Page 21 of Bear

I glanced past him, attempting to see into the rest of the apartment. A clatter came from the direction of the kitchen, followed by a softly hissed,fuck.

“Well, you see - ” Pedro started.

I shouldered past him, heading for the kitchen. Carlos was seated by the counter with a first aid kit scattered around him. His lip was busted and a three-inch cut sliced through his left eyebrow. Bloody gauze littered the counter.

“What the hell happened to you?” I demanded.

Carlos turned away, holding an ice pack to a rapidly swelling bruise on his jawline. The same size as a fist.

“Carlos,” I said with steel in my voice.

He tossed the ice pack on the counter and pushed his chair back as he stood. When he faced me, he squared his shoulders and lifted his chin with defiance.

“I dropped out of school and I’m taking to the streets. Just like you.”

I reared back and sputtered in surprise.

“No, you are fucking not. You’re finishing school and you’re going to college.”

Carlos snorted. “I’m turning eighteen in a few months. You can’t tell me what to do with my life after that. This is what I want. This is what I’m good at.”

“Jacking cars? Running from the cops? Is that what you’re talking about? Because you’re better than that. You have so much more potential.”

Carlos’ dark eyes burned.

“Maybe I don’t,” he countered. “Maybe you like to think I do because it makes you feel good but I’m just a dumb grunt who can’t do shit. I don’t want to be stuck in some stuffy classroom. You joined a gang - ”

“I joined a motorcycle club, there’s a difference.”

Carlos snorted again and shook his head.

“Yeah, right.”

“I’ve never heard you talk like this, Carlos. You’re a smart kid. Where the hell is this coming from?”

Silence filled the kitchen. A moment ago, Carlos and I had practically been yelling at each other, but this silence was too loud for comfort.

Then he shoved past me.

“Don’t worry about it. In two months, I won’t be your problem anymore.”

“Carlos,” I called after him.

The only response I got was the slam of his bedroom door. I sighed as I dropped into Carlos’ chair, rubbing a hand over the top of my head. Where had I gone wrong? When had I let Carlos reach such a low point that he resorted to a life of crime?

Pedro’s quiet voice cut through the stillness.

“He’s having trouble in school.”

I raised my head to look at him.

“What do you mean? Like with bullies?”

“His classes. He tries to study but he just can’t grasp it. The principal recommended a tutor but that just made Carlos mad. He said he didn’t need a babysitter…so he dropped out.”

I scrubbed at the back of my neck, feeling guilty for letting both Carlos and Pedro down. Pedro was a good boy, a hard worker, studious, kind, and friendly. But now he was stuck as the middle man between his brothers and he didn’t deserve that. And I’d failed Carlos to miss the signs that he was struggling in school.

“Thank you for telling me, Pedro,” I said.

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