Keeping Secrets From Brother ✓

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

The alarm went off and I automatically hit the button without thinking. My eyes glanced over at the time and I closed my eyes still tired. Its six o'clock and I have to be at school by seven thirty. I got up and looked over at Justin. I'll take a shower first and then wake him up. I grabbed a red shirt and a dark pair of jeans from my dresser. I went out in the hall and shut the door quietly. My eyes glanced over to Ernest's room.

He already went to work. Maybe I won't have to talk to him about my job. I doubt that. He's bound to stay up until I come back home. I put the thought aside and quickly took a shower. While in the shower the water suddenly turned cold. I hurried up and got out. I tried turning the handle again to see if there would be any hot water but it was just cold.

Great, something is wrong with the water heater. Like we really need another problem in the house. I guess I know where my money from my job will be going. I shook my head and got dressed. I opened up the door and saw Justin coming out of the room.

"I hope you're not going to take a shower." I said throwing the towel in the basket.

"Why?" He asked.

"There's something wrong with the water." I walked in my room and grabbed Justin's comb sitting on his dresser.

"What do you mean there's something wrong with the water?"

I shrugged, "the hot water won't work."

He rolled his eyes and groaned. I went out in the hall and watched him open up the closet where the water heater was. He started fidgeting with it but we both knew that he wouldn't get it working. He slammed the closet door and sighed.

"I guess we'll be taking cold showers for a while." He said and went to the bathroom.

I set his comb back on the dresser and grabbed my bag to start my homework. When I went out in the kitchen I noticed all the cupboards were open. I put my bag on the table and looked through the cupboards before I shut them. There hasn't been anything to eat in this house for days. I'm either eating apples or rice and I'm having a bad day because there are neither apples nor rice.

There's no choice but to skip breakfast and lunch, maybe dinner too. I opened up my bag and started on my homework. After a while Justin came out shivering from the cold water. He looked at me sitting in the chair. I finished my homework and was waiting for Justin to get ready. He finally came out and leaned against the table in the kitchen. For some reason Justin doesn't seem too happy.

He handed me money. "Give this to Eli, okay?"

I nodded and stuck it in my pocket. "We have no money for lunch, do we?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, you'll have to grab something from the cupboard."

"There is nothing. Justin, I'm sick of living like this. We haven't had a regular meal in months, something is breaking every day, and for all we know we could lose our house in the next couple of weeks."

"That's why I'm going to get a job after school so you don't have to work."

"No, I can still work."

He shook his head. "You don't have to, Savvy. I'm your older brother, it's my responsibility."

"I can't just quit, I started yesterday."

"Fine, but if you feel overwhelmed then quit. You're only fifteen."

He sounds like Eli. I know I'm only fifteen, but I'm not a little kid. I can handle a job and my school. If Justin can do it, so can I.