Chapter Nineteen - After School

The Love’s house wasn’t too far from the school - just across the street, actually. As we climbed the steps onto the porch, Zach finally let go of my hand - reaching into his fleece jacket for a set of keys. He unlocked the door and led the way inside, quickly punching in the code on the security alarm. I looked up at him curiously.

“Aren’t your parents home?” I asked.

He shook his head. “They’re both working late tonight.” he explained, shrugging nonchalantly as if it were a perfectly regular occurrence. “Mom said they wouldn’t change the schedule.” I studied his face, thinking he looked vaguely angry as he threw his backpack aside and hung up his coat.

“So Zach’s looking after us!” Laurie announced excitedly, looking positively delighted at the idea of being babysat by his big brother. The kid had already kicked off his shoes, fidgeting happily on the bottom step of the carpeted stairs and wiggling his little toes inside his baby blue Paw Patrol socks. I grimaced. I was hardly thrilled to find out I would be spending the afternoon under the sole supervision of a boy a full year younger than me.

“Right, you two.” Zach announced at once, putting an authoritative hand on my back and guiding me over to sit on the steps beside his brother. “It’s naptime.” he informed us, leaning down and moving to start undoing my shoelaces.

I flinched back my foot, brushing Zach’s interfering fingers away and easily handling my own laces. I looked at him seriously. “I don’t need a nap.”

“Yeah you do.” Zach contradicted. “Laurie always takes a nap after school.” The first grader had already bounded up obediently and scurried up to the top of the stairs - looking down expectantly at me from the landing. “Kids your age are meant to.” Zach asserted, going ahead and slipping my unlaced sneakers off my feet for me. “It’s a good idea, even if you don’t nap at school anymore.”

I lowered my lips into a nervous pout, trying to think of a good excuse. I could hardly say I was too old - though it did surprise me that Laurie still took regular naps. I supposed he was only just out of Kindergarten, and it would explain how he seemed to have so much boundless energy. Even now, he didn’t look tired at all - unlike myself. I was so exhausted I barely felt alive. I couldn’t have gotten more than three hours of sleep last night, constantly disturbed by a nightmare of Nate chasing me around the school playground while I was wearing nothing but a soggy duckling themed pull up. I clenched my jaw firmly shut, refusing to yawn.

“My Mom doesn’t make me nap…” I mumbled half-heartedly, my voice as whiny as a petulant preschooler. Snuggling up in a warm bed for a half hour or so actually sounded so good about then, but I refused to give in. It was just too embarrassing. I was eleven years old!

“Maybe she should.” he shrugged. “You fell asleep in class today, didn’t you?”

A high pitched giggle sounded from the top of the stairs. “Did he really?” Laurie asked jovially.

Zach rolled his eyes, not answering. “Go put your PJs on.” he instructed. The boy obeyed without a second thought, disappearing from view.

“I wasn’t asleep.” I insisted, powering through my exhaustion to stand up and grab my backpack. “I was just thinking!” I hovered aimlessly at the bottom of the stairs, feeling oddly jumpy and nervous. “Let’s just do our homework while Laurie naps.”

Zach seemed to consider for a moment, but finally shrugged - picking up his own backpack and leading me forward into the kitchen. “Fine,” he conceded. “You can show me how to do that Math worksheet. But I don’t wanna hear you whining about being tired when we’re going ‘round with the apples later.”

I blushed, sitting down opposite him on the counter and taking out my finished worksheet. “So the numerator is the one on top…” I began to explain.

A little while later, after I’d spelled out the basic concepts, Zach was answering the questions just fine on his own.

“I’m good.” he interrupted, putting a calming hand on top of my head to shut me up. He held up his worksheet with a flourish to show me the completed first question, clearly feeling a little smug that he didn’t need my help anymore. Satisfied, I reviewed my own sheet, happy to shave off the remainder of my homework before the weekend had even started. A few minutes passed in a mutual attentive hush, both of us working diligently on our homework.

“You know you can just play with Laurie.” Zach suddenly spoke out, breaking the silence.

“I know.” I agreed, cocking my head in confusion. “I like playing with Laurie.” I told him truthfully. Where was he going with this?

Zach frowned and looked back at his sheet, furiously erasing something. “I mean at camp.” He started up again. I felt a shiver go through me, remembering the various shameful incidents. The pull ups; our camp-out; Nate. We hadn’t actually talked about what happened. “Laurie told me you lied for him.” he stated in a cold, almost accusatory tone.

“Yeah, I guess I did.” I muttered. I didn’t know what else to say. I shrank back in my chair a little, feeling like I was in trouble. “Nate was picking on him.”

“Now he picks on you!” Zach exclaimed with a lupine snarl, actually seeming to get a little angry. “How is that better? It’s not your job to protect Laurie, just like… be his friend.”

I grimaced. He was right. I hadn’t exactly made things better. “I am his friend!” I tried to argue. “I was only trying to help.”

“It’s my job to protect Laurie!” Zach shouted me down, showing that same dark grimace he’d worn in the woods the morning Nate had dunked me in the sink - before Kianna had calmed him down. .

Knowing that Laurie was still asleep upstairs I lowered my own tone, trying to hush the bigger boy by signaling a calming decrescendo with my palm. “You weren’t there.” I muttered to him.

Zach could not be tamed however. In fact, he looked even more frustrated and annoyed by my comment, like he was about to snap the pencil in his hand clean in two. “I will be next time.” He grunted back ominously, scooting his chair off to the side to hide his face from me and getting back to scribbling furiously on his worksheet. .

