Running From Bears: Chapter Two--The Party

"She's gone. Can your sister get us some brew?" Andrew overheard Jason say from the next room.1

"NO PARTIES. That's what Mom told you. I heard her!" Andrew scolded through the wall.2

"Shut up, you little eavesdropper! Why don't you go spend the night with somebody?" Jason retorted.3

"She also said we were to stay together at all times," Andrew yelled back.4

He missed the next portion of the conversation because Jason deliberately went further into his own room and lowered his voice until a few minutes later. He stomped back out again, fuming.5

"Fine! But you're going to be sorry you gave up the chance!" Jason scowled as he flipped shut his phone and came storming into the office where Andrew sat chatting with cyberbuddies. "Thanks a lot, Brat! Nobody wants to hang out now that they know you two are going to be in the middle of everything."6

"It's not my fault! Mom made the rules, not me."7

Jason jingled the car keys at him. "I'll be back," he said and headed for the door.8

"You can't leave me alone with Matt! Mom says I'm not old enough to be in charge," Andrew said, immediately wondering why he opened himself up for further abuse.9

"You are eleven years old. Get over it! Anyway, a bomb could go off and Matt wouldn't notice unless his game gliched."10

"Do what you want. But I'm tellin Mom when she gets back," he threatened.11

"Traitor!" Jason slammed the front door behind him as he went out.12

It was two hours before he rolled back into the apartment complex. His fit of anger had subsided and was replaced by a sense of resignation. None of his friends was interested in throwing down in the company of Jason's younger brothers. None was interested in pitching in to help find a sitter for a night. His girlfriend had actually chastised him for leaving them unattended while he drove his mom's car around without a license. She had a way of pointing him in the right direction even when he didn't want to go there.13

"Where's the party?" Andrew sneered at him when he came inside.14

"No party. What do you guys want to do tonight?" Jason asked sounding a bit taken down.15

"What are our choices?" Andrew asked. He was interested but not quite convinced.16

"Want to get pizza and rent some movies?"17

"Pizza!" Matt threw over his shoulder from the floor in front of the television.18

"Sounds like a bribe to me," Andrew pointed out.19

"It IS, okay? You can pick any movie you want, but don't tell Mom I was going to have a party. You can't tell her I drove her car because if you go with me to the movie store, that makes you an accomplice. Straight?" Jason offered.20

"Any movie I want. You pay."21

"Deal."22

"Straight!" Andrew said happily. "Come on Matt. Save your game. Jason said he's going to get us EACH any movie we pick out, plus popcorn and candy, plus YOU get to pick what's on the pizza! How does that sound, Little Guy?" He watched Jason's face carefully as he spoke. He noted that apparently he had the upper hand as his big brother made no attempt to refute his testimony although he wore the miserable look of a captured animal. He decided this business trip might not be such a bad time after all. "Matt! Save the game. Let's go."23

"Just a minute. I'm not at a stopping place yet," Matt said without shifting his gaze or concentration. "There! Done."24

The process of choosing videos was unnaturally eventless. Since they each chose a movie for themselves, they didn't argue at all. In fact, when Andrew asked Jason if he had seen either of the two movies he was contemplating, Jason told him one was excellent and he too wanted to see the other. In all, they went to the counter with five movies. Matt had  determined it was only fair that he rent a second movie as well.25

"Got your card?" asked the usual girl at the register.26

"No. Can't I just give you my phone number?" Jason hoped. He hadn't thought of his mom having the rental card with her in her purse.27

Fortunately, the employee recognized the boys as regular customers and asked, "Your mom in the car?"28

"uh...Yeah!" Andrew lied, realizing their dilemma. "I don't think she brought her purse though. She said we have to use our own money this time. I think she left it home on purpose just to make her point...you know how mom's are!" he chuckled nervously.29

"Sure," the girl laughed as Jason shrugged his shoulders in agreement.30

Jason had to admit, although only privately, that his younger brother was impressively quick on his feet.31

Outside Matt became a little of an emotional wreck once he realized his mom WAS NOT in the car as the other boys had just stated. The two conspirators explained to him that they lied to get the movies. The ensuing melodrama was interrupted just long enough to get in and out of the attached grocery store so Matt could choose their pizza and his candy. It resumed in full force once they reached the car afterward. The older brothers spent the drive home consoling him after it finally sunk in that Mom wouldn't be back for three more days.32

At home, Jason popped the pizza in the oven while the other two disconnected the Xbox and put in the first DVD. They decided on "Alaska", the non-animated one of Matt's selections. They watched and ate in the living room, a big no-no when they were supervised.33

All three boys enjoyed the movie although baby brother was too exhausted from his trauma to stay awake until the finish. He slept on the living room floor until three in the morning when the bigger boys finished their nine-hour viewing marathon. He awoke with a start the second Jason switched off the TV.34

"I'm still watching! Turn it back on!" Matt demanded unaware of his recent lack of consciousness and the passing of time.35

"It's 3 o'clock in the morning, Buddy. We need to go to bed," Jason tried to reason with him.36

"I want to watch Alaska! I don't want to go to sleep! I'm not tired. You can't make me!" He started crying again to both their dismay.37

Andrew turned on the set and put in Alaska again. In answer to the look on Jason's face he simply said, "When he falls asleep again we'll just leave him here."38

Jason went to get a pillow and blanket for Matt and picked one up for himself as well. He laid in the floor next to his littlest brother.39

"Camping?" Andrew joked.40

"Like on the movie," Matt said. "We'll pretend we're in Alaska."41

Jason snuggled under his comforter, playing along, "Whew! Sure is cold here in Alaska!"42

Matt seemed amused. He, too, wiggled down into his blanket. "Andrew aren't you coming camping to Alaska with us?"43

"Yeah, sure," he answered from a prone position on the couch. "I'll be the look-out while you're sleeping. Gotta be careful in Alaska."44

"Yep," agreed Jason. "Gotta watch out for bobcats and bears!"45

Matt who was now feeling part of the screen's events closed his eyes to get the full effect. Sleepily getting into character, he projected, "Tomorrow we'll keep looking for our dad! We won't stop until we find him!"46

Neither of his brothers responded to him, nor did they so much as make eye contact with each other. They shared stricken, emotionless silence in spite of the droning dialogue that emitted from the TV. It was an hour or more before sleep visited either Jason or Andrew. With fresh thoughts of their father still on their minds as they drifted off, they tossed and turned most of the night.47