Day 7: Childhood

Radley always liked having something to do. He enjoyed relaxation but was always looking for a new project before long. He had so many ideas for his friends and the town and only a limited amount of time in the day to work with them.

His current project was working more on the basement. He and Kalin had fixed it into rooms, but some of them they hadn't quite decided what to do with. Most days found him going down there at some point to ponder on it. Kalin would find him standing and staring into the ones without furniture, still unsure of what he wanted.

"We could just plan on these rooms being more bedrooms," Kalin suggested. "Scotch and Biff did that with their basement."

"Yes," Radley mused. "Well, we did decide on a couple being bedrooms. I wasn't sure if the rest should be that too."

"Scotch suggested a gaming room. Of course, that would probably be an excuse for him to come over at all hours to use it," Kalin deadpanned.

Radley laughed. "Oh yeah. Funny how I was raised wealthy, and I like being wealthy, and yet I don't have enough stuff to fill out the house."

"And I never had much until I came here," Kalin said. "But my belongings still don't spill out of my room."

"I've got a lot of collectibles and manga, but they fit in my room and the living room," Radley said. "My music collection too."

"It doesn't really matter if we can't figure out something right away," Kalin said. "Let's just leave those rooms blank and we'll decide what they are when we need them."

"That makes sense," Radley said. ". . . Hey, maybe one room could be a playroom for Emilio when he comes to visit."

"That's a good idea," Kalin said with a nod. "He'd love that." Radley's younger brother was probably due for a visit any time now. Their mother tried to make it out at some point every month, at least, especially in months when Radley and Kalin couldn't get away to visit them in California.

"Nico and West and Ben could use it too." Radley grabbed a piece of paper and started sketching some ideas.

Kalin smiled. Radley finally had a goal now. That always made him happy.

Over the next weeks, they began to transform one of the larger of the empty rooms into a playroom, with playsets, dolls, figures, and plushies. Radley had to laugh when several times they caught Scotch playing at the kitchen set or setting up the figures in fun ways.

"I thought a gaming room would be what Scotch would keep coming to use," he commented to Kalin with a giggle. "I didn't think he'd keep slipping away to play with kids' houses and Barbie cars."

Kalin smirked. "Well, you've always maintained that Scotch is a big kid."

"Yes, so many toys in one place was apparently too hard to resist," Radley chuckled. But it made him happy to see Scotch having innocent fun. Scotch had never said, but maybe such simple joys as this had been kept from him growing up. That, or he just didn't want to give it up regardless.

"He'll probably show up to play with the kids when they come over," Kalin said.

"He'll make a fun dad someday, if he wants," Radley said.

"You would too," Kalin said.

"Oh? Do you think I should consider it?" Radley smiled.

Kalin smirked a bit. "I know the Bunch already considers you both a big brother and a dad."

"Yeah, I've already got a pretty big family," Radley said. "Not that I wouldn't be willing to expand it if someone else ever needs me. The Bunch is always open for membership."

"If I'd had someone like you for my family growing up, I probably wouldn't have turned out so twisted," Kalin said.

"I still wish we could have adopted you when we met," Radley sighed. "My family had no interest in even considering it."

"My father probably wouldn't have given me up anyway," Kalin said in disgust. "With me around, he didn't have to do much and I was a built-in punching bag."

"He didn't deserve you," Radley said darkly.

". . . I wonder what it would have been like to grow up together," Kalin mused.

"I like to think we would have been inseparable," Radley said. "I wonder if I even would have wanted to go to college. With you, I would have had the companionship I longed for and I wouldn't have tried going to college to find it."

"But growing up under your grandmother's thumb still wouldn't have been good for you," Kalin said. "It wouldn't have been good for me either. Maybe I still would have lost it, because of her." He grimaced in sickened horror at the thoughts dancing through his mind now. "Maybe I would have gone after you instead of Yusei, and maybe afterwards I would have wandered and found my way to Yusei instead of you."

"And maybe you would have decided to stay with Yusei instead of me?" Radley quietly asked.

"Maybe," Kalin said. "I don't know."

"This is all hypothetical anyway," Radley said softly. "Maybe none of it would have happened like that. But . . . I think if all of it did, there would have been a key difference. You would have been my life, Kalin. I would have followed you wherever you went. Our lives wouldn't have taken different paths like yours and Yusei's did. If anything, maybe you and I and Yusei would have all ended up close."

"That's a nice thought," Kalin said.

"I believe it," Radley smiled. "The Bunch and Nico and West, though. . . . All of them would have had to come into it too."

Kalin nodded. "If we were all fated to meet, yes, they would have."

"I haven't quite figured out how yet," Radley said. "But it's all make-believe anyway. Honestly, Kalin, even though our lives have been less than perfect, I'm happy that we have arrived at the point in time we're at now. I wouldn't want to change anything, because who knows how that would change us or the people we know now? Maybe not all of the changes would be positive."

"Those are good points," Kalin sighed.

"I think so," Radley smiled.

"I already came to that same conclusion anyway," Kalin said. "I don't want anything to ruin what we have now."

"And nothing will," Radley soothed.

They watched as Scotch navigated a pink Corvette over the carpet, occupied by two G.I. Joes, Han Solo, and Lando Calrissian.

Radley chuckled. "I am really looking forward to what all the kids come up with when they play together. Scotch is a master storyteller all by himself. I already want to know the story behind this."

"I'm afraid to know," Kalin deadpanned.

Radley headed over to ask. Scotch was all too excited to tell him. And as Kalin listened to the wild story—something about Han and Lando landing on Earth and the Joes taking them on tour in their top secret vehicle—he shook his head in amusement.

It was true—no matter how much he still abhorred all he had done, it had led to Radley and the Bunch. Their lives now were close to perfect. He wouldn't change that, or witnessing scenes like this one, for anything.

He walked over now too, to share in this moment with his family more fully.