Chapter Nine.
"Hello Jeremy," His mother said walking into the kitching setting her purse down, along with some bags of grocceries. "Where's your brother?"
Jeremy looked up from his game boy saying. "Which one?" His mother scowled at him and started to unload the bags. "Don't be cute. Now, Jefferson, where is he?" She asked again. "I bought some new stuff at the store I thought maybe he could pick out what he likes."
'I thought he could pick out what he likes.' Jeremy mocked mentally. "I don't know, he left with John I think." The boy replied. Jamie dropped a bag of egg noodles and looked at her youngest son. "What do you mean you think?" She asked. "What happened after school?"
"John came in and Jeff was helping me with my homework then he left." The boy shrugged. It didn't seem like such a big deal to him. "Oh my God." Jamie ran into the livingroom picking up the phone. "He could be lost out there, or hurt...." Dialing 911, she waited for the opperator to pick up before she spoke. "Yes this is Jamie McRea and my son is missing, can you please send a car out to find him? I think he may be lost."
She listened to the other end. "Okay, thank you." Hanging up the phone, Mrs. McRea picked up a baby picture of Colt and held it to her. 'Please let him be ok.'
...........................
"Toss me the ball Jeff!" Ishmail shouted raising his arms over his head. Colt threw the ball to him and ran to the other side of the court if he needed any help. The handful of boys have been playing basket ball all afternoon and now it was night. The game was now going into over time.
"Hey!" Shouted Manuelo, he was talking to Ishmail. "You travelled!" The mixed boy laughed and tossed the ball in the hoop. "Nice try Manny, you're always calling travel when someone gets the ball past your ass."
Manuelo scoffed and crossed his arms. "I do not, that was just that one time." Ishmail made a face at Colt and he laughed. This is just what he needed to hang out with kids his own age and.... I don't know, play. "Okay," Said John grabbing the ball. "The score's tied with, 10 a side. This is the final shot of the game."
Eric and Peter took the center and John tossed the ball up into the air. The two of them jumped and swatted at the ball with Peter getting it on their side. Joshua caught the ball and dribbled it down the court. "I got it!" Colt shouted and stole the ball when the brunette went by.
"Hey?" He shouted in amusement that someone could steal the ball from him. A rare occation that few could accomplish. Colt took the ball down the court and tossed it when he was at the three point marking, two of the guys on Peters team were right at the hoop to knoc it out, but the ball hit the back board and went over Colt's head to John who ran up to the hoop making the goal.
"Yeah!" Colt cheered. The group of boys shook hands to the good game.
"This could be the start of something big, the McRea brothers undefeated since.... What day is it?" John asked.
Everyone swatted him in the back of that head and waved him off. "Look at him gloating over one victory," Laughed Eric. "We'll get you guys next time."
John shook his head talking over everyone elses chatter. "Yeah yeah, you all wish." Throwing an arm around Colt's shoulders, "Come on." his brother said, walking them towards the entry way of the gate to leave.
All the other guys waved goodbye to them as they went down the street to their homes. "We'll see you at school tomorrow, right Jeff?" Shouted Josh.
"I think so!" Shouted Colt. "They still don't have my records, so I might not be able to go yet!"
"We'll stop by after then! Bye!" They waved.
John and Colt waved and continued home. "It's about time you stopped being so shy," His brother was saying. "I think the guys really like you."
Colt smiled to himself. It was good to know because he really liked all of them too. "You wanna sneak off and get some burgers or something?" Asked John. "Yeah sure." The two of them veared in another direction to get something to eat. Luckily in Arizona everything is walking distance.
A cop car pulled up beside the curb and flashed its headlights in the boys faces. Colt and John shielded their eyes with their forearms until the officer turned off the lights. Stepping out of the car he looked over the roof at the two of them. "You Jefferson McRea?" He asked.
Colt looked shocked and confused, last time he checked he hadn't done anything wrong. "Yes sir." He replied. The cop gestured him over with his fingers and the two boys walked over to his car. "Yes?" Asked Colt.
"Get in, your mother has been looking for you." The officer said getting back into the car. "She thought you might be lost so she sent an officer out to escort you home."
"Whaat?" Said Colt in disbelief.
John sighed, sounding a little irritated. "Mom."
"In." The cop said. Colt let out an irritated sigh himself and climbed into the backseat of the car. John joined him and the two of them were driven home.
* * *
"I cannot believe you sent a cop car out there to get him," John was saying to his mother when the two of them got home. Jamie seemed annoyed that her eldest son didn't understand her actions and was speaking to her so rudely. "Didn't Jeremy tell you he was with me?"
