His Boys

Belt Shopping (O+A+R)

Ollie's pov

"Why are we going to the mall on a Tuesday?" Ryley asked sarcastically. "Well, I need a new belt." Dad answered, sounding mildly embarrassed. "What happened to your other one?" Ryley asked. "It crapped out on me, buckle fell apart." Dad sighed.

"Maybe you've been using it on me too much." Ryley mumbled.

I laughed but quickly shut up when my big brother whipped his head around to glare at me. "Sorry."

"Maybe I haven't been using it enough." Dad said, giving Ryley his 'serious' face.

Ryley scoffed, I could tell he was at least trying to hold back his sassy reply.

Teenagers are so sassy.

•••
Ryley's pov

We're following behind Dad in this J.C. Penny like a bunch of ducklings. My brothers even insisted on lining up in size order to trial behind me.

"No, little guys in the front so I can keep an eye on you." Dad chuckles.

"Daddy, can I maybe get a toy?" Alex asks, eyes trailing over to the toy section. "Not today. We're not here for toys. Maybe next time." Dad replies, taking Alex's hand so he doesn't wander off.

"Spiderman shoes!"

"Oliver!"

I grabbed him on his way past me. "Aww, hey!" He complained. "You got a leash we can put him on?" I asked. That at least got a chuckle out of Dad. "No, that ain't gonna fly nowadays." He sighed jokingly.

Dad walked us through the men's section quickly to try to minimize distractions, not that it did any good. My brothers could get distracted by a fly on the wall.

Eventually, we got to the desired section without losing anyone. "Stay where I can see you." Dad warned. My brothers smiled and nodded like they weren't gonna bolt as soon as he turns around.

Which is exactly what happened.

I had drifted off to the shoes, maybe 20 feet from where Dad was looking, and I looked up, and they're just gone.

Now, as the big brother, I obviously tried to find them and wrangle them back before Dad notices and they get in trouble.

At least that was my plan until I still couldn't find them 10 minutes later.

I was about to head to the front to ask an employee to help me when,

"Ryley."

"Huh?" I spun around.

"You have got to be kidding me." Dad sighed. "All three of you? Where are your brothers?"

"Well, actually.."

"You don't know?" He asked sternly.

I shook my head.

"How long have you known they've been gone?" Dad questioned.

"I've been looking for a while." I shrug.

"Instead of telling me they were gone, you decided to go off on your own too? Haven't we talked about disappearing before?" He scolds.

"We have... but I just thought if I found them, no harm, no foul." I mumbled.

Dad clutched the new belt in his fist, I was afraid we were about to take it for a test run in the middle of the mall.

"Dad.."

"Let's go find your brothers."

•••

It didn't take us too long to find them.