"Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears." It's the first Sunday in February and at four, Johnny said he would chant nonstop until five o'clock came. It was now five to five and he held true to his promise. I'm not much for sports but our family's team is the Bears and this year they're playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl. So I was pumped, hoping I would be able to rub a win in Roy's face, a Patriots fan.
Mom and Dad always go to their friend Bay's Super Bowl party in Chicago, so our brothers always hold a party for their friends. It was a tradition that they didn't tell our parents, because they've been doing it since they were 15 and have never been caught.
Our house wasn't the best place to hold a sports party (not upstairs anyway). Our family room was tiny, our TV was miniscule and the only couch was meant to hold two people. The one thing we had a good amount of was junk food. Right now five of our brothers' 'adult' friends were squeezed onto the couch watching pre-game stuff. The only reason anyone came was because they had been coming since the beginning.
Now a minute before the game everyone started chanting with Johnny (except Roy). He got up from the beanbag we were sitting in and pretended to conduct.
"Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears." When it finally got to the kick off Johnny quickly motioned upwards with his hands to indicate that they should finish with one loud "BEARS!" but they didn't quite get the message and instead everyone teetered off at different intervals.
"They could have at least pretended they were following me."
"The fact that they started at all was amazing."
"Meh," Was his response.
"Can I please go start it now?"
"No," Said Roy on the floor next to us, "You really need to take a break," I looked at him, "At least celebrate first."
Aside from the Super Bowl Roy, Johnny, and I were celebrating for other reasons: The final test was in one month and I was finally done with the games. I'd finished the last one (Comet) yesterday. So, every other minute Roy and Johnny (at least until he started the chanting) would sneak up behind me with party blowers. I desperately wanted to go to the basement and start reading the information book but they wouldn't have it. They said I had to celebrate first. And so we were.
"Skye," Said Johnny, "We're out of popcorn," He stared deep into my soul.
"I'm not getting up again."
"Pleeease?"
"Fine." I took the bowl and went to the kitchen where sat the garbage bag of popcorn. Brianna was there, sitting on the counter, noming on the fruit salad.
"Enjoying the festivities?" I asked her as I plunged in the bowl.
"It's okay," She didn't much like football, but she loved parties.
"That's good." As I left the kitchen, I considered making a dash for the basement, but Roy was right. I'd really done nothing but videogames for a long time.
I went and sat on top of Johnny until he pushed me onto Roy who I fell off of and sat next to. Roy was sulking because the Patriots were already nine points behind.
But two hours later, when the half time show ended, Johnny was dejected and Roy was in high spirits but I couldn't care less, because I couldn't think of anything except the information book.
"Please can I go read the information book, now? You don't know how hard it's been keeping myself from it." I'd really wanted to keep the games and the book separate, "What if I haven't left enough time to read it and prepare for the test."
"Okay, but only for a little while, come back after a few pages."
"Yes!" I jumped up and ran downstairs. I had stupidly left the case on the bed in the excitement, but nothing had happened to it. I opened it up and touched the little red book.
With it in my hands, I flopped on the bed and started to read. The basic information section was interesting, but the wording made my eyes wander. I looked over to the bedside table and saw the house phone had 3 missed calls. They were from dad's cell.
I went upstairs to tell Tyler.
"Hmm, that's weird… Mark, does my phone have any messages?"
Mark looked in the folds of the couch and found Ty's phone. "Uhhh, yeah, a text from Dad."
"What's it say?"
Marks answer to this was a long string of profanity and "Their coming home. Apparently Bay didn't actually plan a party this year, they just assumed he did. Oh God, they'll be home any minute."
"Hey, just chill out," Said someone drunk and fused to the couch, "You're adults, you can have a party."
"No we can't." Said Tyler panicked, "They still control us. They can kick us out."
"Come on," Said someone even more drunk than the new couch cushion, "They'll let you have a party." Tyler, Mark and I shared a look. "Wow. I thought the… secrecy was just for… tradition."
