My Brother; My Hero

My Brother; My Hero
By Elizabeth Bisby

“Come on Stacey, wake up.” I heard my brother, Jacob, whisper.
“What? Is it time for school already?” I asked tiredly.
“Yeah. Come on, wake up before dad does.”
“Okay, okay I’m up.”
When I was finally ready to leave my brother came in and told me that we were going out my window, I guess Dad had woken up. I tried to reach the lock on top of my window, and just like two years ago I was to short to reach it. My brother sighed and walked over to my window to open it for me. When finished, he jumped out the window and landed on his feet like a cat. I followed by tossing our stuff down to him and almost killing myself trying to jump out, so as usual I landed on my knees.
“Why is Dad suddenly waking up early?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but you really need to work on your landing, otherwise your going to scrape your knees.”
“Yeah I know, I think I already did. So do you know where you’re staying this weekend?”
My brother was silent for a moment as we walked down the street. He had a distant look on his face like he was on a completely different planet, when he finally spoke he sounded like he had forgotten something important.
“Oh yeah! I forgot. I’ll ask Josh today.”
“You forgot!”
“Sorry.”
“I can’t believe you!”
“Well you should learn to. Meet me under your window after school so we can grab our stuff.”
“Okay. See you at lunch.”
“See you then.”
We parted ways and I walked into gym, my first block, and instantly saw my best friend Becky, just the person I wanted to talk to. She saw me walking into the locker room and followed me, I set my stuff down and changed into my usual blue shorts with a gray T-shirt as fast as I could. When I was done I went to find Becky, who I thought had followed me. I find her out in the gym talking to our coach, probably trying to get out of playing soccer today, but from the looks of it she’s playing today. So I go over to talk to her.
“Hey Becky! What’s up?”
“Nothing. What about you?”
“Not much, but I do have a question.”
“Okay, well lets hear it.”
“If I was to get in a fight, would you help me?”
“Of course I would! Why?”
“Well I over heard one of the popular girls saying they were going to beat me up at lunch today.”
“Why!”
“I don’t know, that’s all I herd. I told my brother so he knows to. He also said that it might be ‘cause were friends with Josh. He’s going to sit with us at lunch, just incase they do try to start something.”
“Okay, well I’ll help if they do start something. Wait, your friends with Josh?”
“Thanks, that’s great. Well I kind of am, but he’s mainly my brothers friend.”
“What! You were friends with the hottest guy in school, besides your brother, and you didn’t tell me!”
“Well I’ve only talked to him twice.”
Coach Green called us all in to tell us how many laps we have to run. While we ran I talked to Becky about why I might be getting beat up. Soccer was boring, our team lost, before I knew it class had ended. I walked into the locker room and over to my locker that I shared with my other friend Emily, or as I call her, Fishy. I changed back into my normal clothes and walked with Fishy to science. On our way there Fishy started talking to break the silence, “So, I heard that the Cassie and her gang want to beat you up at lunch today.”
“Who told you?”
“Nobody. I over heard them talking.”
“Well that makes two of us.”
“So did you tell somebody?”
“Yeah, I told Becky and my brother.”
“Cool, so you’ll have people to help you fight.”
“Yeah. Let me guess, you’re helping to.”
“Of course! You should know me enough to know that I never, ever, miss a fight!”
I was expecting that, she never misses a fight at school, even if it gets her in trouble. Fishy and I walked to our seats as the bell rang. I couldn’t think of anything else but the fight that was coming up in the next three class periods. In between classes I was given dirty looks by anybody who was popular, they even ran into me, purposely making me drop my books. I felt like slapping them every time they gave me a dirty look but I knew they could easily hurt me so I didn’t. Every class I’m in there is a popular person whose goal in life is to ruin my life.
When lunch time rolled around I dragged Fishy and Becky over to where my brother and his group of friends were standing.
“Hey bro. What’s up?” I asked nervously, while looking over my shoulder.
“Nothing really, just talking to my friends. Speaking of friends, I don’t think I’ve had a chance to meet yours.”
