Chapter 27: Trouble comes in all packages

(Brax 15, Casey 3, Heath 10)

Brax had just finished feeding Casey his breakfast before he rushed around to get himself and Heath organized for school. He groaned with frustration at his mother lying on the couch hung over from another drunken night with Danny.

"Come on Heath! Hurry up! We have to go!" Heath came out of his bedroom.

"Alright, I'm coming." He groaned.

Brax put Casey down in front of the TV and turned it on to the morning children's shows.

"I'll see you later Case. Be a good boy." Brax smiled and ruffled Casey's hair.

"See ya squirt." Heath added. Casey watched his brothers and smiled, waving at them as they headed for the door.

After about 3 hours of watching the children's shows on TV, Casey became hungry and bored. Casey walked up to his mother, who was still lying on the couch and poked her.

"Mummy, I hungry." Cheryl groaned and Casey poked her again. "Arg! Fine!"

Cheryl got up and walked into the kitchen to make Casey a sandwich. Cheryl grabbed the vegemite and started making the sandwich. Casey however was particularly fussy with his vegemite sandwiches and only liked the way Brax made them. Cheryl handed Casey the sandwich. "Here eat that."

Casey took a bite of the sandwich and spat it out. Cheryl had put way too much vegemite on.

"Yuck!" Casey exclaimed. "I wants peanuts butter!" He yelled.

"I am not making you another sandwich. Eat what you got!" Cheryl shouted.

"I don't like…it not like Bax makes!" Casey whined.

"Well Darryl's not here and you asked me to make you something. So eat it!" Cheryl yelled, before walking out of the kitchen to lye back onto the couch.

"No! Don't want!" Casey yelled and threw the sandwich on the floor, then walked over to the cupboard and reached his hands over to try and make himself his peanut butter sandwich.

Cheryl heard stumbling in the kitchen and rolled her eyes. "What's that kid up to now?" Groaning she got up and walked towards the kitchen.

Cheryl saw Casey trying to grab at the bread and knife on the counter and she quickly ran to him.

"What are you doing?" She yelled.

Cheryl pushed him away from the cupboard and slapped his arm. "Oww." Casey whined. "I hungry."

"What happened to the sandwich I made you?"

Casey had now started to cry and was rubbing his sore arm. Cheryl then saw the sandwich thrown on the floor.

"You ungrateful brat!" She yelled and gripped his arm.

"You're lucky your father's not here to see you waste food!"

"I wanteds a peanuts butter sandwish, pwease Mummy." Casey whined.

Cheryl gave a frustrated huff and went to make Casey his new sandwich. "Here, you better eat this, or else." She threatened.

"Fanks Mummy." Casey replied as he gently took the sandwich.

"Arg, whatever." Cheryl groaned and shoved Casey towards the living room. "Just get back to watching your stupid TV will ya."

Casey sat down and wiped his eyes and went back to watching what was on TV.

Around 2pm Casey became bored again and poked his mother. "Mummy?"

"Arg! What?"

"Can you play wif me?" "No. Can't you see I'm trying to rest?"

"But I's bored."

"No! Now quit ya whining."

Casey watched as his mother turned away on the couch. After a few moments Casey poked her again.

"What Casey?" She yelled. "May I pwease play outside?"

"Will you stop bugging me?" "Yes."

"Urg whatever, but do not go near the road." She warned.

Casey took off out the front to play. He didn't exactly know what he wanted to play and looked around. Casey became intrigued by some paint cans that were to the side of the house and decided he wanted to paint. Casey dragged the paint as best he could to the front of the yard and got stuck into pouring paint everywhere and crawling through it, making pictures on the driveway and grass. Casey giggled at the fun he was having, he was covered in different colored paint from head to toe. Finally getting bored of the paint, he raced inside, leaving a dripping trail of paint and ran up to his mother.

"Mummy, come look what I's made." He squealed happily.

Cheryl turned to see her youngest son covered in paint. Cheryl abruptly sat up and saw the trail of paint through the house.

"What have you done?" She demanded and got up, and grabbed Casey's wrist tightly as she dragged him towards the front window.

"I paint, Mummy. You like?" Casey asked.

Cheryl saw the front yard covered in paint and paint cans scattered everywhere. Cheryl tightened her grip on Casey's wrist and jerked him. "You naughty boy!" She yelled and jerked him again.

"Look at all this mess! Now I have to get you cleaned up and clean the floor!"

Casey looked at his mother in fear. He had only been painting and having fun, why was his mother angry at him? He thought.

Cheryl dragged Casey into the bathroom and slammed the door and ran some water in the bath. Cheryl roughly pulled the clothes off Casey, despite his quiet whining over how rough she was being and put him in the bath.

"Urg, just look at the state of you! You're a naughty boy! Do you hear me? Do you not think I have better things to do than clean up after you?" Cheryl yelled.

Casey's eyes started to water. "Don't you dare cry! I'm the one who has to do all the extra work now because of you! I do not need your constant whining as well!"

Cheryl scrubbed at the paint on Casey's body. "Oww, Mummy dat hurts." Casey complained at the rough treatment he was receiving from his mother.