"Jeremy may have mentioned it, but that is beside the point." She raised her finger to her sons face. "And don't you take that tone of voice with me Johnathan, I'm still you're mother and the head of this household."
John nodded and praised her sarcastically. "Oh yeah, and you never let anyone forget it either. I thought we were supposed to make Jeff comfortable here?" Jamie turned her nose up at him. She no longer wanted to listen to any of this. "All you seem to be doing is keeping him under your wing just like you did to all of us when he was gone."
Colt hung his head listening to the two of them argue. He didn't want this family to start fighting over him, he barely felt like he was part of it. They shouldn't fight over him. "All I'm saying is learn to leave me a note when you're going out. That's all I ask." Jamie said in what sounded like defeat.
Colt turned away and walked upstairs. He'd be done for dinner, right now he needed to vent his feelings to the only person he could call since the number to his house was blocked off from him. When Colt made it to the safety of his room, he closed the door and pulled out his cell phone. Just as he started to dail 'Lissa's number there was a knock on the door.
Colt shoved it under his pillow without having dialed the last number and he said in a calm tone. "Come in." The door cracked open and a head peeked in. "Can I come in?" Anna said, fully opening the door. "Sure." Colt scooted over on the bed and she sat down beside him.
There was silence a minute then Annalise raised Colt's pillow pulling out his phone. "Who were you calling?" She asked. Colt was almost afraid to lie, didn't twins have some kind of phschic connection or something?
"Eric. He told me to call him if I ever wanted to talk." Colt lied. Anna nodded and looked at the number. "Mom's not gonna let you go out alone anymore, you do know that right? You screw up once and she'll always be there."
"Greeeat." Colt said taking his phone back from the girl and stuffed it under his pillow. "Isn't there any way to make her trust me? I'm not gonna run off or anything." His eyes pleaded with the girl and twisted her mouth up thinking about it, only to shake her head. "None that I can think of." She said and stood up.
"I think it would be better for you to just lay low for a while, when she cools off talk to her." Anna shrugged as though saying, 'it couldn't hurt.' then she left his room.
"I'll get her over it alright." Colt muttered. He reached under his pillow grabbing his phone again and he redailed Neilissa's number. She picked it up after two rings. "Hello?" Colt smiled hearing her voice.
"Hi Liss', how are you?" He asked. Outside of his room Annalisse was listening to the door and heard what Colt said. She wondered a moment who this Lissa was that he kept calling, then she went downstairs to set the table.
"Never mind me, how are you? Are they treating you ok there?" She asked in her usual mellow tone.
"I don't know, it's like the second I actually start feeling comfortable around here they take the uncomfortable part up another knotch." Colt explained. "Tonight she called the cops on me because she thought I was lost, all I was doing was hanging out with John and his friends." He shrugged. "That's all, we were gonna come back but she went all schitzo on me and had me brought back home."
Lissa sounded as though she were thinking about something then she said. "It sounds like she's taking the concern parenting thing a little overboard." Colt downcast his eyes shaking his head. "She is." He replied.
It was silent a moment then Neilissa came back on saying. "I didn't wanna say anything, because I wanted it to be a surprise but, I'm coming to Arizona next week to bring you your school records."
That brightened Colt's day ten full and he grinned from ear to ear. "You're kidding? That's great!" He said, already imagining what the two of them could do together. "You can't let on though that you know me. I don't wanna get you in trouble, I'll be bringing by a letter from your mother and brothers as well." Colt couldn't believe it, this was like some kind of, dare he think it, romance novel back in the old war days.
"I don't wanna seem suspicious." Lissa went on explaining. "Right, I won't let on." colt assured. "I can't wait to see you though."
"Me either. Everyone here really misses you, even the people in class." Colt smiled knowing that. "I miss them two, especially you and my brothers and Mom and Dad." Colt heard a knock on the door and lowered his voice. "I have to go, I can't wait to see you."
Neilissa blushed and replied. "I can't wait to see you either, goodbye Colt."
"Bye." He hung up when she had then he got off his bed and went to the door. "Yeah?" He said when he opened it. It was his mother, she looked down at the floor and said. "Dinner's on the table, I hope you like it."
Colt nodded saying. "I'm sure I will." Silence. Jamie looked up at him and he gave her a hug. "Don't feel bad okay, I understand why you did what you did.... I just hope that you learn to trust me more, I really can take care of myself mom." Colt explained.
"I'm glad to hear that, I'll.... I'll learn to trust you more, just tell me where you're going next time." She asked.
Colt nodded and assured her with an. "I will."
Smiling, Jamie rubbed Colt's shoulder and steered him downstairs. She didn't question why her son was so suddenly happy she was just glad that he was.
