The Boys

Jamie and Casey walked down the block in silence. They continued on, saying nothing, until they passed a tiny, red-brick school. It was an elementary school.

“Did you go there?” Casey asked, nodding towards the building.

“Yup,” Jamie responded. They walked a few more paces in silence.

“So, what’s with the car?” Casey asked.

“What do you mean?” Jamie asked her, as if it were a stupid question.

“Well…is it yours?”

“No, I’m fixing somebody else’s car,” he replied.

“No need for the sarcasm,” Casey said, holding back a laugh. “It was just a question.”

“My grandpa gave it me,” Jamie said. “He knew I wanted it, because it’s in that show. You know, Supernatural?”

“Yeah,” Casey smiled. “I love that show.”

Jamie glanced sideways at her. “Huh…me too. Anyways. He gave it to me right after my sixteenth birthday. Just before he…uh…passed.”

Casey was shocked that Jamie was letting her into his life like that. She was also shocked at the fact that he was displaying so much emotion. He seemed really torn up about his grandfather.

“Oh, Jamie,” Casey stuttered, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t…I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay…” Jamie said, shaking it off. “You couldn’t have known.”

“Were you guys close?” Casey asked, and then she slapped her palm to her forehead. “What a dumb question…of course you guys were—“

“Really, it’s okay,” Jamie said, ending the conversation.

They walked on in silence. Casey felt awkward; she didn’t know what to say to Jamie. Sure she’s known people who have died; an old school principal she never really knew, and a man her dad used to work with. But never has anyone as close as a grandparent died before.

“So what’d you really do last night?” Jamie asked, smirking at her. Ah…there it was. Casey was waiting for the moment where Jamie would bring this us.

“Nothing, really.” Casey said, unable to make eye contact with him. “Went to some guy’s house, hung around in his garage…”

“Drank a little beer, smoked a little pot?” Jamie finished for her.

“Yes-no… I mean,” Casey took a breath and clarified. “I drank some beer, yeah. But I don’t do drugs.”

“Mhmm,” Jamie said, rolling his eyes.

“I don’t!” Casey said, defensively.

“I believe you,” Jamie smirked. “Really,”

“Whatever,” Casey said. “We should probably be heading back. You’ve got your car to finish, and all.”

“Sure,” Jamie said, taking a left at a crossroads. They made their way up the street, towards the house.

“Do you like him or something?” Jamie blurted. Casey stopped mid-stride.

“What?!” she almost screamed.

“I mean, my brother.” Jamie said, turning red.

“No!” Casey said, almost a bit too defensively. “Of…of course not. No…that’d be…wrong.”

“Yeah,” Jamie sneered. “It would be. Plus he’s such a…”

“A what?” Casey asked, confused.

“Never mind. It doesn’t matter,” Jamie started walking faster, ahead of Casey. Casey was confused. Jamie’s personality had been so hot and cold. When she had first arrived, he told her that no body wanted her there. Then he kept his mouth shut about her coming home after curfew. And now, they were having a nice chat…at least Casey thought so.

“I don’t get it,” Casey said.

“What?” Jamie said, stopping abruptly a turning around. This caused Casey to smack right into his chest, seeing that she was walking so fast to keep up with him. Casey pushed herself off his – she hated to admit, rock hard – torso.

“Why do you hate each other so much? Growing up, all I wanted was a brother or sister.” Casey was almost pleading with him.

“Yeah, well,” Jamie said, turning around continuing to walk. “There’s where you and me are different,”

At this point, they were walking the sidewalk in front of the house.

“Whatever,” Casey said, walking up the driveway, opening the front door.

“Yeah,” Jamie said, under his breath. The front door slammed. “Whatever is right.” And he stalked back into the garage.

Casey walked back to her room, thankful she didn’t have to face anybody once she got inside. Casey hated that Jamie didn’t even try to get along with Sean. How could he take family for granted like that? She hated that Jamie was not much nicer to her, as well. All she was trying to do was blend and go with the flow until graduation, where she could get out on her own. She walked over to her stereo, and pressed play. A loud, melodic tune from one of her favourite ‘80s bands came blasting through the speakers. She turned it up even louder, and sang along, trying to forget about her argument with Jamie.

“We spend our lives on trial, we walk an endless mile,” she sang. She walked around her room as she sang, picking up clothes that were on the floor, and unpacking boxes she hadn’t gotten around to yet. “We are youth gone wild!”

She continued to sing. There was a knock at her door, but Casey didn’t hear it on account of the music. She was startled when Sean burst into her room. He just stood there in the doorway, with a half smile on his face. She was kind of embarrassed, because of her singing. She blushed and pounced on the stereo, turning it down.

“Hey,” she said, sheepishly.

Sean nodded his head, smirking. “Nice music,”

Was he mocking her? “Did you need something?”

“We’re hanging out at Johnny’s again tonight. You in?” he asked, almost hopeful.

Casey thought about it. She knew she swore to herself to follow the rules, which meant Sean was off-limits. However, she knew if she went out with Sean again, she would make Jamie mad, which, after today, is what she wanted.

Casey smiled. “Definitely.”