"How else do you expect me to get this paint off you? Now keep still!" She snapped and continued to scrub his body turning his skin an angry red.

The harder Cheryl scrubbed the more Casey struggled and thrashed about in the water. Frustrated Cheryl grabbed Casey's arms and jerked him. "Stop it! Just bloody stop it right now! It's your own fault we have to do this!"

Casey screamed and thrashed about more, pulling away from his mother. "You hurts me."

"Casey if you don't stop your kicking and screaming right now, I'm really gonna give ya something that'll hurt!" Cheryl snapped out her threat.

Casey stared up at his mother in fear and slowly stopped struggling, but continued to sob as his mother finished cleaning him.

After drying and dressing him, Cheryl dragged Casey to his room. "You stay in here until you learn how to behave!" Cheryl slammed the door shut, leaving Casey still crying.

Casey snuggled into his stuffed dinosaur that Brax had given him as a special surprise after he was so brave with his immunizations, earlier in the year.

When Cheryl finished cleaning the paint off the carpet she sat back down on the couch with a glass of alcohol. Danny came home, closing the door loudly.

"What happened in the yard?" He demanded.

"That brat Casey decided to play around and make a mess for me to clean up. Then I'm stuck with his whinging while I tried to bath him. I was so close to giving him one of these." She raised her hand.

Danny grunted. "Where is he now?" "In his bedroom."

Danny walked towards the bedrooms. "No son of mine is gonna get away with treating you like that." Danny said as he headed to Casey's room.

Danny burst open the door, catching Casey by surprise. "Ya Mum tells me ya been causing trouble. Ya know I don't like it when my boys do that sort of thing."

Danny approached Casey. "So how do you suppose we fix it?" He looked to his son and saw Casey tightly gripping his toy. Danny smirked.

"Give me the toy!" He ordered. Casey just stared at his father.

"Very well, you wanna continue to be a naughty boy then you'll get exactly what you deserve."

Danny pressed down on Casey's chest and raised his hand. "No Daddy!" Casey shrieked.

"You give me that damn toy or I'll give ya me hand and take it from you!"

"No Daddy. Bax gave me."

Casey clung on tighter as Danny tried to pull the toy. Danny raised his hand again and Casey immediately let go of the toy.

"When I tell ya to do something ya bloody do it! I won't hesitate next time." Danny warned and walked out of the room, leaving Casey to sob back into his pillow alone.

Danny tossed the toy onto the kitchen table. "That ought to keep him in line. Here give me one of those."

Cheryl handed Danny a glass of alcohol and he takes a swig.

"Did you manage a deal today?" Cheryl asked.

"Yeah I'm waiting on a courier guy to deliver the goods."

"So we should have money soon?"

"Enough for awhile." Danny replied, taking another swig of his drink.

As Brax and Heath walked home, Brax listened to Heath tell his story of how a kid in his class broke his nose in sports.

"…There was blood everywhere and the ambulance had to come." Brax raised his eyebrows. "Sounds pretty extreme."

"Yeah and the game had to be stopped and everything." Heath smiled, clearly excited by the situation.

Brax and Heath entered the house, it was silent and Brax couldn't see any sign of Casey anywhere and became concerned, he then noticed Casey's dinosaur on the kitchen table.

"Where's Casey?" He asked.

"The brats in his room…and don't you go going in there babying him, he's been nothing but trouble all day." Danny replied.

Brax tugged on Heath's shirt and encouraged him down to Casey's room quietly. When they reached outside Casey's room they heard quiet sobs.

"Casey?" Brax called and opened the door.

Casey looked up with tears running down his face. Brax immediately dropped his bag at the door and raced over to gather his baby brother into his arms.

"Hey, it's alright."

Heath who was behind Brax gently poked him.

"Brax look."

In all the rush to comfort his brother Brax didn't notice Casey's red arms and legs. Brax pulled Casey away and gasped.

"Oh Case, what happened? Heath will you please go to the bathroom and get me the antiseptic cream." Heath immediately took off.

"Daddy took Barrey Bray-saursus." Casey tried to say Barney Brave-a-saurus, the name Brax had given it when he first gave it to Casey.

"I know Case. I'll get it back for you. Can you tell me how this happened?" He asked calmly. Casey shook his head. "I not get Barrey back." Casey turned away.

"Mummy and Daddy says I naughty and Mummy hurt me."

"How did Mum hurt you Case? Is that why your arms and legs are all red? What did she do?" Casey motioned the scrubbing movement that Cheryl had done to him in the bath.

"I mades mess in yard and house. I only wanteds to paint a picture." Casey spoke quietly.

"Oh Casey you didn't know you weren't to touch that. It was an accident."

Brax wiped away the remaining tears that were falling. By now Heath had returned.

"Is he okay Brax?" "Yeah, I just need to put some of this cream on. Thanks mate."

Heath sat down on the bed next to Casey and gently rubbed his back whilst Brax rubbed the cream onto his arms and legs.

"All better now?" Brax smiled. Casey nodded.