“Oh yeah, you haven’t have you. Well okay,” I pointed at Fishy, “This is Emily but we all call her Fishy.” My brother looked confused but he let me finish introducing Becky, who was looking at him like he was a god.
“Becky dear, close your mouth, you’re drooling.” I said pushing her mouth closed for her.
Her face turned bright red. When we sat down with our lunches Jacob had already introduced all of his friends. Becky sat across from my brother and I sat next to him. Fishy sat next to me and my brothers friends sat around Becky. We were having great conversations and laughing at stupid little things like Becky missing her mouth and spilling water in her lap when David, Jacob’s friend, looked up and whispered that it was go time. Everybody stood up and faced the group of girls that were walking towards us like they were the most important people on earth.
“Excuse me, you ladies look like your lost.” Said my brother while scanning the group of girls.
She replied in a ice cold voice, “No, I don’t think we are.”
“You must be. The spoiled brat table is that way.” My brother pointed at the table where the girls usually sit.
“Oh! Burn!” Shouted Fishy who loves a good fight.
Kelsey, the leader of the group, gave Fishy a dirty look, well to Fishy that’s like taping a sign that says hit me to your forehead, so that’s exactly what she did. It all happened so quickly, Fishy lunged at her while my brother and I were to slow to stop her, when we recovered our footing Kelsey was on the floor with blood running down her face. I pulled Fishy off her while trying to cover my nose, I can’t stand the smell of blood. Samantha grabbed Kelsey and dragged her off toward the bath- room. Cassie saw Josh and started talking in her sweetest voice, obviously trying to impress him.
“We will be expelled if we get in trouble again.”
“Who’s we?” Asked my brother.
“Me and that brat you call Emily.” She lost the sweetness in her voice and was less interested in Josh now that my brother was questioning her.
I looked at Fishy, then back at Cassie and butted in, “Fine, we saw nothing, you saw nothing and nothing happened. Deal?”
“Deal.” Cassie agreed and glanced at Josh one last time.
My brother looked over our quiet audience and we slowly left the cafeteria. Behind us I could hear Cassie and what was left of her gang threatening them to tell the principle and teachers that they saw nothing. They must have agreed because every time I walk up to a teacher I see someone out of the corner of my eye mouth the words, “You promised.” So I simply nodded, did what I wanted to do then sat back down. In the hall I saw Kelsey, she looked like nothing ever happened, except for the bruising on her nose of course. She obviously didn’t feel that way though.
The last bell rang and everybody filtered out of the school like they do in movies at the end of the year, but without throwing papers everywhere. I walked to the side of the building where I saw my brother and all of our friends.
“Hey Stace, what’s up?” Asked my mother when he saw me.
“Nothing.”
“There coming home with us.” My brother pointed at the group behind him that included Becky, Fishy and Josh.
I simply nodded and we all started walking to my house, we all were talking and laughing. As we approached my house, my brother and I led the way to my window, he climbed up first so he could open the window, then the rest of us followed. My brother warned them that we can’t be to loud because our dad will hear us, we also had to tell them he was abusive. While my brother and I packed our stuff it was quiet, but my dad must of heard us walking around because he started banging on the door. We all screamed and my brother told us to go out the window, so everybody jumped out and I went last. I jumped, waiting for my knees to hit the ground but instead Becky and Fishy caught me. We saw my brother jump out a second later, yelling at us run. So we all rounded the side of the house, but my dad is quicker than I thought because he came busting through the front door like a wild bull. I tripped over a tree root and fell but my brother couldn’t get to me before my dad did. I felt his over sized, sweaty hands grab my ankle. By the time my brother reached us my dad had pried my hands off of the tree root I had been hanging on to.
“Let her go! She didn’t do anything!” Screamed my brother.
“You stupid kids are not leaving this house!”
Jacob tackled my dad causing him to release my ankle. Becky and Fishy rushed over to help me up while Josh ran over to help my brother. When I was up I tried to stand on my left leg but it felt like someone had stabbed me, I fell on to Becky but a second later my brother scooped me up in his arms like a life sized rag doll. We didn’t stop running until we were about three blocks away from the house and I felt like ripping my foot off because every time it moved it felt like someone was trying to cut it off. Josh told my brother that we could go to his house, he also said that his mom was a nurse, she could take a look at my ankle.