"Hello Jeremy," His mother said walking into the kitching setting her purse down, along with some bags of grocceries. "Where's your brother?"
Jeremy looked up from his game boy saying. "Which one?" His mother scowled at him and started to unload the bags. "Don't be cute. Now, Jefferson, where is he?" She asked again. "I bought some new stuff at the store I thought maybe he could pick out what he likes."
'I thought he could pick out what he likes.' Jeremy mocked mentally. "I don't know, he left with John I think." The boy replied. Jamie dropped a bag of egg noodles and looked at her youngest son. "What do you mean you think?" She asked. "What happened after school?"
"John came in and Jeff was helping me with my homework then he left." The boy shrugged. It didn't seem like such a big deal to him. "Oh my God." Jamie ran into the livingroom picking up the phone. "He could be lost out there, or hurt...." Dialing 911, she waited for the opperator to pick up before she spoke. "Yes this is Jamie McRea and my son is missing, can you please send a car out to find him? I think he may be lost."
She listened to the other end. "Okay, thank you." Hanging up the phone, Mrs. McRea picked up a baby picture of Colt and held it to her. 'Please let him be ok.'
...........................
"Toss me the ball Jeff!" Ishmail shouted raising his arms over his head. Colt threw the ball to him and ran to the other side of the court if he needed any help. The handful of boys have been playing basket ball all afternoon and now it was night. The game was now going into over time.
"Hey!" Shouted Manuelo, he was talking to Ishmail. "You travelled!" The mixed boy laughed and tossed the ball in the hoop. "Nice try Manny, you're always calling travel when someone gets the ball past your ass."
Manuelo scoffed and crossed his arms. "I do not, that was just that one time." Ishmail made a face at Colt and he laughed. This is just what he needed to hang out with kids his own age and.... I don't know, play. "Okay," Said John grabbing the ball. "The score's tied with, 10 a side. This is the final shot of the game."
Eric and Peter took the center and John tossed the ball up into the air. The two of them jumped and swatted at the ball with Peter getting it on their side. Joshua caught the ball and dribbled it down the court. "I got it!" Colt shouted and stole the ball when the brunette went by.
"Hey?" He shouted in amusement that someone could steal the ball from him. A rare occation that few could accomplish. Colt took the ball down the court and tossed it when he was at the three point marking, two of the guys on Peters team were right at the hoop to knoc it out, but the ball hit the back board and went over Colt's head to John who ran up to the hoop making the goal.
"Yeah!" Colt cheered. The group of boys shook hands to the good game.
"This could be the start of something big, the McRea brothers undefeated since.... What day is it?" John asked.
Everyone swatted him in the back of that head and waved him off. "Look at him gloating over one victory," Laughed Eric. "We'll get you guys next time."
John shook his head talking over everyone elses chatter. "Yeah yeah, you all wish." Throwing an arm around Colt's shoulders, "Come on." his brother said, walking them towards the entry way of the gate to leave.
All the other guys waved goodbye to them as they went down the street to their homes. "We'll see you at school tomorrow, right Jeff?" Shouted Josh.
"I think so!" Shouted Colt. "They still don't have my records, so I might not be able to go yet!"
"We'll stop by after then! Bye!" They waved.
John and Colt waved and continued home. "It's about time you stopped being so shy," His brother was saying. "I think the guys really like you."
Colt smiled to himself. It was good to know because he really liked all of them too. "You wanna sneak off and get some burgers or something?" Asked John. "Yeah sure." The two of them veared in another direction to get something to eat. Luckily in Arizona everything is walking distance.
A cop car pulled up beside the curb and flashed its headlights in the boys faces. Colt and John shielded their eyes with their forearms until the officer turned off the lights. Stepping out of the car he looked over the roof at the two of them. "You Jefferson McRea?" He asked.
Colt looked shocked and confused, last time he checked he hadn't done anything wrong. "Yes sir." He replied. The cop gestured him over with his fingers and the two boys walked over to his car. "Yes?" Asked Colt.
"Get in, your mother has been looking for you." The officer said getting back into the car. "She thought you might be lost so she sent an officer out to escort you home."
"Whaat?" Said Colt in disbelief.
John sighed, sounding a little irritated. "Mom."
"In." The cop said. Colt let out an irritated sigh himself and climbed into the backseat of the car. John joined him and the two of them were driven home.
* * *
"I cannot believe you sent a cop car out there to get him," John was saying to his mother when the two of them got home. Jamie seemed annoyed that her eldest son didn't understand her actions and was speaking to her so rudely. "Didn't Jeremy tell you he was with me?"
