Team Kieran and Rob

Kieran was sure he’d upset Rob because Rob refused to go out and play with him. Rob said he was sixteen and didn’t play in the park anymore. Kieran was sure there was more to it than that because last week Rob was happy chasing Lianne around and catching her.

‘What can we do today then, Rob?’ he asked.  Dad was away, mum had left home and Kieran was Rob’s responsibility that day.

‘You can tidy your room,’ said Rob, realising that he sounded more like a father than a brother.

‘My room is tidy and clean,’ said Kieran. ‘No plates, mugs or soggy balloons under my bed.  And all my books are in alphabetical order and my Doctor Who figures are all dusted and lined up in a row.’

Rob looked angry. ‘I’ve told you not to go into my room. Don’t go raking around in there.’

‘One of my cars was missing. I’ve got forty-three cars and my red Ford Escort wasn’t there when I did my weekly reorganisation. I thought you’d maybe borrowed it.’

‘Borrowed a toy car? What would I do that for?’

‘Maybe you wanted to play with it.’

Rob laughed but it wasn’t his friendly big-bro laugh. It was his mocking laugh and Kieran didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit. His eyes teared up.

‘Hey wee man, what’s wrong?’ asked Rob.

‘We’re growing apart,’ said Kieran.  He’d heard his mum say that to her boyfriend before he vanished.  He wasn’t sure what it meant exactly, but he somehow sensed it was right in this situation.

‘No, we’re not. We’re still Team Rob and Kieran.’

‘No, we’re not,’ said Kieran. ‘We’re Team Kieran and Rob.  Cute one goes first.’

‘Did you find the missing car?’

‘Aye, it was on your bedside table.’

‘Was it? What was it doing there?’

‘I must’ve left it there when I came through to see you on Tuesday night. You were having the bad dream about the day mum was taken away, and I heard you.’

‘I didn’t know you’d come in.’

‘You’d stopped shouting out and were sleeping calmly, so I just tucked you in and went back to bed,’ said Kieran. ‘I think I laid my car down then.’

Rob teared up slightly. ‘You came through to see I was all right?’

‘Aye, Team Kieran and Rob, remember?’

‘Come on you, get your jacket,’ said Rob. ‘Let’s go to the swing park.’