The Humdrum Life of a Hero

Chapter 13

I honk for three seconds. Then, I honk for five seconds. Next, I honk to the rhythm of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" while Connor and Nick start to sing the words in the backseat. Finally, two very not awake teenage boys stumble out of my front door. Jay looks he just literally dragged himself up the stairs by the way his t-shirt is wrinkled and haphazardly twisted. Tony seems a little more put together with his hair freshly patted down with water from the sink and his belt hanging limp and undone in its belt loops.

I catch Jay's eye in the rear view mirror as they're putting their duffel bags of football gear in the way back. He gives me a sleepy half-smile. Tony slams the hatch down and gets in the front seat, leaning it as far back as it will go, while Jay climbs in the back with boys. They make him sit in the middle, but he doesn't complain.

"You know there's a third-row, right?" I say to his image in the rear view mirror again since he's front and center.

"I know. I just don't have the energy to climb back there," he mumbles.

"Had both of you gone to bed when I told you to last night," I swat at Tony whose eye lids are starting to droop, "you wouldn't be so tired or running late."

"Just drive," Tony grumbles and turns in his seat so he's facing the door instead of me. I roll my eyes and put the car in reverse. I back out of the driveway and head for the highway.

By the time I turn out onto the main road, all four of my passengers are sound asleep. Not wanting to deal with their wrath just yet, I lower the stereo to the quietest I can get it while still being able to hear it.

Today's the football teams shot at the state championship game. They've been waiting an entire year to make it back to the stadium where they won the school's first football title and bring home a second one. Everyone in town is estatic. Most of the businesses have hung banners and decorated the fronts of their building in the school colors.

Tony and the rest of the foorball team have been treated like total royalty at school, which is why both Jay and Tony were out last night and are now too tired to function.

I check my rearview as I change lanes, and I catch Jay silently watching me. He quickly shuts his eyelids again, pretending to be asleep, but I know that trick too well. The twins pull it all the time because they want to be carried in from the car. I usually leave them in the car until they realize I'm not falling for their trickery.

Everyone's still asleep when I pull into the school parking lot. People and cars are darting everywhere so the silence helps me to concentrate. I pull into the first spot I find, wanting to avoid pedestrian casualties at all costs. "Alright, we're here!" I announce.

A collective groan rumbles throughout the car. The rubbing of eyes and stretching of limbs occurs shortly after that. I shut the car off, and we all tumble out of the car after that. Jay pops the hatch, grabbing their duffels, while Tony attempts to keep his eyes open.

I can't watch the boy be pathetic and sleepy anymore, so I produce a five dollar bill from my purse and hand it to Tony. "Please, just go inside and buy an energy drink. I can't watch you yawn any longer."

"Thanks," he says and hustles into the school. Connor and Nick climb back into the car when they realize how cold it is. When I hear the second door slam, Jay turns to me and says, "You doing okay?"

It's been exactly two weeks since she resurfaced, and Jay asks me the same thing every time we're alone in the same room because he knows Tony won't talk about it with anyone, not even Jay or I, so he feels like he should try and talk to me about it. Though I understand his well-meaning intentions, I'm on the same page with Tony: if I don't talk about it or think about it, it will go away.