The two of us kept working on the homework, and though Zach still seemed vaguely annoyed, he was no longer wearing that threatening vicious scowl by the time we were finished. We had just exchanged worksheets and were reviewing each other’s answers when we finally heard the pounding steps of Laurie bounding down the stairs - fresh from his nap.

“Cooper!” He exclaimed in a playful chiding tone when he saw us, hands set on his hips. “You didn’t take a nap.”

Caught off guard I just smiled at him awkwardly. “I’m not tired.” I lied, stifling back a yawn.

“Let’s watch some TV before we head out.” Laurie told me, tugging at my shirt like an impatient puppy. As he saw all the homework on the counter however, he stopped - eyes lowering sadly. “Oh… You’re doing big kid stuff.” Laurie seemed to deflate at once, chest falling like a popped balloon whizzing through the air.

I really should have kept on checking Zach’s work, but I couldn’t stand to see Laurie disappointed. “I’m done!” I chimed enthusiastically, and jumped off the chair. Zach caught my eyes as I left, his icy expression melting ever so briefly to give me a smile and an approving nod.

Laurie took my hand and yanked me across the room, practically sprinting to the TV as I struggled to keep up. Rather than sitting on the couch, he bundled me down to the carpeted floor - putting an affectionate arm around my shoulder and turning on the TV. Right on cue, almost as if he had timed it, the jovial Paw Patrol theme began to blare through the speakers and the energetic vibrant opening sequence began to dance across the screen - much to Laurie’s delight.

As the show got underway, I felt a little bit embarrassed to be watching a show so clearly designed for little kids. Even though Zach thought I was five and Laurie clearly didn’t care, some strange irrational fear was still unsettling my stomach - like some mysterious stranger might burst in at any moment and start mocking me for being a pre-teen watching a preschool show.

I’d enjoyed Paw Patrol plenty when I was younger, but I hadn’t watched it since the second grade. Before our first big move, I’d watched it almost religiously - never missing an episode. The first recess at my new school however, I’d eagerly suggested that we re-enact one of the missions on the playground. My new friends had scoffed, telling me firmly that the show was for babies. I hadn’t watched it since.

Laurie however, had no such qualms.

“Look Cooper, I’m Chase!” he decided, getting down on all fours and hopping energetically up onto the couch.

“You’re being silly…” I objected shyly, waving my hand and staring back at the screen. In this particular episode, the pups were completing their mission in two shiny blue and red bi-planes, the doggies flying up and over various obstacles as they zoomed across the sky.

“Now this is a dog-fight!” Marshall quipped. I couldn’t help but let out a stifled giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Laurie demanded, pouncing off the couch again and landing beside me on his knees.

“A dog fights like a plane chase.” I explained vaguely, but the boy was already on his feet again - arms stretched out wide like plane wings.

“Let’s play pretend!” he demanded. “I’m Chase, and you're Marshall.” He started to run wildly around the living room, imitating a plane propeller with his mouth. “Neeeeeeuw!”

I let out a childish giggle, getting up on my feet “Neeeeeeeuw!” I copied him, chasing after him with my arms outstretched.

Meanwhile, Zach had disappeared into the kitchen. I heard the clatter of bowls and pots as we played but didn’t pay much mind. It seemed like everything was under control. As the show wrapped up, Zach peaked his head into the room. “Dinner is ready. Remember to wash your hands guys.” He told us. Zach’s demeanor seemed to have totally changed from when we were doing our homework. He didn’t seem at all frustrated or annoyed anymore, just happy that we were having fun.

Laurie always did anything his brother asked without question or second guessing. He quickly shot up and ran to the kitchen sink, hopping up on a step stool already set out for him to wash his hands. I glanced over at Zach while I waited my turn to do the same. He was portioning out three bowls of Mac and Cheese with a bored look on his face, looking like he had done it a hundred times for the two of them.

I sat at the table and Zach brought them all over. “When will your parents get here?” I asked, still a little confused about the impromptu babysitting arrangement. I could understand them not being around for just a little while, but it had been almost an hour now! I didn’t think my parents would have agreed if they had known no adults would be here.

“Probably when we get back.” Zach dismissed. He didn’t sound sure himself.

“Is it usually just you guys?” I prodded. I was probably being too nosy, but I was genuinely curious. Mom never let me stay home alone.

“Zach picks me up from school, then it’s just us!” Laurie explained happily.

“Laurie, hush.” Zach scolded him, giving a secretive glare. “It’s not like every day.” He told me vaguely.

I was still a little curious about the setup the boys had with their parents, but decided it was probably better not to pry - focussing instead on my Mac and Cheese. It was already quarter-to, and we were supposed to meet the others at Charlie’s at five o’clock.

After dinner, Laurie and I put our hat and vest on - my new friendship badge displayed proudly on the front. Then I helped Laurie with his neckerchief as Zach changed into his cub polo, sporting his silver neckerchief. Since I knew I would be coming back afterwards for the sleepover, I left my bag at the house. Finally, Zach went to his garage and pulled out a red wagon. It had clearly been freshly cleaned for the occasion, shining almost as bright red as the apples that would soon fill it.

“Ready to go?” he asked us.

“Yeah!” Laurie screamed enthusiastically, smiling from ear to ear.

“Yeah…” I added with a silent nod, trying to hold back a yawn.