"Can you play with me?" Brax sighed. "I'm sorry Case, I have to do some stuff first. Maybe later okay."

"I'll play with ya Case." Heath added and gave his little brother a hug. Brax smiled and stood up.

"Just don't play for too long okay Heath. Don't forget you still have some homework to do."

"How could I forget with you reminding me?" Heath rolled his eyes, causing Casey to giggle.

"Oh, you think its funny me having to do schoolwork hey? Just you wait till you're old enough for Brax to nag you about it." Casey giggled again and Heath tickled him.

Brax shook his head and left. A little while later Brax returned and he had brought back Casey's dinosaur toy. "Alright you two, games up, it's time for dinner. Here Case." He handed the toy to Casey.

"Fanks Bax." Casey said, cuddling it tightly. Heath and Casey stood up and followed Brax back out to the kitchen for dinner.

Later that evening Brax had sent Heath off to do his homework while he spent time with Casey. When it was time for Casey to go to bed, Brax put more cream onto his sore limbs and tucked him in, resting his dinosaur next to him. Brax sat down on the bed and read Casey a story, until he fell asleep. Brax walked down to Heath's room and saw Heath staring at a piece of paper.

"Hey mate. What's up?"

"It's nothing."

Brax walked over to Heath. "It doesn't look that way."

Heath sighed. "I can't do this homework. It's too hard. I've been trying all night, but I just don't understand it. I know I don't like school, but am I that stupid. Everyone else in the class seems to understand it."

Brax knelt down next to Heath. "Heath I'm sure that's not true, you don't know how much others might struggle and you're not stupid."

"Well why can't I do it then?"

Brax took Heath's homework questions. "Why don't I have a look and see what I can help you with?"

Brax helped Heath work on some of his maths and English questions for some time, until they heard the front door open. Cheryl and Danny had returned from the pub again after going out that afternoon. They walked passed Heath's room and saw the two brothers doing the work.

"What are you two up to?" Cheryl asked.

"You ain't helping that kid with school work again are ya Darryl?" Danny slurred. "You know he won't amount to anything doing that useless schoolwork. After his last report card it would take a miracle for him to understand anything." They scoffed.

Heath turned away hurt and scrunched up his homework paper. "Hey mate, don't be like that. You know what Mum and Dad are like, especially after they've been drinking."

"They're right Brax. I'm stupid and nothing you or anyone else is going to change that. I'll just go and do stupid school because you want me to."

Brax sighed. He hated how his parents always had to come along and ruin his brother's minds like that. "Look Heath, it's getting late, you should go to bed. We can finish this off in the morning."

"Why bother," Heath shrugged and climbed into his bed. Brax frowned "Night mate." "Night." Heath replied quietly.

The following morning Brax was having breakfast with Casey whilst Heath finished in the shower. "Hey mate." Brax greeted when Heath entered the kitchen.

"Do you want to go over your homework again?" Heath shook his head. "Can we just go to school and get this over with."

Brax finished up and grabbed his things for school. Heath sat at his desk, staring at the piece of paper in front of him. The teacher had put out a pop quiz, Heath tried to remember what Brax had helped him with the night before but he kept thinking over what his parents said and could not concentrate properly. The bell rang for lunch and the teacher collected the papers.

"Alright class, I'll get these back to you after lunch." Heath's heart sank when he saw his quiz, he was graded a D and only got a few questions right. Heath stuffed the paper in his bag and waited eagerly for the end of the day.

Brax was waiting for him after class again. "Hey mate, how was school?" Heath shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean? Did you do something?" Brax questioned. "No."

"Talk to me Heath. What's up?"

Heath stopped walking and pulled out the test paper from his bag and handed it to his brother.

"Heath that's good. You got some questions right." Brax smiled as he scanned the test paper.

"Yeah right, I got D for dumb! That's why I didn't want to show you. I know you helped me but I let you down because I'm too stupid!"

Brax put a hand on Heath's shoulder. "Heath I'm proud of you. I don't expect you to come top of the class, but you try your best." Heath pulled away.

"Why can't you just stop wasting your time? I hate school and I hate being stupid! You push me to do my work all the time, its pointless!" Heath yelled.

"Heath, do not yell at me like that." Brax told him sternly and placed his arm around Heath's shoulder. "I push you to do your work only because I want you to learn what you need to for later on in life. I'm sorry if I made you feel like you had to prove something to me, because you don't."

Heath turned to look at his brother. "Sorry I yelled."

"Don't worry about it. Just don't let me hear you say that you're stupid again, okay?"

Brax took Heath's chin and turned his face to look at him. "Okay?" Brax repeated.

Heath nodded, "okay."

Brax squeezed his shoulder and started to walk again. Heath then whispered, "even if I am."

Brax turned to look at him and raised his eyebrows in a warning. "Okay, okay…I won't." Heath pleaded as he laughed and pulled away from his brother when Brax stepped back towards him, only to ruffle his hair.

Heath gave Brax a shove. "That wasn't funny."

"It was for me." Brax laughed. "You messed up my hair." Heath grumbled jokingly, before laughing. Brax rolled his eyes and smiled. "Come on, let's get home."