Standard Disclaimer, i don't own the thunderbirds.
Thanks for the great reviews; it really makes me want to get the next chapters out… I'll try and get the next one following directly.
Enjoy… TBZ
PS. You'll never guess where I got the names for Scott's friends from –LOL. Couldn't resist -sorry.
Double Trouble
Messages and Rebellion
The hot sun glares down on the park in the middle of town; shade trees dot the area affording shelter to the occasional picnic bench. The dusty dry field where boys are gathering for pre season football practice shimmers in the heat hazy. Watching the activity four youths sit at a bench in the shade of a tall tree sipping on cool cans of drink, the four are a mixed group, three dark haired, one vividly blond, all good looking in that teenage gangly way. The camaraderie between them is obvious, passing families and other teens smile and wave to the cheerfully laughing youths. Scott Tracy the youngest member of this group, also the tallest, much to the chagrin of his friends, laughs as Lex the blond youth next to him makes an ribald comment about Scott growing over the holidays.
Scott sits back enjoying him self, it is the second last week of the holidays, and he is glad that his friends who have been away for the summer, have returned. The youths discuss the coming school year, -although nearly twelve months older than Scott they are in the same year at school, and will be Juniors this coming Fall, with all that that entails, they consider classes they want to take and the coming football season as well as what they have been doing over the holidays.
Phil the only one in the group to have his licence and a car brags about the girls he met while staying at his father's house in Florida. Lex and Dominic have both been away at camp on the west coast, they boast about the activities they have been doing, swimming, surfing and chasing girls. Scott listens reverently and a little nonplussed that his holidays have been taken up with looking after his younger brothers. He wonders why he has to miss out all the time, just once why can't he be the one doing something fantastic, and wowing his friends with his exploits.
"So Scotty, what you been doing?" Phil smirks at the younger boy knowing the answer already.
"Oh! You know, just hanging." Scott states carelessly, he doesn't want to say that he has just been looking after his brothers. That just isn't cool.
"Hanging huh?!" Dominic sniggers. "Hanging the brats upside down maybe."
Scott laughs with his friends and shrugs, "Yeah well Dad's…you know and Gram's been away, she's back today, so I'm free!"
Lex pats Scott on the back consolingly, "Well we better make it up to you then, huh?" Scott grins at his friends, "Oh yeah, I'm up for that!"
Phil leans forward conspiratorially "Did ya hear Mary Lou is having a birthday party tonight, 'Sweet Sixteen'." He winks at the others, "Wanna crash it?" Lex and Dominic immediately nod in agreement, the three boys look at Scott expectantly, "Well Scotty, you up for it or are you gonna go home to HANG with the babies?"
Taking a deep breath Scott looks at his three best friends, 'Why shouldn't I go, I'm sick of staying at home with the kids. YEAH I'm gonna have some fun for a change.' Scott reflects. "Yeah I'm up for it." He states boldly, and then common sense prevails for a moment. "But I better call home first, to let Gram's know I won't be home for dinner."
"You do that Scooter." Dominic Scott's oldest friend ruffles his hair, twisting away in annoyance Scott pulls out his cell phone to call home.
--
Back at the farm house, John runs a bath for Alan while sending Gordon to the spare bathroom downstairs to have a shower; after the younger boys are clean he seats them down in the lounge with a late lunch and goes up stairs to get cleaned himself up. While in the shower John hears the vid phone ringing, 'I'll check that in a minute.' he thinks.
--
The phone rings four times then switches over to messaging, Scott frowns and hangs up, trying the number again, after the third attempt, not wanting to appear concerned in front of his friends Scott leaves a message.
"Hey Gram's, it's Scott, I'm gonna stay at Dominic's tonight OK? I'll see you in the morning." He hangs up still a little worried that no one answered.
"You gonna turn that off?" asks Phil.
"What?" Scott looks confused and shakes his head.
