We Come Alive 4

"Media Issue."

Monday morning started calm. Jacob was deep in his dream land before he felt a soft crash on his face. His eyes blinked open to see Ricky's legs walking pass his face as he went off to the bathroom.

"Wake up." Ricky grumbled.

Jacob groaned as he stretched his arms and his back. He swung his legs over the side of the cot he slept on along the wall feet away from Ricky's bed. Jacob rubbed his eyes before checking his phone that was charging by his bed. He threw his red blanket onto his 'bed' when he got up so it didn't fall off. Jacob's cot was one that you would usually get in a hotel, but Jacob knew he was an unexpected guest so he didn't complain about it.

After showering after Ricky got out of it, Jacob threw on a grey sweatshirt, black joggers, and his favorite Jordan's then went upstairs for breakfast. The second Ricky and Jacob walked upstairs, they heard the shrieks of Mike and Nick as they ran around the living room with their toys.

Ricky told his baby brothers to be quiet knowing the only reason they were awake was because they had to go to daycare since today was his mom's early day.

"I made you boys breakfast, it's in microwave." Rachel said, grabbing her purse off the table before fixing her hijab on her head. "Don't be late, you might have to eat on the way."

"We got it mom." Ricky shrugged, leaning against the sink. "I filled your car up with gas last night, so you own me $30."

Rachel stopped in her rushed tracks and looked back at her eldest son. "Than you owe me a lot of money for feeding you, giving you clothes, keeping that long hair of yours on your head, and keeping you healthy and sometimes out of jail."

Ricky fake a hurt look as he pressed his hand to his chest. "Ma! Really?" He chuckled.

"Really." She replied. "Have a good day, Jacob."

"Thank you Ms. Barnes. You too." Jacob called out, leaning his elbows against the kitchen table that he was sitting at.

Ricky listened to his mom walk out the house with his brothers before he went to the microwave and opened it up. "Eggs and bacon." He announced.
"Grab your plate and get in the car. I'm not escorting you to class if you're late."

Jacob got up and grabbed his plate from the microwave and closed it. "You need a haircut." He teased.

Ricky ran his fingers through his hair while going out the front door, using his foot to close it behind him, than locking it with his keys. "My hair just grew in from the car accident, I'm not cutting my hair anytime soon."

Jacob just walked to Ricky's white four door Jeep Wrangler without saying anything more about Ricky's hair. "You visiting your baby mama?"

"On my lunch break." Ricky grunted out, putting his plate of food in his lap as he drove off to the school. "I should make you drive your car that's just sitting in front of the house."

"I don't have gas." Jacob shrugged, shoving food into his mouth. "I don't have gas money."

"Sucks for you." Ricky sighed, swerving the car so Jacob jolted around. "Get a job."

Jacob held onto his plate so the food didn't go all over the car. "I'll go looking." He whispered. "I'll figure something out."

~**~

While most students were sitting in their third period class learning, Ethan was sitting in the hallway using a textbook to write on while he took a test. He told his teacher he'd rather take it now rather than after school. He knew he could be there for the full time of football practice and just sit in Ricky's office to finish the rest of today's school work since it was a legitimate reason to be out of the facility longer.