Chapter Seven

"Let's go grab your fishin' gear and we can talk on the way." Daniel offered.

Guthrie wasn't sure what he wanted to say. "Uh, don't worry about it Daniel. We gotta get back before Adam comes lookin' anyways." He managed to stammer out.

"Adam and Brian are mending some fences. They won't be home for a while yet. We got time to talk. So come on, talk to me. What's eating you?" Daniel asked.

Guthrie looked up hopelessly at Daniel and said "You wouldn't understand. Nobody understands." Guthrie said.

"Well, try me. I understand more than you think." Daniel replied.

"Daniel, I'm just sick of everybody picking on me. At school they call me a goodie goodie and after today they're gonna be calling me a scardie cat too." Guthrie complained.

"Then, at home," He continued, "I'm the bottom guy on the totem pole. All you guys do is boss me around. Nobody listens to me. I can't take it anymore. I get so mad I just want to hit something or somebody!"

Guthrie was practically livid now. His breaths were coming hard and fast. Daniel really felt bad for the kid. He thought carefully about what to say.

"Hey, calm down. It's okay, just take some deep breaths." Daniel said.

Guthrie stopped walking and took a few deep breaths. He was trying hard to hold back the tears he could feel welling up in his eyes. He hated for any of his brothers to see him cry like a baby.

"You better now?" Daniel asked, putting his hand on Guthrie's shoulder. The boy didn't speak, but he nodded to indicate that he was better.

"Believe it or not, I do understand." Daniel began. "Guth, when mom and dad died, I was so hurt and confused.I even blamed myself for their deaths. I couldn't talk to anybody. I just kept it all bottled up. I did that for a long time. You don't remember, because you were so young. I was the smallest kid in my grade at school. Everybody teased me about everything from my size to being an orphan." Daniel said, thinking back.

"Really?" What'd you do?" Guthrie asked in surprise.

"I hit everything and everybody." Daniel replied, smiling. "But, it didn't make me feel better. Well, maybe it did for a few minutes, but after a while, it just made me feel worse. All I managed to do was get into trouble."

"But you aren't like that now." Guthrie said, staring at his big brother.

"No, I finally talked to somebody, and eventually everything got a little easier." Daniel explained. "And then I became a teenager...and all hell broke loose again." He said with a smile.

"Why?" Guthrie asked.

"Because I was a teenager. Guthrie, what you're going through is normal. Adolescence is a bitch!" Daniel swore.

"It's not just that, Daniel. You can't know how it feels to be the last to get everything. The last to do everything. Anything that happens to me is old news because it's already happened six times before. No matter what idea I come up with, somebody's already been there and done that. It sucks!" Guthrie complained.

"Well, you got a point there. I guess I never thought about it like that." Daniel replied. "I'm sorry we make you feel that way. Why haven't you tried talking to any of us about this before?"

"Cause nobody will listen. Nobody takes me seriously. I'm just a little kid as far as anybody else is concerned." Guthrie explained.

Daniel couldn't help but notice how defeated his kid brother sounded. It touched his heart. He had to do something to help him, he just wasn't sure what to do. But he knew the kid had total faith in him and he had to help him, or risk losing that faith.

"Let me think on it a little while. I just want you to promise me that you won't do anything dangerous just because somebody else does. You've heard the old 'jumping off a bridge' addege, haven't you?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, about a million times from Adam." Guthrie replied with a groan.

"Or in this case, a rope." Daniel said with a giggle.

"I promise." Guthrie replied with a sigh.

"We'll sort it out, I promise okay?" Daniel said.

"Okay, thanks Daniel." Guthrie said, picking up his fishing gear.

They walked a little ways up the path and Guthrie suddenly said, "Hey, you're not gonna tell Adam about the rope, are you?"

"Nope," Daniel answered matter of factly. "You are."

"Daniel please! I'm gonna get grounded for two weeks as it is, just for being late. If Adam finds out about the rope, I'll be grounded for life!" He exclaimed.