"If you don't turn it off, your Gran can call and tell you to gotta go home. If it's off she can't get you!" Phil smirks. "Turn it off Scotty!" He grins at the other boys, "Yeah Turn it off Scotty," Lex adds, Dominic just shrugs.
Reluctantly Scott turns his cell phone off, and tucks it away in his pocket.
--
Hearing the phone ringing again, John jumps out of the shower and dries himself, the ringing stops, then starts again a moment later, quickly he pulls shorts on and dashes down stairs to the office where the answering machine is located, 'Whoever is calling is persistent, it must be important', he supposes. At the bottom of the stairs he hears loud music and laughter coming from the lounge, looking in he finds Alan and Gordon in front of the videogame consol, with controls in hand valiantly trying to kill each other on the video screen. "Hey didn't you hear the phone?" he asks. Not getting a response from his engrossed brothers he shakes his head and retraces his steps towards the front of the house and his father's office.
On the desk next to the phone the message machine is flashing insistently, John touches the button to replay messages and grabs a pen a paper to take any messages he may need to pass on.
The first message is from his father. "Scott, this is your father, I've had to fly out to Houston, there is trouble with… never mind you don't need to know, I won't be home tonight, tell your Grandmother I'll be home tomorrow evening about twenty two hundred hours, you won't be able to call me on the cell phone, if there's an emergency call the office. Bye son."
John's shoulders slump in disappointment as he jots down the message.
The next message is from his grandmother; "Jeff? Jefferson are you there. Oh dear. Jeff dear, I have been caught up, the bus has broken down and they say they can't get us another one until the morning. So I won't be back until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest, I hope you and the boys will be alright. I'm terrible sorry darling. But it can't be helped. I will see you tomorrow. Good bye love."
"Oh no, Gram's isn't gonna be home tonight either…" John mutters writing down the details of the message on his note paper.
Quietly the machine beeps and the final message plays; "Hey Gram's, it's Scott, I'm gonna stay a Dominic's tonight OK? I'll see you in the morning."
John stares at the answering machine as if it is an alien object, 'Scott's not going to be home either?'
Quickly John picks up the phone and dials his brother phone number. The phone immediately goes through to Scott's message bank, "Scott, its John, you gotta come home, Dad and Gran aren't here and they're not coming home tonight. Scott you gotta come home, please…." John begs.
Next John tries his father's office number; he is loath to as Jeff doesn't approve of the boys bothering his office staff. His father's office answering machine replies states that the office is now closed and that it will next be open tomorrow at 9am. The machine hangs up without allowing John to leave a message.
Reluctantly John calls his fathers cell phone number, which also goes to message bank, John hangs up without leaving a message, if his Dad is in Houston, there is little he can do, and John doesn't want to anger him. Sighing John sits in the straight backed chair beside the desk, trying to decide what to do. He doesn't know Dominic's phone number so can't call Scott there. He looks at the clock 3.30pm, his stomach reminding him he hasn't yet eaten, John goes into the kitchen to get a sandwich and drink, he sits at the table, thinking worried thoughts, hoping Scott will call.
--
Gordon and Alan bound over the lounge room furniture, the cushions thrown to the floor as Alan chases a manically laughing Gordon around the room.
"G've back!" yells Alan.
"No! Com'in get it Sprout!" Gordon taunts, holding a small red toy rocket ship high above his head.
Alan dives as Gordon rounds a side table, the table and Alan go careening off and crash into the wall, while Gordon skids across the shiny floor out of Alan's reach, the toy still clutched in his hand. Standing and rubbing a sore elbow Alan pouts, tears forming in his eyes, "I'm telling Scotty you been mean!" he shouts at his brother.
"Baby!" Gordon mocks. He climbs up on a chair as Alan rushes him, jumping out of the smaller boy's path. Alan hurtles into the chair, grabs a cushion and throws in vehemently at Gordon, "G've Back."