We finely reached Josh’s house, my brother set me in the chair that Josh pointed at. Josh disappeared into what looked like the kitchen and came back a second later with an ice pack for my now swollen ankle. We heard a car door shut out side and Josh looked at the clock then opened the door for his mom.
“Hi mom.”
“Hey kid.”
“ I have a question to ask you.”
“Okay.”
“Well since you’re a nurse, I was wondering if you could look at my friends ankle.”
“Who?”
“Her name is Stacey, she’s Jacobs sister.”
“Sure, where is she?”
I waved at his mom and she walked right over to me. She bent down to look at my ankle, she moved it a couple times asking if it hurt and all I could do was yell out in pain. She stood up and announced that I had sprained my ankle.
“What!” Yelled my brother.
“She sprained her ankle. I can fix it up right here.”
“Really? That would be great.”
She nodded and walked into a separate room. I looked up at my brother, then at Fishy who was looking at me. She smiled at me so I smiled back, she motioned her chin toward Becky so I looked over at her, she was just staring at my brother like he was the greatest thing she’s ever seen. I returned my gaze to Fishy and we both rolled our eyes. Josh’s mom, Cheryl, walked back in with her stuff and immediately moved my foot, which caused me to scream, then she started wrapping up my foot and ankle.
Josh told us that we could all stay there for a while or over night because his mom didn’t care. My brother sat on the couch beside Fishy and Becky while Josh sat in the middle of the floor. We were all silent for a minute, until we heard the back door open and shut, a big rottweiler ran in and trampled Josh. Josh started laughing and wrestling with her. When the massive dog was worn out it laid right in front of the couch, Becky asked if it was okay to pet her and Josh assured her that she won’t bite.
We all started talking and joking around, we also decided that we were all staying the night there, at which point Becky and Fishy excused themselves to call their parents and let them know where there at. When I saw Cheryl walk back in the room she was changed out of her nurse uniform and into regular street clothes. She walked over to me and examined my ankle, then she walked away. Josh offered us all drinks so we took them. Before he sat down he went over and whispered something in my brothers ear while he was taking a drink, it must have been something big because he started choking and coke came flying out his nose. Fishy fell off the couch and started laughing hysterically at my brother, Becky was on her feet asking if he was alright while Josh and I just stared at him. When Fishy had quit laughing after what seemed like two minutes Josh looked at him and asked, “Well can I?”
“I don’t care just don’t ask her now, at least not in front of everybody.”
That’s what got me worried. I have had a crush on Josh ever since my brother has been friends with him, I was never brave enough to stay in the same room as him for more than three minutes. Josh only nodded and glanced at me, as soon as he noticed a was looking at him he looked the other way. Now I was nervous, I didn’t want him to go out with one of my friends so I was praying that he wanted to ask me out. In the middle of my day dreams we all heard a loud car door shut. Jacob immediately jumped up and looked out a window.
“Oh crap! It’s my dad! Ok, Becky, David and Fishy, can you help Stacey get into Joshes room. Josh you and me will hide out in the kitchen and I’ll make up a plan there.”
They all did as they were told, Josh and my brother flew into the kitchen. I heard the door bell ring as I entered Josh’s room, a second later I heard Cheryl answer the door and call my brother out and into the living room. I couldn’t hear what was going on so I waddled like a penguin out into the hall a bit and hid right at the corner, one step farther would put me in plain sight of my dad. I heard my brother claim to not know him and as soon as my dad reached out to smack him Cheryl stopped his arm and told him to leave or she would call the cops. My dad left, Josh came out of the kitchen and I stepped out of the hallway.
Cheryl looked at me told me that I shouldn’t be walking on my ankle, I hadn’t noticed the pain until just then. Josh offered to find his old crutches and let me use them, I nodded and waddled my way over to a chair. He came back a minute later and helped me stand up next to him.
“ You’re the same height as me so I shouldn’t have to adjust them. Sorry I hope you don’t mind but I was bored and drew all over them with sharpies.” He said while handing me his crutches.
