by Amy Sumida
I took a minute to poke around the room a little, opening the drawers and sticking my head in the closet. I turned on the bedside lamp and turned off the overhead light. As I pulled the covers back, a knock reverberated through the room.
When I opened it, all five of the guys stood in the hallway. Dressed in various types of pajamas, my mind forgot for a second what I went through today and jumped straight to hormone level beta. I made a conscious effort not to drool. Alex wore a pair of blue sweatpants and a white tank-top. Jaidon looked like a sexy old man in a pair of blue pajamas with white pinstripes, which shimmered like they were satin. Matt and Stetson both wore only a pair of basketball shorts, their impressive abs on display. Matt’s muscles were striking. He had the physique of a professional wrestler. He noticed me staring, and he started making his pecs jump. He chuckled when I jerked my gaze away. Stetson’s tattoo was on full display. The dragon seemed to breathe as his chest moved, almost a living thing. Bishop already had a rumpled appearance in a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top.
I stood there, stunned by their beauty. My guys are hot. Wait, no, they’re not my guys, they’re just friends. It took me a minute to recognize they held pillows and blankets. “What are you guys doing?”
“We’re staying here tonight.” They say in unison, causing me to giggle.
“What?” Mr. Keeler’s voice ricocheted off the walls of the hallway.
Jumping, we relaxed a little when laughter followed Mr. Keeler’s exclamation from the end of the hall. Daniel held his stomach as he chuckled. “I told you so,” he said to Mr. Keeler.
“No!” Mr. Keeler’s face blazed as he marched down the hall. “Absolutely not.”
“But, we’ve always—”
“That’s different, she’s a girl.”
“Dad…” Jaidon started, “no one spends their first night alone. That’s a house rule.”
“I told you it’s different with Joey.”
“Why should it be?” Bishop asked. “She’s still spending a night in a new place after a particularly tough night. She needs company.”
I watched the volley back and forth between father and sons before Daniel decided to break in, “Everyone but Joey sleeps on the floor, and the door stays open.”
“Deal,” five voices chorused.
Mr. Keeler turned to argue with Daniel, but stopped when Daniel put a hand on his face. “It’s a house rule for a reason. We’ve raised good boys. They won’t cross the line.” He leaned in and gave Mr. Keeler a quick kiss, then he turned to the guys. “You won’t do anything stupid, will you?’
“No, sir.” It kind of freaked me out when they all spoke in unison like that.
Daniel took Mr. Keeler’s hand and guided him back down the hall. The guys turned to me. What could I do? I stepped back and let them in.
The guys chose spots around my bed and began making little campsites on the floor. Each guy put his head near the bed until they ringed it like the rays of the sun. I tiptoed between Alex and Matt to reach my bed and slipped under the covers. When everyone got settled, I reached over and turned off the light.
It’s weird listening to so many people breathe in such a quiet room. I lay there ruminating on the day and where it brought me.
“Guys?” I asked. “What’s the house rule?”
Bishop answered, “No one spends the first night alone.”
“Why not?”
It got quiet, like all of them were holding their breath.
Stetson sat up. “We were all foster kids, Joey.”
I questioned him with my eyes, not sure I understood what he meant.
Matt spoke from the floor to my left. “The first night in a new place cements the type of house it will be. Do you get your own room? Are you sharing it with five other kids? Are your foster parents fighting down the hall? Smoking weed, or something worse? Will someone come into your room while you’re sleeping?” He sighed. “By spending the night together, we offer protection from whatever’s running through your head. You’re not alone, we’re here. We show you that you don’t have anything to fear from us by taking away the unknown. It’s hard to be afraid someone’s going to sneak in while they’re snoring ten feet away.
