| Peter stands beside John�s bed in her nightgown watching Brian sleep. With his right hand, she timidly reaches out his index finger to touch the beard stubble on Brian�s face. Peter gets braver and steps closer to use her whole right hand to touch the stubble. Brian, half asleep, grabs Peter�s hand and holds it to his chest. Peter is terrified. Suddenly, Brian wakes up because the hand he is holding is much too small to belong to any man he has ever slept with. He opens his eyes to figure out the small hand he is holding. �Ah!!!� Peter screams and Brian lets him go. Peter runs out of the room as John runs into the room already dressed for school. �Peter, Mom said we were suppose to let him sleep!� John yells at his brother�s back. Brian grabs his head. �Quiet, John, please. It�s okay, I think I scared him.� �Mom put some aspirin on my night stand for you.� John points to a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water on the night stand beside Brian. �Is Claire gone?� �Mom got called in early to work. I was just getting ready to pour out some Corn Pops. Do you want some, or do you want to go back to bed? You don�t look so good.� Brian grabs for the aspirin. �Is there any coffee?� �I know how to make some. Do you want some?� �I�d love some. No Corn Pops though. Today�s a school day right?� �Yeah, and I have this monster exam in government today.� Peter peeks into the room. �John, do you know where scooby shirt is? I want to wear it and can�t find it.� �Did you check the dryer?� �No.� �Good morning, Peter.� Peter stays out of the room but continues to peek in. �Why don�t you go and find it for him, John?� Brian gestures for John to leave. �Oh, sure thing, and I�ll get the coffee started.� John pokes fun at Peter as he passes him. �Runt!� �Ugly dog breath.� �Butt pimple.� Peter turns into the hallway to call after his brother. �Ah.....� �Maggot muncher,� Brian says. Peter looks at Brian with delighted surprise. �Maggot muncher!� cries Peter. Brian swallows about six aspirins. �Thank you.� �You�re welcome.� Peter stays in the doorway looking at Brian and chewing on his hair. Brian finally realizes that he is actually sitting completely naked in front of an eight old boy and becomes self conscious. �Shouldn�t you be getting ready for school?� �Did it hurt?� �Did what hurt?� Peter points at Brian�s left knee. �Oh... the knee. Yes, it hurt. It hurt a lot.� �How�d you do it?� �Playing football. It ended my career.� �Oh. Did your shoulder hurt a lot too?� �Yes.� �How�d you do it?� �Playing football. Second season.� �I don�t think you should play football anymore, Uncle Brian. I don�t think I would like it if you got hurt again.� �Why think you, Peter, it�s nice to have you looking out for me?� He looks at the scars on his wrists. �Did you do that playing football too?� Brian looks down at his wrists. �No, I didn�t.� �Hey, vomit drinker, if you want your shirt come get it,� yells John from the kitchen. Peter quickly heads for the kitchen. Brian presses the palms of his hands against his throbbing temples then rubs his face. When Brian, who has put on jeans and a t-shirt, finally enters the kitchen, John is rinsing dishes in the sink as Peter eats his cereal. �The coffee�s ready. You want some?� Brian can only manage to look around with one eye open at a time. �Coffee is good, yes.� He sits at the table beside Peter who slurps as he eats his cereal. The noise is very annoying to Brian, but he tries not to let on. Brian keeps looking at Peter, and Peter keeps smiling back at him. John fixes Brian a mug of coffee and sits it on the table for him. �Do you want milk in it or sugar?� �Black is good, thank you.� The three spend an awkward moment of silence looking at each other then Peter slurps another mouthful of cereal. �Listen, Uncle Brian, do you think you could watch Peter �til he gets on the bus, so I could head on to school?� �Where�s the bus?� �The school bus comes to the corner of Maple and Payne, but you have to stay with him.� �Tim Stockwell and Rudy Baker pick on me all the time,� Peter explains. �They really do,� John sighs. �They�re real butt holes.� �How are you getting to school then?� �I�ll ride my bike.� �When does the bus get to the stop place?� �In about fifteen minutes, it takes it a whole twenty minutes more to get to the high school, and I can get there in five on my bike.� Brian, who has been sipping on his coffee ponders his ability to make it to the bus stop. Brian looks John�s hopeful face and tries to get Peter to look at him, but he is pretending to read the cereal box. �Go, get on to school. Peter and I can manage Tim and ... whose his face, right, Peter?� �I guess, maybe...� *** Brian stands beside Peter near a street corner, coffee mug still in hand. It�s a lttle too chilly to be outdoors without a jacket on, and Brian didn�t think to put one on. The cold isn�t helping Brian�s hangover any either. �Hey, Peter, is that your new Daddy!