Kip lays his head down on the desk; he just needed to take a break.
"Simon…Simon? SIMON!" The teacher shouts dropping a book onto the desk loudly waking Kip up. Shit, he had done it again. He groans lifting his head up off the desk, now noticing he was drooling. He gently and subtly wiped the drool off. "Simon, come see me after class."
"Oooohhhh…" The entire class says. Kip nervously sits at his desk at the end of class while the rest of his friends run out of the classroom ready for lunch. Kip slowly rises from his desk approaching the teacher's desk.
"Simon, this is the third time this week you have fallen asleep in class. What's going on?" The teacher asks. Kip just shrugs yawning. "Is everything alright at home?"
"I don't know." Kip says nervously.
"Alright, let's go down to the head teacher's office." The teacher says.
"What about lunch?" Kip asks.
"We can eat there." The teacher says. Kip nods grabbing his bag.
"I'm…I'm not in any trouble right?" Kip asks. The teacher smiles down at him putting a hand on his shoulder.
"No, Simon, you are not in any trouble. We just want to make sure everything is alright at home." The teacher says. Kip sighs putting his hands in his pockets, he should have tried harder with Will, and he had only really pushed it onto Pete. Kip is led into the head teacher's office. "Have a seat, Simon, we'll come get you when we are ready, why don't you eat your lunch for now?" Kip gets out his lunch from his bag. He was glad that he didn't have to pack his own lunch or else he'd probably just stuff it full of chips and candy. His mother didn't have time to go to the store this weekend and he was the one stuck with the boring lunch since they were short on a lot of meat. So he just got an English muffin cream cheese sandwich with tomatoes for nutritional value. She always insisted on having all food groups in every single meal, at least when she could. He finishes his sandwich and cheese and starts on his orange slices when the head teacher comes out smiling; he notices that the Counsellor is also there.
Now he was getting worried.
"Come on in, Mr. Simon." The head teacher says. Kip slides off the chair grabbing his bag. "Have a seat." Kip sits down in the chair looking around the room. He had never been in the head teacher's office before. "Now, Simon, I understand you have been having trouble staying awake in class, is that correct?"
"Yes, ma'am." Kip says. "I'm just tired is all."
"Why are you tired, Simon?" The head teacher asks. Kip shrugs looking down.
"Guess I just didn't get much sleep." Kip says.
"What has it been like at home?" The counsellor asks.
"It's been okay, I guess." Kip says.
"Is there any problems or trouble you have been having?" The counsellor asks.
"Kinda?" Kip says reluctantly. "I just…my brother…"
"Your brothers are William and Peter correct?" The counsellor asks for clarification.
"Pete, yeah." Kip says. "He…he…lives with our grandparents most of the time. But they are away for a month so we are…we have him."
"How old is Pete?" The counsellor asks.
"He's four." Kip says. "Our Mum, she's a nurse, so she works really long hours and is gone at night and in the mornings so I'm in charge."
"Wait, how old are you?" The counsellor asks. Kip rolls his eyes.
"I'm six." Kip says. "We live in a pretty safe neighborhood."
"So, why are you so tired?" His teacher asks. He knew Kip was avoiding the question for some reason. "Simon, please, we are just trying to help here."
"I don't want Pete to be taken away!" Kip shrieks taking the adults in the room by surprise.
"Nobody is going to take away your brother." The counsellor says.
"My…my grandparents have legal guardianship of him and…they said…what if he ends up in foster care or being adopted by another family?" Kip asks. The head teacher sighs leaning forward.
"That is highly unlikely." The head teacher says. "Your parents, from the way I see it, are very capable of taking care of you. You have a stable home, food, and plenty of love. Just tell us what is going on so that we can help you and your brother the best we can."
"He has nightmares, Pete does. Will and I usually take turns but Will was just sick and I wanted him to get lots of rest to get over that so I've been staying up with Pete for the past week. I don't know what they do to him but…he…has scars and comes home with bruises and marks." Kip says. "Will thinks they use a belt on him and maybe a spoon and definitely fists."
"Where's your Dad?" The counsellor asks.
"He's overseas. He's a professional wrestler. We've had travel issues so Mum just decided to stay here with us until we could move there where he is." Kip explains. "Are you going to talk to him? I want to be there if you do."
"We have to discuss it first." The head teacher says. "But you don't worry about a thing."
"Let's get back to class, ya?" His teacher says.
When Kip is done with class, he sees the counsellor and head teacher as well as Pete's teacher outside with both Pete and Will and a person he didn't know.
"Kip! Kip!" Will shouts running up to him hugging him tightly.
"Shall we go down to the office?" The person Kip didn't know asks. He goes to touch Pete's shoulder but Pete's teacher stops him.
"He does not like to be touched." She says. Kip holds out his hand, Pete takes it.
"Keep (how he says Kip as a four year old)…" Pete whispers. "I didn't tell them."
"I know. I did." Kip says. "I had to."
"He is insisting on being in there with Pete when you speak to him. I don't think he'll take no for an answer." The head teacher says.
"He is extremely mature for six."
"Sir, who is that?" Kip asks his teacher.
"He is a social worker." His teacher says. "He is here to help you."
"Are you William?" The social worker asks.