"Well, not really."
"Am I glad this isn't my problem." I said as I made my way to go get Roy and Johnny and go to the basement.
"Hey Skylark. If you don't help us fix this, it will be your problem."
I looked at them disbelieving and wishing I hadn't even told them of our parent's calls, "Well, what do you want me to do?"
"Um, start cleaning up. Mark, let's get everyone to lea-." And that's when the garage door opened.
Mark and Tyler panicked and started screaming at everyone to leave through the back door, which was pretty stupid considering Mom and Dad would have seen all their cars parked in the driveway anyway, that and they could hear their shouts from the garage. Roy and John, now aware of the situation, started toward the stairs. Roy had yet to meet my parents and they have yet to hear of his existence. I would rather put that off for as long as possible.
Back in the basement, Johnny turned on the TV to watch the rest of the super bowl. They never came down here so we were safe. Before I went back to reading, I listened to the commotion upstairs. After a stampede, the back door finally banged shut the door from the garage opened and my parents immediately started screaming. No individual words were discernable and I couldn't hear anything from Tyler and Mark. Eventually it stopped and I went back to the basic information section.
Maybe two hours later, and after Roy had left, the door to the basement opened and our brothers came down.
They stood at the foot of the stairs and called us over.
Mark said, "We came to say good-bye."
"What?" We said then I continued, "They… Didn't actually kick you out did they?"
"They did," Answered Tyler, "Our stuff' s in the car."
We didn't move for a minute. Then they swiftly bent down and each gave us a hug. "We'll come and visit in a few weeks."
"Where are you going to live?" Asked Johnny.
"We'll be staying with some friends, then get an apartment. Well, bye." They started walking up the stairs.
Johnny and I didn't return the farewell until they were passing through the threshold, "Goodbye!"
We went and sat together in the white chair, needing to have someone close.
"I- I didn't think Mom and Dad would actually kick them out for something like that." Said Johnny.
"Me either." I was very worried. We never saw Mom and Dad, but we thought they cared about us at least a little. But now… Was that the extent of their caring? If they had caught us throwing Roy's party, would they have kicked us out? Sent us to live with grandpa?
Staring blankly at the TV, hardly noticing the Patriots winning kick, we listened to the garage door close.
"How does electricity flow through a Pokémon without killing it?"
"The Pokémon Vitamin T, Pullity."
"What kind of government do they have," Asked Roy, "And who is the current leader of Tenkimaguro, Chinto, and Onett?"
"I think it's a constitutional monarchy in Tenkimaguro and Onett… And the King Damien is currently the leader in Tenkimaguro, his daughter Penelope is next in line. In Onett, Chelsey and her husband Haines. It's a republic in Chinto."
"What is their form of currency?"
"Pokés . It's all paper and the bills come in 50,000 10,000 5,000 1,000 100 and 50. It's the same in every country."
"What are two environmental differences?"
"There are no bugs, aside from bug Pokémon, and the water is un-polluted."
"Last question. How does the Pokéball transportation system work?"
"The transport machines in Pokémon Centers are powered by psychic Pokémon. And when a seventh Pokémon is caught it is transported to the PC storage system using the same psychic power."
"Okay," Said Roy, "You officially know the book forward and backward. Do you feel ready?"
"Sure do!" I said with a smile. I had never actually felt this prepared for any test.
"Do you want to go over Pokémon evolutions and numbers again?" Asked Johnny. Johnny had been the one helping me study that. He actually had all of that memorized before the contest started he played so often. Roy helped me with everything else.
"No, thanks though. Maybe later."
"Can I look at the map again?" Asked Johnny. I tossed it to him.
"Roy, you're sure you can drive me to the final testing station?" March 1st was in 3 days. "The drive to New York is about fifteen hours long."
"I already answered that."
"I can still come too?" Asked Johnny.
We both replied with a loud, "Yes!" Because he had, in fact, asked us this more than I asked Roy if he was sure he could drive us.