“I was so scared the first night with the dads. I didn’t know what to think, granted, I was only nine. Two guys, being together? What if they did something? I realize thinking like that is stupid now, but the placement I had before was…” he paused. “Let’s just say it wasn’t good. Joshua and Daniel told me to get ready for bed. A few minutes later, Daniel knocked on the door with Jaidon and Joshua at his side. Jaidon didn’t even say anything to me, he just called the top bunk and ran for it. Joshua told me he knew what it was like to spend a night in an unfamiliar place, and we were going to have a campout in my room so I wouldn’t feel alone. We made s’mores with jarred marshmallow paste and sang stupid campfire songs around a candle.” Matt chuckled.
“I thought they were crazy. But when I did sleep that night, I wasn’t worried about anything happening.”
Stetson whistled. “They did the same thing when I showed up a few months later. I thought I was on a hidden camera show. But, it worked.” He laid back down. “I was still bruised from the beating my mom’s boyfriend gave me, and I was worried about the dads, especially Daniel, since he was just as ripped back then as he is now. Then, here comes Matt, two inches shorter than me and maybe sixty pounds soaking wet, and he puffs up his chest like he’s ten feet tall and bullet proof when he tells me not to worry. If whoever hit me showed up, he and Daniel would take care of them. I thought about that all night until I fell asleep.”
The room went quiet. I figured they were done talking, but Alex broke the silence next, speaking into it like he was giving a confession.
“I was placed with the dads the day before my dad’s and brother’s funerals. They had been hit in a drive-by. A rival gang didn’t like the fact that my dad and his boys were moving in on their turf. I was twelve, and my whole life just ended the day they got shot.
“I had been having night terrors while I was in the group home. I kept waking everyone up, so they placed me with Joshua and Daniel. I was so afraid of another drive-by, I was sure they were gonna come for me, too. Joshua came into my room that night dragging a big, metal desk. He sat it on its side against the wall and set up a pallet behind it. ‘Here,’ he said. ‘This desk is bullet proof. Daniel checked the manual.’ Then he sent in Jaidon, Matt, and Stetson to play video games until we fell asleep behind the desk. I slept there for almost two weeks before I got in the bed.” He chuckled. “The freakin’ manual.”
Bishop spoke next. “My parents were killed in a car accident two years ago. I didn’t have anywhere to go, so the state placed me here. I was so torn up about losing them. Drunk driver. At five o’clock in the afternoon, who’s driving drunk?
“I was so angry. I took it out on everyone that first day. Cursed them, called Daniel and Joshua fags, and a bunch of other horrible names. Took a swing at Stetson. I just wanted to stop feeling. That night, Matt marches into my room followed by the others. ‘Look,’ he says. ‘Life sucks most of the time without us trying to make it worse. We’re here for you now. You wouldn’t kick yourself in the balls, so don’t destroy people who are trying to support you.’ Then they all found a spot on the floor and went to sleep. I sat up most of the night thinking about what Matt said. I was ashamed of the way I acted. I apologized to the dads the next day, but it was two or three days before I could meet their eyes. Daniel said, ‘Bishop, if that’s the worst thing I’m ever called, I’ve had a good life,’ then he started singing that Disney song Let it Go. I knew he was crazy, but it was a good kind of crazy.”
The silence held a pensive air. “What about you Jaidon?” I asked into the darkness.
“I don’t really remember my birth parents. I’ve been with the dads since I was two. But, I remember when all these guys showed up. Daniel and Joshua sat me down and told me each time that they weren’t giving away the
part of their hearts they gave to me. They were making their hearts big enough for one more.”
“That’s really sweet.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, but when you’re sixteen, it’s a little embarrassing. The happiest day in my life was when the court papers were signed saying these guys were my brothers.”
Following his statement, throats cleared.
I needed to say my piece. “My dad didn’t always hit me. He used to be fun. He’d call me princess and played football in the yard with me. When my mom got cancer, it was like it was destroying the goodness in him at the same time it was destroying her heart. I used to wonder if he’d have killed himself without me there. I think”—I cleared my throat—“I think, that first year he might have. It was bad.”
I rolled over in the bed, facing the door. “Thank you, guys, for doing this for me. It means a lot.”
