Baker Family

Shooting the first one

Mickey sat quietly in the passenger seat of his dad's truck as they made their way through the small town they lived in. He had given a small wave to a couple of friends who he saw enjoying their Saturday and wished that he could be enjoying it with him. He hated it when his parents took his Saturdays away from and made him do chores. He just did not know why they could not hire people do it.

They had the money after all he thought. They could hire some to cut their grass and clean their house while he and his brothers played video games, went to the mall, and hung out with friends. He did not understand why his parents insisted that they do chores.

He let out a small sigh as he saw a couple of teens on the ball field. He yearned to be with them. His mind went back to last Saturday when he and his brothers were free and they played baseball all morning. Well Ricky and him played. Dawson sat on the sidelines watching but he seemed to enjoy himself more than he did doing chores.

And after the game they all went out for smoothies.

A thought then came to his mind. "Hey dad."

Pete turned down the radio as he said "Yes champ."

He was about to ask him a question but changed his mind. "Never mind." He then looked out the window.

"What Mickey." Pete said not taking his eyes from the road.

"It's stupid."

They stopped at a traffic light and he looked at his son as he said "I bet it's not stupid." He then tapped the back of his son's shoulder and said "Tell me."

Ricky looked at his dad and let out a small sigh. What do I got to lose he thought. "Can I get a smoothie?"

Pete blinked at him in surprise. That was not the question he thought the boy was going to ask. "Now why is that a stupid question?"

"Because I got in trouble this morning." He answered with a shrug.

The car behind them honked their horn and Pete drove through the light. "True but you have been good since then." The boy faintly smiled at the praise. "You can have one." He thought how it was going to be a long drive to where they were going and having something to drink would be nice.

They then pulled into a small shopping center where the Smoothie Express was located. Pete pulled out his wallet and handed him a twenty. "Go get us a couple of smoothies."

Mickey took the money and asked "What flavor?"

"Banana." He replied.

He opened the door and said "Thanks dad."

He's really a good kid he thought as Mickey quickly walked into the store. When he wants to be he added. The problem he is also obstinate, stubborn, and hard headed like I was when I was his age.

Pete thought how he was constantly challenging his father's authority when he was a teenager. Every edict he questioned, every command was met with an argument. Pete lost count of the number of beatings he received because of his inability to submit to his father.

It was a miracle that I ever made it past the age of fifteen he mused.

Pete then saw a girl walk up to Mickey while he was in line. She gave him a warm smile as he greeted her and the boy returned a smile. He did not recognize the girl and figured that she must be someone he attends school with. One thing he could tell was that the girl did like him though he was not sure if the feeling was mutual on Mickey's part.

The two then laughed hard at something and she then rubbed her hand down his arm. Pete was thankful that Lori was not there to see that. She probably would have jumped out of the car and snapped the girl's hand off.

He was pulled from his musings by the sound of his own name. He turned to see a man standing by his car. The man was in his early forties, his features were hard and rugged, he had graying black hair and blue eyes. "Oh hey Trent, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine." Trent Sounder said with a small smile. Trent's family had been friends with his family for longer than he been alive. From what understood Trent's ancestors helped his found Baker's county. Sounder's bridge in Bakersfield was named after one of his ancestors. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just out doing errands with my boy Mickey." He replied. Pete then looked inside the shop and saw that Mickey and the girl were at the counter.

"Where's your other boy?" Trent asked.

"My other boys are with their mother grocery shopping." Pete said emphasizing the word boys.

Pete then saw a look of disapproval cross the other men's face. He muttered something under his breath about hair and makeup but was not sure what exactly he said. But it was clear that his friend did not approve of his sons helping their mother grocery shopping.

Oh well he thought.

"Oh hey did you notice my shirt." He then stepped back so Pete could get a view of the shirt. The shirt had the words written shoot the first one and the word will spread with two shotguns in the background. The bottom text said dad's against daughters dating. "I just got in the mail today. Funny isn't it."

Pete gave the shirt a look of disapproval. "As a father of three boys I fail to see the humor in it." He thought how Red would probably love the shirt actually it would surprise him if he did not own several himself. He was certain that his father would also approve of the shirt's message.

But he hated the shirt, he despised the little joke memes that he saw on the internet with the saying, and he loathed it when he heard it from the mouths of other fathers. He did not know at what point in their society it became acceptable to joke about killing teenage boys. Or why so many of his fellow Christians found such delight in that shirt. Sadly even his brother Harry saw nothing wrong with it.

"Come on don't be so serious Pete it's just a joke."

"So would you as the father of three girls find it funny if my wife wore a mother's against sons dating shirt that joked about killing girls." He shifted uncomfortably as he looked away from Pete. I didn't think so he thought. Funny how it becomes less funny when one switches out the gender. "Also what does that mean? You are going to kill the first boy who asks one of your daughters on a date? Are you okay if some other father kills your son?"

Trent gave him an impatient look as he said "No of course not. It's a joke Pete, just a joke." He shook his head as he said "That wife of yours has turned you completely around you know that."

"Leave my wife out of this Trent." Pete said with irritation in his voice. "I find that t-shirt offensive because I don't find the murder of teenage boys funny." And he could not believe that Trent who was the father of teenage son found it funny.

He then saw Mickey walk out with two smoothies in hand. He walked over to the drivers side and said "Here you go dad." He then looked at Trent. "Hi Mister Sounder."

"Thanks buddy."

"Boy what are you drinking?" He said giving the drink in his hand a look of disgust.

"A cherry smoothie." Mickey said and then took a sip.

"A cherry smoothie." He said in disbelief. "Unbelievable, just unbelievable." He then shot Pete a dirty look and mumbled something about him being emasculated and then walked off.