye level.
"I'm sorry. I know it sounds empty. Just like some thing guys say to get their way with
girls. But I mean it with all of my heart."
"drake," she whispered
"Yes?"
"Go away. I don't want to see you anymore."
That was Mindy's cue to open the door and come to her friend's aid.
"There. Are you happy now?"
"Mindy, go to Hell. Torey you can't mean that? I made a terrible mistake and I am very
sorry. I am grounded for a month though."
"Mindy, make him leave!" She put the covers over her head and turned to face the wall.
"I'll be glad to."
"Get your arm off me, Crenshaw. I'm going. Torey, whatever Mindy tells you is not true."
He walked home with the weight of the world on his young shoulders. How come his
father wasn't helping him? He didn't know what to do.
When Drake came home he found Megan sitting on the back porch picking the petals
off a daisy.
"Mind if I sit next to you?"
"I don't care."
This was the only day of the year where Megan and Drake were at complete oneness
with each other.
"I think you do."
Slowly but surely she leaned in closer to her brother for a hug.
"You're stiff as a board, Megan. You know it's okay to cry don't you?"
"I don't want to."
"Do you ever cry at night?"
"Nope. I never cry, Drake."
She was going to have quite the emotional explosion someday if she kept her feelings
bottled up like this.
"There's nothing wrong with it."
"I know. I sprayed whipped cream in Josh's bedroom slippers. He's going to be so
mad when he finds out!"
"Sweet."
Josh felt like he didn't belong when he saw his mom and dad looking out the window
watching Drake comfort his sister. Yeah, Josh's biological mom might have been
"shacking up" with another man as Drake so eloquently put it, but it still hurt.
He was still abandoned.
She might as well have been dead. The results were the same.
Josh wanted to scream that Drake was still selfish and just because mom had some
bonding time with him in Santa Barbara and now she and dad were witnessing him
comforting his sister over the death of their father that didn't mean that Drake still wasn't
a self-centered, selfish jerk.
Josh instead turned around to go back upstairs to his room. He knew his day was going
to get better. He had a girlfriend with whom he was going to see later on today.
Which was more than Drake could say.