I got a chorus of goodnights and drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, the alarm on my phone went off, startling me awake. I jerked up in bed, and jarring pain rocketed through my side. Wincing, I’m reminded of what happened yesterday. The guys still surrounded my bed, sleeping. Bishop’s rumbling snores filled the room. Stetson and Matt both sat up, gazing around for the noise. I reached over to the end table to turn off the alarm. I forgot to deactivate it last night. I usually woke up early on weekends to clean the house.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
“No problem, babe,” Stetson mumbled.
Matt grunted.
I flopped back down on the bed and groaned. “I don’t want to wake up,” I whined quietly.
“Come on.” Matt climbed to his feet. “I’ll make you some breakfast.”
I huffed and slid gingerly out from under the covers, babying my sore muscles. Matt grabbed my hand and led me out of the room. The muscles in his back flexed as he reached for the door to close it, allowing the guys to sleep a little longer. I assumed Stetson went back to sleep; he laid back down and covered his head with a blanket.
Stretching out my sore muscles while we walked down the hallway brought on tiny spasms in my legs and torso, but if I could limber up a bit, movement would be easier. Matt walked with me to the kitchen and helped me ease onto the barstool. He went to the cabinet and got down a couple of bowls and a box of cereal, grabbing the milk and a couple of spoons on the way back to the counter. He made an extra trip to the cabinet next to the sink, took down a bottle of Advil and filled a glass with water. After sitting next to me, he placed the medicine, water, and a bowl in front of me. He poured some cereal in the bowl and pushed the milk my way.
I gaped at him.
“What?” He said with a smile. “I said I’d make you breakfast. I never said it would be a hot breakfast.”
I shook my head and took some painkillers, then I poured some milk on my cereal. I dug in and watched him eat. Mr. Keeler walked into the kitchen and blinked when he noticed us. “You’re up early.”
“Yeah, I forgot to turn my alarm off,” I answered the implied question.
“Well, good morning, Joey, good morning, Matt.”
“Morning, Dad,” Matt mumbled after he swallowed his bite of cereal.
“Good morning, Mr. Keeler,” I responded after swallowing a bite of cereal.
“Please, when we’re not at school, call me Joshua. Mr. Keeler seems a little too formal.”
I don’t think I can call my teacher by his first name. “I’ll try.” I decided to avoid any need to call him by his name whenever possible.
“Okay, then.” He smiled as he fixed himself a cup of coffee. “Matt, are you still going to help me with the cars today?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I glanced between the two until Matt said, “Oil changes. No big deal.”
“Alright. Can I get a ride out to my house, so I can get some more of my stuff and my car?” I asked between bites of crunchy, chocolate goodness.
“I’ll take you,” Stetson said as he walked in and made a bee-line for the coffee maker.
I raised my eyebrow at him. “Couldn’t get back to sleep?”
“Not with Bishop snoring like a bear in hibernation,” he muttered.
“Sorry.” My eyes fell to my cereal. I really should have remembered to turn off my alarm.
He set his coffee down and leaned across the counter. His fingers pushed up my chin, and his thumb rubbed against my bottom lip. “No worries, babe.”
Maybe I don’t hate being called babe as much as I thought I did.
“Want some cereal?” I asked. When all else fails, divert to food.
“No.” He picked up his coffee. “I’m good.”
I finished my cereal while the other guys filtered in and settled with their various options of morning fare. The sun shined in through the windows behind the table and made the morning air seem to glow. As I finished my breakfast, I watched the guys. Alex was easily a morning person. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, he spent time smiling and joking with us as he scarfed down his coffee and toast. Some of the guys, like Matt, Stetson, and Jaidon, seemed to be pretty normal in their waking habits. A little sluggish until sufficiently caffeinated, they became more aware of their surroundings and talked and joked along with Alex.
Bishop, on the other hand, was not a morning person. He stumbled into the kitchen with his eyes closed and made his way to the coffee maker by touch. He fixed himself a cup of coffee, then as soon as it finished brewing, he fixed another. While the second cup of coffee brewed, he chugged the first cup like a beer at a frat party. He repeated this process again while he chugged the second cup. On the third cup, he managed to slow down and sip.