“That’s fine, I will probably do the same thing if you don’t mind.”
“ Go ahead, I don’t care.”
“You Know what, you can draw really well.” I said While admiring his drawings.
“Thanks, I get it from my dad. Maybe you could use some other colors and make it better.”
“But I can’t draw.”
“So. You can just make lines or color in some of my drawings.”
I looked down at them and imagined what it would look like if I used bright or dark colors “Ok then that’s what I’ll do.”
“Ok then.”
Becky and Emily came out of Josh’s room and instantly admired the drawings on my new crutches. Cheryl asked how many of us like fuzzy posters, all of us raised our hands. She asked Josh if we liked the same things that he did, he looked around and we all just simply nodded. When she walked out the door Josh said that were going to be amazed with what she brings back. To past the time Josh turned on the big stereo and grabbed his sharpie collection, which was so big he had to make two trips back into his room. He also grabbed blank paper and told us that if we wanted to draw that we could. While they worked on regular paper, Josh and I worked on decorating my new crutches. I worked on making a few black and red roses while he worked on making some sort of jester with a skull where the head was suppose to go. When I had finished the stem of my black rose, Cheryl walked in with big posters, at least that what they looked like. When she pulled them out they turned out to be fuzzy posters. I can’t believe what they looked like, I’ve never seen a fuzzy poster like it. They looked almost like a mirror image of Josh’s drawings. Everybody seemed amazed and ran up to Cheryl to claim their posters.
My brother brought me one that he knew I would like, then went to go sit back on the couch. Josh sat on the floor in front of me and moved the crutch that he was working on out of the way, I looked down at Josh to see which poster he ended up with. He was working on a flaming pair of dice, I thought about how it would look when he was done. I imagined bright oranges and yellows swirling in the fire, knowing Josh’s drawings he would find a way to make the brilliant colors form into skulls. When he looked up and saw me staring at him we both immediately looked down and I started working on my smiling, evil looking, joker.
About an hour later Josh stood up and announced that he was bored out of his mind. Fishy agreed with him and so we all walked out onto his back porch, Fishy helped me walk. When we were all out there we saw one of Josh’s neighbors, he waved at us and Josh motioned him over.
“Hey, what’s up guys?” He asked when he reached the fence, where we were.
“Nothing really. Just brought my friends sister over so my mom could fix her ankle.”
He scanned all of our feet until he saw mine was wrapped up, he nodded his head and a girl called for him. He waved by and took off, my brother started playing with the big rot wilier while Fishy and I sat in the grass. Becky watched my brother while Josh joined Fishy and I in the grass.
“So what’s up girls?” Josh asked looking directly at me.
“Nothing really, just sitting here.” I replied nervously, his glassy green eyes stared at me like he was trying to read my face.
“Cool, so can I ask you a question?”
“Um. Sure.”
“Cool,” he looked down at the grass, “I was just wondering if you would go out with me.”
I felt like I was going to explode like a bright beautiful firework, but before I could say yes my brother yelled, “Hey Josh, think fast!” Josh looked to the left just in time to catch a Frisbee that would have hit him in his head. He looked at me and told me to think about it and then took off across the yard so he could throw the Frisbee farther.
“Oh my god!” Screamed Fishy, “are you going to say yes? You have to say yes! I will date him myself if you don’t! You know what will happen if you say yes don’t you?”
“Um. No.” I said completely confused.
“You will be one of the most popular girls in school, so Cassie and her stupid gang will have to bow down to you!”
“Why?” I was still confused and the only thing I could think about was saying yes to Josh.
“Because Josh is the most popular person in the whole school! Every girl thinks he’s gorgeous, there always hanging all over him hoping that he’ll ask them out on a date. Even Cassie asked him out but he said no so if she sees you with him she will be so jealous!”
“You know she wont stand for that without a war.” I said finely understanding what she means.
“Yes, but look, you have your own little army walking behind you.”
I looked around at everybody and realized that they were all my friends and would be there for me when I needed help. I looked back at fishy and nodded then stood up and joined the Frisbee game that was going on. I tried to stay as close to Josh a possible but my stupid brother always got in my way. When we were going back inside Josh walked up behind me and whispered the word “boo” in my ear, this caused me to jump. He sat his hands on my shoulders and said he was sorry and that he didn’t mean to scare me.