� laughs Tim Stockwell. Tim and Rudy, two eleven year olds with inflated egos, are making their way across the street. Kate, age seven, and two other younger kids are also headed up the street toward the bus stop. �He�s my uncle you... you...� Peter stammers. �Candidate for a milk carton,� mummbles Brian. �Can-id-ate for a milk carton!� yells Peter. �What�s that suppose to mean?� Tim asks. �That you�re even dumber than you look,� Brian answers with a smile as he sips his coffee. �Yeah, well, I bet from the looks of you that you don�t even have a job. It figures.� �I�m retired.� �You�re not old enough to be retired. You have to be sixty or something to get retired. Everybody knows that,� sips Ruby. Kate giggles at Rudy and whispers to her two friends. Brian is definitely irritated, and Peter is getting scared. �My God. Tweedle dumb and tweedle even dumber. Are the two of you a matched set, or are you capable of individual thought? There is complete silence within the gathering of children. �You�re Brian Kinney the football player, aren�t you?� Kate says, �My dad played football with you in high school. He�s Billy Veh. Do you remember him?� �Did he play defense?� �No,� disappointment rings in her voice, �he was the punter.� �I�m just kidding with you,� he lied �Of course, I remeber your father. How is... Billy these days?� Her face lights up. �He�s real good, real good.� The school bus pulls up and opens its� door. The children start to get on. Kate continues, �Are you staying town long? I know my dad would like to see you.� �He�s staying at my house,� Peter says proudy. �I haven�t decided that, yet.� The bus takes off. Looking down at his empty coffee mug, Brian starts walking down the street down to main street and drags himself through the front door of the Liberty Diner exhausted by his hangover. It takes a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the light. The Liberty Diner is pretty much empty except for a couple and a family in a booth. He takes seat on a bar stool. �What can I get for you, Bri, or should I say Brian?� Brian focus on the a young blonde that he met at the gas station. �You? I thought you work at Buzz�s Auto Shop.� �I do, and I work here. I need the money.� Brian nods. �So, what can I get you?� �Coffee." He lifts up his coffee mug. "I�m out.� �I can see that. Would you like a new coffee mug?� �What�s wrong with my coffee mug?� �Nothing.� Justin cracks to smile which fades into laughter. �Only it says you are a number one mom.� Brian examines the mug. �So, it does.� He arches one eyebrow. �You got a problem with that?� �No, if you don�t,� Justin answers trying to keep a straight face. He pours fresh coffee into mug. �Well, I hope you had fun last night.� �Why?� �Cause you look like shit this morning,� Justin says as he walks over to the couple with a fresh pot of coffee. He keeps Brian in the corner of his eyes. Once he finished making his rounds, he plops himself down on a bar stool next to Brian. �You know you should probably eat something with that coffee. It will probably help with your hangover.� �No, coffee will be fine.� Brian smirks as he studies the kid. Debbie walks into the diner with Carl. They kiss for a moment, and Carl heads back outside. �Hey, Sunshine, who said you could take a break.� �Sunshine?� Brian questions Justin. �You did, Deb. You said I could have one when you got back.� �Did say that, didn�t I? So, who is your new boy toy?� Justin turns red and gets up going back to work. �Why, Debbie, don�t you recognize me?� Brian asks. �Holy Christ! Brian Kinney! I can never forget a pain in the my ass.� She shakes her head. �God, you look like shit. Sorry, I miss your welcome home party.� �I never said I was moving back.� Debbie studies Brian. �Well, you are staying for annual Rotary flag football game, right?� �Oh, now, Deb, I haven�t touched a football in years.� �It doesn�t matter! You could help coach or play if your knee�s up to it, and it�s for charity as always. If we could advertise that you were just going to be at the game, we could sell lots of tickets.� She winks at Brian. �You�re the biggest thing to ever come out of these parts. You remember that.� Brian looks at Justin, who quickly looks away as he refills Brian�s mug. �Honestly, I haven�t thought that far ahead, but I�ll think about it.� He gets up grabbing his wallet. A group of three enter the diner. �It�s good you�re in town, Brian, I know your folks could sure use your help. Well, I best get these customers. It was good seeing you.� �Yeah.� Brian pull out a ten and gives to Justin. �Keep the change.� �Thanks.� Brian walks out of the diner with his cup of coffee. �Nothing changes. Just wind up Brian Kinney, hand him a football, and watch him play. Let me kill myself off making sure you get your money�s worth!� He pauses for a moment then mumbles. �Damn it, I haven�t even touched a football in years, what more do they want out of me!� |
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