Chapter Twenty

Siblings are way awesome.

My mother was silent as I walked into the kitchen. Her large pregnant stomach was pushed up against the table and she was eating a bowl of cereal. “How was school?” she spoke softly through her bites. The younger kids were in their rooms either sleeping or doing their homework. Piper and I had just gotten home. She watched us at practice today. Her little eyes lit up when she watched us performing and singing.

I grabbed a bowl from the top of the shelf and grabbed an orange. Silently I started peeling the fruit. I didn’t utter a word to my mother. She knew exactly how I felt about the incident the night before. The hard cereal crunched loudly inside of her mouth. I stabbed my fingers into the orange and started ripping away the hard peel. “Did you have a good time?” she attempted to talk to me again.

The peel landed in the bowl loudly and I continued to stare at the fruit. “You’ll have to talk to me sometime, Russ.”

I put the orange in the bowl and started to walk out of the kitchen. “He’s just trying to help you?”

I started laughing as I turned around. “Hitting me as hard as he can help me to do what? Will it help me to become straight, mother?” I took a long cold pause. Her blue eyes stared up at me with fear. “He’s not my father, he never will be.” My fingers clenched the bowl tightly to my hand and I walked away.

Anger was burning through each of my veins. I walked down the hall toward my room. I stopped when I saw Blake’s door wide open. He was sitting on the floor of his bedroom. His eyes were glued to the large TV in his room. A bloody intense video game was being flashed across the screen.

Quietly I walked in and stood on the opposite side of his bed. “Hey,” I said and he jumped.

“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking, Russ?”

I smiled, “The door was open.”

Blake turned and looked at the door. “Oh you’re right.” Carefully I sat on his bed and watched the scene play out on the screen. “What are you eating?”

“An Orange,” I answered with a questioning tone.

“Why didn’t you bring me one?”

Laughter bubbled through my lips until I realized he was serious. “I didn’t think about it.”

Blake sighed, “Give me yours and go get another one.”

His hand went up from the controller and held out to mine. “I’m serious.” He shook his palm at me. Finally I handed him the bowl. “Thank you!” he said relieved. “I’ve been starving for hours.”

I shook my head and started to walk out of the room. Piper tossed me another orange. “He tends to do that.” She smiled and walked into the room. “Piper go get me some water, Piper bring me food. I guess it comes with being an annoying teenager.”

I smiled at her and followed her back into Blake’s room. She sat on his bed and leaned against the headboard. She patted the mattress and I plopped down next to her. Blake put the bowl back on the bed and shoved most of the orange pieces into his mouth. Piper and I were silent for awhile. I threw the orange peel into the bowl from across the bed.

When I finally had the whole fruit out of its casing Piper spoke. “I know it’s hard for you to not have Bridger here. It’d be the same if Blake left.”

Blake looked up at Piper he smiled and punched her thigh. “She’s my homie.” His mind returned to the game.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, you can trust us. We’ll never be able to replace Bridger, but at least you’ll have someone to talk to.”

I put my arm around her and pulled her into my chest. “Thank you Piper.” I kissed the top of her red hair then released her back to her spot.

Blake spoke loudly. “We’re here for you bro, whether you think so or not. We’re family and we have your back.”

Perhaps actually being myself was starting to pay off. Despite the large black eye on my face I knew I had a family that loved me, siblings that care. It was something I seemed to always want but I would never get. Now everything seemed to be falling into place.