"I'm Will! Will Osprey Regal Jr! This is my older brother Simon Sabian Regal but we call him Kip and my younger brother, Pete Dunne Regal." Will says proudly.
"Can we go and talk in here?" The social worker asks. Kip goes to follow after them but is stopped. "I'm sorry, but just us. I just want to talk with him."
"It's alright, Simon." His teacher says. Kip sighs but sits down. He didn't know how long Will was inside for but it felt like it was a long time. When the door finally opens, Will comes out playing with a paper airplane.
"Simon, Pete, why don't you come on in?" The social worker says. Pete giggles covering his mouth.
"They keep calling you Simon." Pete says.
"Only you and Will and Mom and Dad can call me Kip, Petey." Kip says walking into the room shutting the door.
"That's a very cool nickname nonetheless." The social worker says.
"Thanks." Kip says grinning.
"So, Pete, is it okay I call you Pete?" The social worker asks. Pete looks up nodding. "Alright, Pete, I am going to make you something but I'm going to need your help okay?"
"Okay." Pete says curiously but cautiously.
"When I hold out my hand, you will have to pull a piece of tape off and give it to me. We'll just be talking through this, okay?" The social worker explains. Pete nods. "Who do you live with?"
"My Gran and Grandad." Pete says.
"And how do you like it there?" The social worker asks.
"I don't." Pete says. "They are mean."
"How are they mean?" The social worker asks.
"They yell at me, and hurt me." Pete says. "Grandad hits me, pushes me, and uses a belt when I'm really naughty. Gran uses the spoon. She'll hit me on my arm or hand or butt anywhere she can."
"Is it a wooden spoon?" The social worker asks. "Or metal?"
"Wooden." Pete says.
"How long have you lived with your grandparents?" The social worker asks.
"Since I was 2." Pete says. "Are you making a house?"
"You are very smart!" The social worker says. "How many sides does this have?"
"Right now it has four." Pete says.
"And how many people are in your house?" The social worker asks.
"Six." Pete says.
"Six?" The social worker asks. Pete looks up pointing to one side. "Me," He says then pointing to another side giggling "Simon,"
"Hey!" Kip shouts looking up from his homework. Pete just snickers loudly. He points to another side.
"Will." Pete says. He points to the fourth side, "Mommy."
"And where are the fifth person and the sixth?" The social worker asks. Pete points to where the inside of the house.
"That's where baby Austin lives." Pete says. Then he points to where the roof is going to go. "That's Daddy. Because even if he isn't here, he is, always. He's the roof; he keeps us safe, warm, protected, and dry. We may not even notice he is there but he is. Right, Keep?"
"That's right, buddy." Kip says. Pete helps put the tape on the roof of the house. The social worker takes a pen out of the drawer writing something on each of the sides and finally on the roof.
"Hold out your hand." The social worker says. Pete puts his hands on his desk, the social worker putting the house into his hands.
"It mine?" Pete asks.
"It's yours." The social worker says. The social worker asks a few more questions to Kip and then calls someone and then their mother.
Kip wakes up in the middle of the night to Will shaking him.
"Kip! Kip, wake up! Kip, Dad's home!" Will says. Kip sits up in his bed, did he hear that right? "He's downstairs! Come on!"
"Wait, just wait a minute, Will." Kip says. "You didn't wake Pete did you?"
"No, this is the first night he hasn't had nightmares." Will says.
"Let's just…I want to hear what they are saying." Kip says. Kip climbs out of bed slowly sneaking out of his room, Will not far behind. Kip stops at the edge of the steps hearing arguing coming from downstairs.
"How could you?! How could you even send him off to my parents?! MY PARENTS OF ALL PEOPLE. You know who they are. You know what they put me and Nigel through!" William shouts.
"You don't know what it is like raising three boys. You aren't here, William. He was out of control, I was so close to giving up and they saw that. They saw an opening, they took advantage of me. And continued to. Once the legalities were out of the way they shut me out unless they needed me." Their mother said.
"You should have told me!" William says.
"I couldn't imagine what you would think of me, William!" Their mother says crying.
"Think of you? I know them; they are very good at manipulating a situation. I wouldn't have blamed you, I would have known. I'm sorry for getting upset, it was just…" William says sighing.
"Too much? I'm really sorry. I never should have given him to them knowing what I know but I was spread too thin…"
"They took advantage of you. Not your fault." William says. Kip hears footsteps and sniffling coming from the hallway. Pete stops at the foot of the stairs looking down seeing William.
"Daddy?" Pete calls. William looks up the stairs to see the three boys. "DADDY!" Pete shouts running down the stairs. He stops before he jumps into his arms whining.
"Oh, baby." Their mother says kissing the top of his head.
"I wetted the bed." Pete says. William kneels down grabbing Pete's hands.
"That's okay. I used to wet the bed too. We'll get you cleaned up." William says. He smiles when he feels as tight embrace around his stomach. "Hey, junior." William looks up to see Kip carrying down the sheets already.
"No, Kip, no, give me those. Go hug your Dad." Their mother orders. Kip smiles handing her the sheets walking over to William. He looks down at his feet.
"You aren't mad at me, are you, Dad?" Kip asks.
"Why would I be mad at you?" William asks.
"Cuz, I'm the one that told." Kip says. William pulls Kip into his arms.
"No, son, I am quite proud of you." William says. "We can be a family again."