The kids had finally gone to sleep, or at least shut up enough to fool the to young men, leaving them with a moment’s quiet. Jay’s hand found a beer in it before he could even ask, a thump resounding next to him along with the pop and his of Ratchet helping himself. This past year had been a tough one, that was for sure, but they couldn’t let them see that. No, the Brothers were now sibling and parent, they needed to be indestructible. For Nat, for Dax, and for Ty whose parents didn’t understand their charge.
They both sighed, putting some random Christmas special on low while they looked at the pile of presents that sat in front of them. Some were already wrapped, but they couldn’t remember with what, while others were purchased and needed wrapping. So, they had their supplies, they had their liquid courage, and they had an instruction manual from Nicole Brooks.
How the two of them managed to do this and hide their knowledge of her was beyond them. They knew that one day they’d have to tell Ty about his sister, and why he felt so alone, but for now, they needed to mend what needed mending first. So, they waited, focusing on their siblings while still caring for the other serpent children. Especially when Ms. Maxwell passed, and JD’s Ma skipped out a little after their dad passed.
Now, he had a little sister to care for, and a neighbor who was tied into his past that he couldn’t even comfort. Add that to his best friend coming home from escaping this hellhole that is the Southside, and you’d be surprised that this was his first beer of the night. But he needed to set an example for his kid, and he technically wasn’t legal for another few years. So, he and Ratchet only drank when the kids were asleep or when they could fool them into thinking it was soda.
“Yo, J,”Ratch said, killing the comfortable silence between the two. “What are we gonna do when they start asking questions and shit? I mean Dust- or Dax as he’s calling himself, was already asking Ma about his old man, how am I gonna answer that shit?”
“I’m more worried about Ty, man. How long are we gonna keep Kiki a secret from him?” He may not remember what happened or who his family is, but he’s going to have some of them come back, and he’s already angry enough as is.” JD sighed, trying to find a size appropriate box for the brass knuckles he got his eleven year old. “And with us giving gifts like this, it ain’t helpin’ none.”
“He’s got your sister and my little bro, he’ll be fine.” His friend rocked his beer against the end table, looking at the camera he’d gotten for the same girl after selling his books. “Besides, they need a thick skin in these parts, Malachai’s already recruiting kids from their bus.”
JD laughed, remembering how calmly Nat asked him what Jingle Jangle was, as if it were an ordinary thing. “How that curly headed freak got to lead the ghoulies is beyond me, but I guess that’s what happens when you don’t respect any laws, and do whatever.”
They both nodded, none of their questions answered, but feeling comfort in their shared uncertainty. Soon, they were opening beers two and three, the wrapping started to degrade, then improve in a way that only two drunk teenage boys could manage. They had both sacrificed so much. JD wrote essays for kids in their grade, and tuned up bikes and cars to get his little sister a laptop for school, the brass knuckles, and those stupid glow in the dark stars she wanted for her ceiling. For her friends, he’d gotten Dax a skateboard and Ty a baseball bat. As for Ratchet, he sold his car to get his little brother a punching bag and gloves, some new clothes (the boy just kept growing), and stripped down his old bike to start teaching him what he knew.
Soon, they were done wrapping, and completely wasted, and talking about things JD missed from high school, and what Ratchet did when he went to his one year of college. Eventually, the Dwyer boy looked at the clock, laughing at their states, but also getting ready to keep an eye out for the kids.
“Dude, we need to be better at this planning shit.” He groaned, letting out a burp that had been sitting at his toes for the last twenty minutes. “We gotta go to the gauntlet in fifteen, and we’re sitting here drinking and wrapping presents like a couple of grandpas with nothing better to do.”
Ratchet scratched at his stubble, a smirk stretching across his face at with each pass of the nails. “You say that like we’ll be too drunk to feel them kicking our asses. We’re just buzzed enough to let them, that’s all.”
“Yeah, okay, Marks.” JD rolled his eyes, looking at their handywork. “Whatever you say.”
“Hey, J?” He turned to see his friend standing behind him. His eyes had gone full puppy, and he looked like he was trying to hold back a hallmark moment.
“Yeah, Ratch?” He hedged, patting his shoulder to snap him out of it.
“Thanks for doing this with me man,” He looked at his friend in the eye. “I know you didn’t want to follow your old man like this, but-”
“Hey, you got my back, I got yours.” JD interrupted, giving out a slight shake of the head. “Besides, what’s the first Law?”
Ratchet smiled, thinking back to a few days ago when they were being screamed at to recite them. “In Unity there is Strength.”
Jay clicked his tongue, pointing at him “Kinda always been how we were, right? What’s a snake tattoo gonna do to make that different?”
The boys headed out the door when Ratchet let out a small chuckle. “Hey it wouldn’t be Christmas without one of us getting beat up, right?”
