“That sounds boring,” Ty pronounced. “Can I go wake up Otter?”
“Yeah, sure. As a matter of fact, make sure you jump on him and hit his face with the pillow okay? That’s the only way that Otters wake up.”
Ty took another bite, then left the table again. Creed turned to me, eyebrows raised. “I take it you haven’t said anything yet.”
I shrugged. “He just woke me up a few minutes ago. I haven’t had time to do much of anything.” I heard a roar from the living room, then Ty’s high-pitched laughter.
“Do you want us to be here when you do?” Creed asked, putting his hand on my arm.
“I guess. I’d think it was better if all of us were here, don’t you? That way he’ll see that he still has us.”
“Okay,” he said, getting up. “I’ll go get Anna. It’s probably best we do this now.” He started to walk toward Anna’s room. I looked down at my hands, once again wondering what the hell I was about to do. “Hey, Bear?”
I looked up and saw Creed standing near the entryway.
“Happy birthday, dude. I’m sorry it has to be like this, but, you know. Happy birthday.” I nodded, and he went to Anna’s room.
I was only alone for a couple of seconds when I heard Ty’s laughter pouring down the hallway as Otter entered, carrying the Kid upside down.
“Put me down, Otter!” the Kid shrieked.
“You going to hit me again with a pillow?”
“No!”
“Promise?”
“Yes!”
Otter set him down in his chair. He then came around the table and stood beside me. He put his hand on my shoulder. I let it sit there for a second until I remembered where I had found myself upon waking. I shrugged it off.
“You okay, Bear?” he asked, not moving from my side.
“I’m fine,” I said gruffly, trying my best to avoid his eyes. “I wish people would stop asking me that.” And I wish you would go away, I finished in my head.
“Bear,” he said warningly.
“Oh, knock it off, Otter. I’m not going to do anything stupid.”
“I didn’t say you were,” he shot back. “God, you’re just some kind of fun in the morning, aren’t you?” And even though he didn’t mean it in that way, I still took it as an intimate thing, a secret thing, shared just between us, two false lovers who see each other first thing as the sun rises. I bet he made me sleep that way. I sure as hell know I didn’t have anything to do with it. I’m not like that, and I thought Otter wasn’t either. I don’t care if he is, but I know who I am. Besides, I don’t need that kind of aggravation right now. But not that it would matter, because I’m not. I grinned sickly.
“What you guys fighting about?” the Kid asked. I’d forgotten he was there. I glanced up at him and saw he had a marshmallow stuck to his cheek. I reached across the table and took it off.
“We’re not fighting, Ty,” I said quietly. “That’s just the way grown-ups talk some times.”
He looked back and forth between me and Otter. “Bear, just because you’re eighteen now, doesn’t mean you’re a grown-up,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Yes, it does,” I snapped, trying to direct my anger anywhere but at Ty, but not succeeding. He didn’t even flinch. Instead he took another bite and glanced casually back at Otter.
“You’re right. Bear isn’t much fun in the morning. I think it’s because you don’t make a very good pillow,” the Kid said. Oh goddammit! My face burned. I covered it with my hands.
“I think you’ve got that one right, Kid,” Otter said softly. I knew he was looking at me. “Otters don’t make very good pillows.”
I lowered my hands and was about to say something, anything, when Anna and Creed walked back in the room. I got up quickly and walked over to Anna, catching her by surprise. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly. I could feel her soft body against mine and was pleased when I started to get turned on a little bit. Pleased, until I saw my gaze trapped on Otter’s over Anna’s shoulder, his expression unreadable. He was the first to look away.
Good, I thought savagely. Good. Good.
“Um, Bear?” Anna said. “You’re kind of choking me.” I realized I had been squeezing her harder and harder until Otter had finally turned away. I let go of her, and she peered over at me with concerned eyes.