"Jeremy may have mentioned it, but that is beside the point." She raised her finger to her sons face. "And don't you take that tone of voice with me Johnathan, I'm still you're mother and the head of this household."
John nodded and praised her sarcastically. "Oh yeah, and you never let anyone forget it either. I thought we were supposed to make Jeff comfortable here?" Jamie turned her nose up at him. She no longer wanted to listen to any of this. "All you seem to be doing is keeping him under your wing just like you did to all of us when he was gone."
Colt hung his head listening to the two of them argue. He didn't want this family to start fighting over him, he barely felt like he was part of it. They shouldn't fight over him. "All I'm saying is learn to leave me a note when you're going out. That's all I ask." Jamie said in what sounded like defeat.
Colt turned away and walked upstairs. He'd be done for dinner, right now he needed to vent his feelings to the only person he could call since the number to his house was blocked off from him. When Colt made it to the safety of his room, he closed the door and pulled out his cell phone. Just as he started to dail 'Lissa's number there was a knock on the door.
Colt shoved it under his pillow without having dialed the last number and he said in a calm tone. "Come in." The door cracked open and a head peeked in. "Can I come in?" Anna said, fully opening the door. "Sure." Colt scooted over on the bed and she sat down beside him.
There was silence a minute then Annalise raised Colt's pillow pulling out his phone. "Who were you calling?" She asked. Colt was almost afraid to lie, didn't twins have some kind of phschic connection or something?
"Eric. He told me to call him if I ever wanted to talk." Colt lied. Anna nodded and looked at the number. "Mom's not gonna let you go out alone anymore, you do know that right? You screw up once and she'll always be there."
"Greeeat." Colt said taking his phone back from the girl and stuffed it under his pillow. "Isn't there any way to make her trust me? I'm not gonna run off or anything." His eyes pleaded with the girl and twisted her mouth up thinking about it, only to shake her head. "None that I can think of." She said and stood up.
"I think it would be better for you to just lay low for a while, when she cools off talk to her." Anna shrugged as though saying, 'it couldn't hurt.' then she left his room.
"I'll get her over it alright." Colt muttered. He reached under his pillow grabbing his phone again and he redailed Neilissa's number. She picked it up after two rings. "Hello?" Colt smiled hearing her voice.
"Hi Liss', how are you?" He asked. Outside of his room Annalisse was listening to the door and heard what Colt said. She wondered a moment who this Lissa was that he kept calling, then she went downstairs to set the table.
"Never mind me, how are you? Are they treating you ok there?" She asked in her usual mellow tone.
"I don't know, it's like the second I actually start feeling comfortable around here they take the uncomfortable part up another knotch." Colt explained. "Tonight she called the cops on me because she thought I was lost, all I was doing was hanging out with John and his friends." He shrugged. "That's all, we were gonna come back but she went all schitzo on me and had me brought back home."
Lissa sounded as though she were thinking about something then she said. "It sounds like she's taking the concern parenting thing a little overboard." Colt downcast his eyes shaking his head. "She is." He replied.
It was silent a moment then Neilissa came back on saying. "I didn't wanna say anything, because I wanted it to be a surprise but, I'm coming to Arizona next week to bring you your school records."
That brightened Colt's day ten full and he grinned from ear to ear. "You're kidding? That's great!" He said, already imagining what the two of them could do together. "You can't let on though that you know me. I don't wanna get you in trouble, I'll be bringing by a letter from your mother and brothers as well." Colt couldn't believe it, this was like some kind of, dare he think it, romance novel back in the old war days.
"I don't wanna seem suspicious." Lissa went on explaining. "Right, I won't let on." colt assured. "I can't wait to see you though."
"Me either. Everyone here really misses you, even the people in class." Colt smiled knowing that. "I miss them two, especially you and my brothers and Mom and Dad." Colt heard a knock on the door and lowered his voice. "I have to go, I can't wait to see you."
Neilissa blushed and replied. "I can't wait to see you either, goodbye Colt."
"Bye." He hung up when she had then he got off his bed and went to the door. "Yeah?" He said when he opened it. It was his mother, she looked down at the floor and said. "Dinner's on the table, I hope you like it."
Colt nodded saying. "I'm sure I will." Silence. Jamie looked up at him and he gave her a hug. "Don't feel bad okay, I understand why you did what you did.... I just hope that you learn to trust me more, I really can take care of myself mom." Colt explained.
"I'm glad to hear that, I'll.... I'll learn to trust you more, just tell me where you're going next time." She asked.
Colt nodded and assured her with an. "I will."
Smiling, Jamie rubbed Colt's shoulder and steered him downstairs. She didn't question why her son was so suddenly happy she was just glad that he was.