With his coffee in hand, he turned and leaned against the counter. He squinted up at us. “Morning,” he mumbled and took another sip of his coffee. The rest of the guys and Mr. Keeler nodded at him. I seemed to be the only one to be phased by the show he just put on. I couldn’t help it; I giggled a little.
Bishop glared at me over the rim of his coffee cup. “What?”
I shook my head because his morning routine was kind of cute.
Stetson walked over and took my empty bowl and spoon to the dishwasher. “Go get ready.” He jerked his head toward the hallway.
I saluted him and eased off the barstool. If I didn’t know it would have hurt, I would have marched out of the room. As it was, I took my time going up the stairs.
Stepping into the bedroom, I paused, surprised the guys picked up after themselves. I didn’t spot a pillow or a blanket left on the floor anywhere. I walked over to my bed, making it before I got dressed. The painkiller kicked in, and other than my ribs and my thigh, the aches subsided some. With my chore done, I managed to get my bag up onto the bed without hurting my ribs too badly.
Fishing out a pair of dark green cargo pants and a white t-shirt from my bag, I managed to slip those on as well as a pair of socks and my sneakers. The bruise on my thigh was more distinct today, highlighting the tread marks from my dad’s boot on my skin. To avoid living in the past, I grabbed my toothbrush kit and my hairbrush and headed into the bathroom.
When I caught my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I winced. From sleeping on it wet, my hair resembled a rat’s nest. I ran my brush under the faucet and guided it through my hair. It took me longer than usual to pull my hair up into a ponytail with one hand, but I managed. Even though I was allowed to remove the wrapping, my wrist was still a little tender and not up to controlling my thick hair. There wasn’t much I could do about my black eyes or the bruises on my neck and arms without makeup, which I forgot to pack. I brushed my teeth and gathered my things to take back to my room.
I threw my things into my bag. Then, thinking about it, I quickly emptied my bag and put my things away into the chest of drawers. Heading back downstairs with the empty bag , I found the guys in the living room. They quieted quickly, as if I interrupted a serious discussion, and apparently, I wasn’t allowed to be included in this one.
Stetson stood up. “Is it okay if Bishop and Alex come w
ith us?”
“Sure.” I glanced at the two in question. At my response, they jumped up.
Matt and Jaidon walked over to me. They each gave me a hug, and Jaidon kissed my cheek. “See you later.”
I stood there in a daze for a second. “Bye.”
Alex grabbed my good hand and led me to the foyer. He helped me down the porch stairs, keeping me from jarring anything too badly, and led me to Stetson’s truck. He opened the front passenger door for me and helped me in. Stetson slid behind the wheel, as Bishop and Alex got into the back seat.
Bishop leaned up between the seats from behind Stetson. “Can we listen to good music?”
Stetson and Alex both said, “No,” at the same time, making me curious.
“What is good music?”
Bishop leaned his head against my shoulder. “Anything country.”
I leaned my head against his and did a half shrug. “That works for me. I listen to pretty much anything but techno.”
Bishop whooped and leaned up to turn the radio on. Stetson smacked his hand away and told him to sit back and buckle his seatbelt so we could go.
We headed down the road with classic rock on the radio. I was good with that, too.
About halfway to the house, something occurred to me. “How did you know where I lived?”
The guys stilled. “Well, that’s the thing. We could tell you, but then we’d have to kill you,” Alex joked.
“No, I’d just marry her,” Bishop said, “then she couldn’t testify against us.”
Stetson shook his head. “No, that would only keep her from testifying against you, she could still get us locked up.”
Bishop shrugged. “Well, then, you’ll marry her, too.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.”
Bishop put on an offended expression. “Look, do you want to keep making more problems, or do you want solutions?”
“So, Joey”—Alex leaned up and squeezed my right shoulder—“what do you think of that?”