“So. Um. What about that answer?” He asked sounding a little nervous.
“Yes.”
“Really!”
I nodded my head and he hugged me and said that’s great, he was hugging me so tight that I had to tell him that I couldn’t breath. My brother had obviously heard me because he walked by and told Josh not to break me, he just laughed and let me go. We all went in Josh’s room and listened to his stereo while Becky was on the internet using Josh’s lab top. While half of us were singing along with the music I realized that I didn’t need the crutch’s that Josh gave me.
“Hey Josh, I just realized that I wont need your crutches anymore.”
“Keep them, you never know when you’ll need them.”
I smiled and started singing along with the song that was playing on the radio. In the middle of a song Cheryl walked in and asked if we were doing fine and if we were hungry. None of us were hungry so Cheryl left and Josh turned down his stereo and said that we needed to work on our sleeping arrangement. After we decided that Fishy, Becky and I were sleeping on the floor, my brother was sleeping on the couch and David and Josh were sleeping in his room. After we decided this we were all starving so Josh went and told his mom, when he came back he said that she would call us when dinner is done.
“Oh crap!” I said looking right at my brother.
“What?”
“You forgot your cell phone in the bathroom this morning and it’s still there.”
“Aw man!” Cried my brother letting his face fall in his hands.
“Yeah, and if it rings or makes any noise then it’s going to get crushed by dad.”
“Well how am I going to get it? You know dad has that house rigged so he can hear us walking around the house.”
“I know.”
Josh looked at Jacob and offered to go back to the house with him to grab it. Jacob said no the first few times but eventually gave up and started walking back down to the house with him. We were all worried about them and told Cheryl that they went out for a walk when she asked where they went.
When they finally returned unharmed we were all relieve. My brother looked at me and could tell that I had been scared, he gave me an apologetic look and sat next to David. Josh sat next to me and I smiled at him happy that he was okay. We all sat around talking like we had been all afternoon.
Day turned into night and our energy was running on low. Cheryl let us order pizza and we went to sit on the porch and look at the stars. We didn’t see many like always, Josh said he loved to look at the stars when he lived out in the country. My brother looked at him funny, “You used to live out in the country?”
“Yup. It’s kind of hard to tell now, but I did.”
“Wow, looking at you it looks like you lived out here in the city your hole life.”
We all laughed and talked about some other random stuff until we could hardly keep out eyes open. We all went inside and made our beds then went to sleep.
The next morning I wad a rude awakening. I couldn’t see where I was going and it felt like I was being dragged by my hair out of Josh’s house. When I was completely awake and alert I felt grass under my body and something beside me was crying out in pain just like I was, then it hit me. My father was taking us back home. I dug my heels into the ground trying to stop him but I was to week to overpower him. I could tell my brother was doing the same thing, he stopped for a moment and I was able to escape from his grip while he was trying to open the car door. My brother was still struggling in his grip and I took off his blindfold while dodging my dads flailing hand that was trying to grab me. My brother told me to run and that he would be fine. My brother is a strong guy, so I believed him and ran. I looked behind me and saw my dad shove my brother in the car and turn to run after me.
I ran behind the house and woke up the rottweiler, I knew she wouldn’t do anything but if I’m lucky she will scare my dad. My plan had worked, my dad rounded the corner of the house and saw her. When he could tell what he was looking at he turned around and ran back around the house. I waited a second then slowly walked around the house with the big dog at my side, I heard a car start and I ran around the last corner of the house and saw my dad speeding away up the road. I also saw my brother in the back kicking at the door, when my dad turned the corner my brother was able to kick open the door and he flew out of the car and landed on his side. I ran over to him forgetting that the dog was right behind me, when I reached my brothers side he was already on his knees and trying to stand up. I helped him up and he held his hands out to me. I untied his hands and he reached up to untie the bandana that was covering his mouth. My brother held his arm in pain after he threw the bandana to the side of the road.