"I've never been to New York." Said Johnny
"None of us have," Roy continued, "Skye, are you sure your parents won't notice your gone?"
"I'm sure. They'll be in Europe for business." They are still allowed to both be gone, because they pay Mark and Tyler to sleep here every other night.
"Hey Skye? What's this," Johnny held the book up to my face. Behind the Unova Map there was a small pullout. It was about half a page long which was probably why I hadn't seen it before.
"I don't know." I took it from him and read for a few seconds before yelling, "Holy crap! It's a permission form!"
"Huh?"
"A permission form. Mom and Dad need to sign to say that they're okay with me taking this test."
"Come on," Said Johnny, "They won't care if you go."
"Yes, but they will care that I haven't told them about this at all."
"Just try and make it seem like you didn't think it was a big deal," Offered Roy.
"I'll try, but they're not idiots. They'll have seen the news and know that for anyone who passed the preliminaries, it's probably one of the biggest deals of their lives."
We didn't say anything for a while. Johnny went back to his Kirby default, me to the biology section, and Roy to Platinum.
"They'll be home tomorrow for a while around lunchtime. I'll ask them then."
Standing in the other room, next to the entryway to the kitchen, I peaked around at my parents sitting at the table. My dad was reading the newspaper and my mom was filling out papers. I clutched the form in my right hand I looked at Roy and Johnny standing next to me, ready to run to the door leading to the basement a few feet away. I was going in alone, but still wanted them to hear.
Johnny mouthed, "Good luck," and in I went.
"Mom, Dad," The words felt dry in my throat.
"Yes?" Said my father in his low, drawling voice, his mustache bobbed.
"Do you remember that thing that was on the news, in October."
"You'll have to be more specific, dear," said my mother not looking up from her papers and in the same drawling accent.
"The contest to go to the Pokémon Region."
"What about it?"
"I kind of won one of the testing cases and the final testing is in a few days, would you sign this so I can go?" I said this faster than I intended and they were both looking at me.
"No." Said my father.
I stared at them blankly, "Why not?"
"You lied to us."
"But- But- DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I'VE PREPARED FOR THIS?" I exploded, "You can't just-"
"This is not up for discussion. Even if you're telling the truth, not telling us about it before is why you cannot go. Go to your room." Said my dad callously.
"I'm not lying! I'll prove it. Let me-"
"We don't care, go to your room!" He shouted.
I turned and ran. I almost fell down the stairs. I vaulted into bed and hid under the covers, a childish thing to do but I didn't want Johnny or Roy to see my tears.
I heard their footsteps up to the bed but they didn't say anything. Eventually they just sat down and played their games.
I didn't know what to do. I had to find a way to take the test. I couldn't forge a signature, I had horrible handwriting, and anyway they had machinery to check for that. I couldn't trick them into signing it, they're business people, they never sign something without reading what it is. And I wouldn't have time to trick them, they were leaving in an hour. Could I convince them to let me take the test without the signature? No, probably not.
"Wait!" I said coming out from under the covers.
"What?" Asked Johnny.
"Mark and Tyler! They're more our parents then they are. They have to be allowed to sign."
"Skye, they're not legally our guardians."
"But they have to have some kind of claim over us! I'm going to go look through Mom's law books."
"She's desperate," I heard Roy mumble as I raced upstairs.
I came back again 20 minutes later, again dejected, "They can't really sign it."
"What are you going to do?" Asked Johnny.
"Well. I don't have a choice, I'm going to ask them to sign it anyway. I'll just say that my parents were out of town and couldn't sign it, but they said they were okay with it and that Mark or Tyler should sign it."
"You don't really think that will work?" Asked Roy.
"I'm hoping they won't care too much, the people working for Region that is. They would only care if I won. And if I do… Well I don't think Mom and Dad would really stop me then."
"Your on shaky ground there, Skye."
"I'm still going to try."
"Okay then."