"Look, you didn't jump and nobody got hurt." Daniel offered.

"He's still gonna freak." Guthrie said.

"Maybe, maybe not, but you're telling him the truth. You know as good as I do that no good can come of lying to him." Daniel said. He was feeling bad for his little brother. He knew it was very likely that Adam would react badly at first, then ask for forgiveness later. He was tempted to cover for the kid again, but thought better of it.

"I'm sorry Guthrie. I'm really, really sorry. I don't want you to get in trouble, but you have to learn to face the music. Daniel explained. He could see that the boy was not too happy with him.

"Whatever." Guthrie replied. He couldn't believe that Daniel had turned on him. He was so sure that he would cover for him with Adam. He would expect this from Crane. After this morning he might expect it from Evan and Ford, but not Daniel or Brian. They had always covered for him in the past.

Whatever.

Daniel thought to himself. How many times have I answered an older brother like that? He figured it was probably in the thousands. He hated to let Guthrie down, but he knew in his heart that covering for him with Adam would just perpetuate the cycle. Nope, it was better for the kid to learn to stand up and face his problems head on.

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Guthrie had gone straight to the barn to find Crane and Ford. He quietly walked up to Crane and asked for his assignment.

"Well, I see our stray has returned to us." Crane said, looking down at a less than gleeful Guthrie.

"I'm supposed to see you about my chores." Guthrie replied dully.

"Uh huh. The thing is, Ford and me are just about done here. I guess you're off the hook until Adam gets home. Unless you'd like to start feeding up. It might look good to Adam if you're doing something constructive with your time when he and Brian gets back." Crane said.

"Yeah. I'll feed up." Guthrie replied glumly.

"Guthrie, he doesn't want to punish you, you know. You've just been messing up lately. He's only doing it for your own good." Crane explained.

"Yeah, whatever. I gotta pay the consequences for my choices. I can hear it now." Guthrie replied.

"Sounds about right. I guess you have been listening. I just wish you'd choose to take his advice." Crane said with a smile.

"Maybe, but what fun would that be?" Guthrie said, suddenly feeling proud of his witty comeback.

"I think you've been paying too much attention to Brian and Daniel for your own good." Crane said, smiling as he thought about how much Guthrie sounded like his two hard headed brothers. He sure hoped the boy would come through this new stage unscathed.

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"So what do you think's gotten into that boy, Bri?" Adam asked. They'd spent the marjority of the ride back to the ranch discussing Guthrie and his recent defiant behavior.

"He's really not acting any different than the other boys did when they were his age." Brian offered.

"Yeah, but I kinda thought we did a better job with Guthrie. I thought we'd weeded out most of our mistakes on the rest of 'em. He's just always been such a good kid.

"He still is a good kid, Adam. He just has to test our authority." Brian explained.

"Maybe. It just seems so out of character. I expected him to be more like Ford. That kid never really tested us. He gave Daniel and Evan all the grief." Adam said.

"I know. Those three are so close in age. Ford's more of a pleaser, I think. He wanted didn't like us finding fault with him, so he took everything out on them because he could get away with it." Brian said.

"Well, Guthrie seems to want to take things out on all of us... and it seems like he's going out of his way to get into trouble." Adam said.

"I guess we aren't giving him enough attention, Adam. I mean, isn't that why kids act out? He is the youngest and we've all been pretty busy lately. Maybe he just feels left out." Brian offered.

"Maybe, but I don't have time for this attitude of his. If he wants attention, I'll give him attention." Adam said angrily.

"There you go. Jumping off the handle. Where has that ever gotten you, huh?" Brian said with a grin.

"I know, I know. Sometimes I wonder why Hannah and me even think about having kids of our own." Adam observed.

"Cause you're a glutten for punishment." Brian said, digging his spurs into the side of his horse, speeding into a gallop. The ranch house was in sight of them now. Brian was tired of talking and ready to get home, wash up and have some supper. He was going to do his best to stay out of this Guthrie/Adam showdown if it were possible.