“I think I broke my arm.” My brother had a tight grip on his arm and you could see the pain in his face.
“Um. Well first lets get you back to Josh’s house, we’ll figure out what to do there. Are you okay, well I mean did you break any thing else or severely injure any other body parts. ”
“I thing my other arm is banged up pretty badly from when I hit the ground and rolled. Other than that I think I’m fine.”
I nodded and we slowly walked back down the street to the house, I could feel my legs starting to give in on me. Before we went inside I put the dog back on her leash, it was obvious that josh bought the leash, it was black. We snuck back in, trying not to step on anybody, I felt my foot hit something and I pulled it back right away. I looked down to see what I hit and it was just one of Josh’s crutches he gave me. I followed my brother into the kitchen and he flipped on a lamp so he could see what he was doing, he turned the lams light way down so nobody would wake up. we both sat down across from each other at a small table and I watched my brother clean up his bloody arm and his leg. When his cuts quit bleeding he asked me to help him wrap up his arm.
“With what?”
“This.” My brother pulled an ace wrap out of his back pocket.
“How did you get that?”
“I forgot it was in my back pocket when I left for school.”
“Oh.”
I helped him wrap up his arm and then we went lay down, forgetting about the lamp. I woke up to Becky lightly shaking me and asking if I was alright.
“Yeah I’m fine. Why?”
“You were crying in your sleep and whispering ‘leave me alone!’”
“Oh, well I’m fine, I just had a small nightmare.”
Becky nodded and went back to sleep. I tried to sleep but it was to far away so I stood up and walked into the kitchen. I opened up a few cabinets until I found one with glasses in it, I grabbed the closest one, filled it up halfway with water and sat at the small table with the lamp that was still on and was giving off a dim circle of yellow light. When I finished of the last of my water I set the glass in the sink and went to find my bag. When I found it I looked around in it until I found my word search book and pencil, then returned the small, but somehow comforting, table.
After what felt like two hours I closed my book and turned off the small lamp, I couldn’t really see but I felt my way around to my empty spot on the floor and layed down. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, when that still didn’t work I replayed today’s events over in my head, the best part of my day was when I told Josh that I would go out with him. I love the fact that were dating now but the only thing I’m worried about is when Cassie finds out, she’ll do every thing in her power to break us up. Josh wouldn’t break up with me but Cassie will make my life miserable, she won’t be the first to, if she tries to start any rumors or things like that I’ll just tell my brother and he’ll take care of it even though I hate relying on him all of the time.
Eventually sleep snuck up on me like a cat stalking a bird and attacked, I woke up to Becky shaking me and asking me what I want for breakfast. I waved her away so I could sit up, then the events of last night hit me hard, I thought of my brother wrapping up his arm, “Where’s my brother?”
“He’s in the kitchen, he said he woke up last night and went to check on us, but he fell and broke his arm. He must have fell really hard and Cheryl is surprised that she didn’t wake up when he fell because she is a light sleeper.”
“Oh, where’s Josh?”
I heard another voice come from the kitchen, “I figured you might ask that, I was in the kitchen talking to my mom but I’m here now. What did you need?”
“Nothing, just wanted to know where you were.”
“Oh, well I’m here.”
I sat up and looked around, I heard voices coming from the kitchen so I stood up and followed them. When I walked in I saw everyone sitting around the little table that I sat at last night, but now the lamp is off and it’s a lot brighter in the room, no won will ever know what went on last night. I saw Fishy running over to tackle me, that our way of saying hello, out of the corner of my eye and took a step forward. She jumped and landed on Becky, “Well I’m happy to see you to Fishy but go you really think that means you have to tackle me?”
“Sorry I was aiming for Stacey, but she moved and you were right behind her.”
We all laughed a bit then continued our own little conversations that we were having with each other, Fishy nudged me and whispered, “So, how are things going between you and Josh?”
“I just started dating him yesterday, so really everything is fine. What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know. I can’t wait ‘till we go back to school! Cassie will be so jealous!”
“Yeah and that gives her all the more reason to make my school life horrible! She will do anything she can to break us up, and when she realizes that she can’t she won’t hesitate to start rumors or something!”
