Through The Dark

7 - Emmalyn

7 - Emmalyn

I walked my little brother to the bus stop with my bike by my side while chatting with him about the comics and videogames he was currently addicted to and that he beat his friends at –he never really did and I knew so but I always decided to keep that information to myself so that he did not get offended- like usual. I wanted our routine to stay as normal as possible. He always went on bus to his school and I went on my bike to mine, after dropping him off.

It was our small ritual every morning to walk together to his bus stop and then for me to ride my bike to my school. It had all started because my mother had seen on the news about some kidnapping going around and she freaked out. My father's solution was making me walk my brother to his bus stop. I had hated it at the moment, but I ended loving getting closer to my little sibling. How would I have known back then that in the end we would need this time together in the morning so we would not drift apart after our father cheated on our mother and wrecked our family?

Oh, great, I have my father on my mind now. Just peachy! No, my mother told me not to hate on him, and I should not -even if he ruined our family for a hotter, fresher version of a woman. Breathe, Emmalyn, breathe.

Before even realizing it, I was balling my hands into fists and biting my bottom lip in distress. It was until I started to taste blood in my lips and felt the burning sensation of my nails digging into my palms that I reacted. I quickly looked down to check on my brother and I let out a relieved sigh when I saw he was not looking at me but at the road ahead. I quickly composed myself and decided to focus on him instead for now. I could freak out and cry and get angry when I was on my own.

"I heard the conversation you and mom had in the morning," Ben confessed after a few moments of silence, when he had already sensed I was gazing at him. I did nothing but look at him with my mouth agape. Panic ran through me and I had an inner warfare on how to react, on what to say.

His eyes flickered from the road ahead to me and then to the floor.

"Were you spying on us or what?" I asked with a slight frown. I did not mean for it to come out so defensive but it was how I felt. I did not like the idea of Ben finding out about what my mother and I talked by spying on us. That would only divide our family even more.

"No!" he hurried to deny. "I was just going to your room to see you before school and found that mom was inside," he explained in a mumble. His cheeks had turned rosy and I knew immediately that he was embarrassed.

I relaxed but felt as if we had let him out from that meeting in the morning. Well, my mother kept on checking on him as much as she checked on me. But still, maybe we should do like a family meeting or something to get things clear and whatnot. Damn, everything was just so complicated! "Oh..." I simply replied.

After a few minutes of silence he spoke again. "Yeah...um, Emma?" he called.

"Yes?" I hurried to answer, hoping he would see I was not mad at him or anything.

"Thanks for telling her not to smother me," he breathed out while he stared at me with wild eyes.

I almost chuckled at how relieved he sounded and looked like. "Oh, no problem, Ben," I appeased.

"It's just...I am not a little kid, you know?" he added after a moment.

A smirk took over my features in a second at his statement. "Are you sure?" I mocked and he rolled his eye in faked annoyance. I let out a relieved sigh. That meant our sibling relationship was going back to normal. No more hesitation when talking to each other, only honesty and support. It made me feel a bit calmer.