Making rude noises, Gordon hops from chair to lounge, balancing on the arm rests, he swishes the toy down passed Alan's outstretched hands, "Vroom." Jumping up at his brother Alan tries to snatch the toy from the older boy's hands. "Com'on Allie, can't you jump higher than that?" Gordon wiggles the toy above Alan's outstretch hands.
Tears pouring down his face Alan hysterically dives at Gordon, dislodging the older boy from his perch they tumble to the floor with a resounding crash landing in a struggling heap of arms and legs.
John rushes into the room in time to see Alan climbing off his brother clutching a toy rocket ship protectively to his chest. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?!" John yells at the top of his voice, his concern and temper finally getting the better of him.
Gordon climbs to his feet, a bashful look on his face as he takes in the damage he and Alan have caused to the room. "Um…. Sorry, we was just playing." He looks at Alan, "Wasn't we Sprout."
Alan pouts, "Gordon stole my rocket!" He sidles up behind John, poking his tongue out a the redhead.
John glares at Gordon, "Well Gordon can just clean up this mess then, CAN'T HE?" Swing around John storms from the room and slams back into the Kitchen, "Why?" he asks of no one in particular, "Why do I get stuck with them?" He sags in a chair at the table dejectedly.
Alan slips into the room and edges up to John wrapping his small arms around his big brother and resting his head on John's shoulder. John wraps an arm around the small boy, pulling him close for a hug. "Why don't you go out side to play Allie, it will be dinner time in a couple of hours, and then bed." John sighs tiredly. Alan gives a small smile. "You OK Johnny?" he asks, the small boy can be more perceptive than his older siblings at times. "Yeah I'm fine Allie, go play." John pushes the boy towards the door. Alan quietly leaves the kitchen leaving John to contemplate the afternoon's events.
--
By 5.30pm John is in a panic, Scott hasn't called and he has already left three more messages on his brother's message bank service.
Reluctantly John wanders into the lounge where Gordon and Alan are now lounged across the straightened furniture watching TV. John sags in a chair, Gordon noticing his usually well behaved brother slumped morosely across the chair, turns the sound down on the TV, "Hey" Alan protests, Gordon frowns at him and turns to John, "What's up?"
Looked up distractedly from his thoughts John frowns in confusion, "Huh?"
Getting worried Gordon sits up straighter, "John, what's wrong?"
John shakes his head and looks at his younger brothers. "Dad's not coming home tonight…"
"That's all?" Gordon derides, "So what's new?"
John shakes his head again, "Yeah, well Gram's ain't gonna be here either."
"What?" Alan sits up worry lining his face, "Where's Gram's?"
"Her bus broke down, she won't be home til tomorrow afternoon, and that's not all, Scott left a message to say that he was staying a Dominic's tonight."
"He can't!" Gordon shouts "You gotta call him and tell him to come home."
"I tried; he's got his phone turned off." John replies.
"We on our own?" Alan asks with tears in his eyes. "I don't wanna be on our own!"
John crosses to his brother, pulling him into a tight hug, "It's OK Allie, we'll be OK."
"Yeah," Gordon agrees sitting on the other side of his younger brother and wrapping his arms around both Alan and John, "We'll be OK." He looks at his older brother, tears welling in his amber eyes.
John takes a deep breath, closing his eyes trying to keep his own tears from falling.
After a few minutes the boys brake apart, "OK this is what we are going to do, I'll sort out something for dinner, then well get the sleeping bags and well camp out here in the lounge for the night. How's that sound? We can sit up all night watching videos."
The two younger boys reassured by John's commanding tone quickly run off to gather the sleeping bags and mats, teddy's and torches, ready for a sleep over in the lounge.
John not quite as confident as he is trying to appear returns to the kitchen to look for something he can prepare for dinner.
TBC…
Poor John! He's really been left holding the babies this time… Can they get through the night without more mishaps?
And what is Scott thinking, crashing a party? Things are definitely not looking good for the Tracy brothers…
Please review, thanks.
TBZ