“Don’t worry, you’ve got us. With us standing behind you you’re almost untouchable!”
I shook my head, I knew that with everyone backing me up I would really be untouchable but when Cassie sees that she’ll find a weakness in everybody else, Then when they’ve all ran away that would leave me standing up against her by myself. I felt a cool hand on my shoulder and I looked behind me to see who it belonged to, it belonged to my brother, “She’s right Stace, we’ll be here to save you. Don’t worry, she’s not that good at finding weakness’s.”
I gave up on my side of the argument and leaned against a wall while Becky came over to steal my brother away. Fishy went to help Cheryl with something and Josh leaned against the wall beside me, “Why do you have to be so stubborn?”
I looked up shocked, “What do you mean?”
“I heard you guys talking, you’re worrying about things that we can handle.”
“Fine. I won’t worry about it.”
He looked down at me, “Aw, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”
“I’m not mad.” You could hear the lie in my voice.
He just shook his head and hugged me, “I’m sorry.” is what he whispered in my ear before he let me go. I looked over at Fishy who was looking back at me, she drew a heart in the air with her fingers and I just rolled my eyes at her then turned back to Josh, “So, is it true that you really said no to Cassie when she asked you out?”
“Yeah. She’s like on some other planet where everything revolves around her, I don’t like girls like that. That’s why I like you, you are down to earth and cool.”
“Oh. I’m surprised you liked me even after you found out about my dad.”
“That just proves how much stronger you are, I still don’t see why you wont let us tell somebody though.”
“Because my dad is tricky and he’ll find a way to prove that he’s not abusive and he’ll kill us when we have to go back home to him. Just give us a while, we’ll escape from his evil ways eventually, my brother promised.”
“I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I was talking to him this morning and I know what happened last night. He has no idea of how you’re going to leave your dad.”
I just looked at him and I knew he wasn’t lying, my brother noticed what we were talking about and walked over to where I was standing. He grabbed my arm and dragged my into the front room, “We need to talk.”
When we were in the front room he sat me down on the couch and he sat in the chair next to it, “Okay, I was going to tell you myself but I guess Josh already did that for me.”
“All he told me was that you told him what happened last night and that you had no idea how we were going to get away from dad.”
“Okay, maybe he didn’t tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“That if we weren’t out of dad’s house by the end of the year that we were going to let him abuse us for a day then the next day were going to tell Cheryl, she has connections to the people who deal with abusive parents.”
“Okay that sounds great but where are we going to go once dad’s gone?”
“I’m not sure. Josh said he would try to convince his mom to let us stay here but if that don’t work then I’m not sure where were going to end up.”
“We only have a week of school left. We can’t get away from him that quick.”
“Don’t worry. Everything will turn out okay, I promise.”
I looked down at my lap and just nodded my head, “Okay, I believe you.”
“Thanks that means a lot to me.”
Becky walked in and noticed the strong tension in the room, “Oh, I can see that I’m obviously interrupting so I’ll just go.” She walked back out of the room and I had nothing else to say to my brother so I went to find Josh. I found him in the kitchen standing in the same spot he was in when I left. I looked up at him but he was looking at the kitchen wall, probably lost in his own thoughts. I left him alone and found Fishy a short distance away, when she looked at me she could tell something was wrong, “What’s wrong?” She asked and I only shook my head, so she let it go. I sat down next to her and I tried to change the subject to get rid of the tension.
“So how are things going at home?”
“There fine, my mom and dad aren’t getting a divorce after all.”
“That’s nice.”
“Yeah, but if they thought about getting a divorce then I don’t think they’ll hesitate to do it again.”
“Oh come on don’t think like that. You got through this once and we can do it again if it ever comes up.”
“You’re the only reason that I kept myself together, you’re so strong, even through the toughest of times.”
“I don’t really have a choice.”
“ yeah I know, but you haven’t let your dad just push you around.”
“Yeah, only ‘cause my brother wouldn’t let me.”
She could tell that I didn’t want to talk about it so she just quit talking. We sat in silence for a few minutes until I could feel Josh standing behind me, I looked up and he was looking down at me.