Babysitting the Bad Boy's Brother

Hey hey hey arms length distance! Middle school dance! Leave room for Jesus!

Going against all of the mental warnings in my head, I've been visiting Skylar. Every day, to be exact.

Every time I walk into that hospital, I nearly throw up. My head spins and I can't breathe, but I push through because for some reason I suddenly feel the need to be a good person.

Being a good person is pretty shitty if you ask me.

Skylar and I don't have much to talk about, but I sit with him and Devon every evening. His parents are usually with him all day, and they leave to go have dinner while we hang out with him.

I don't know how much his parents have told him about what happened last year and over the summer. I'm not sure how much they themselves know- I'm sure the prodigal son wouldn't want to tell his uber-proud parents that, yes, he too is a shitty human being.

If they have told him about some of the things that happened, he hasn't said anything or made it obvious. He also hasn't asked about my mom, so he probably knows. He'd always tell me that he adored her.

Sometimes, me and the two boys all watch TV, sometimes we order food, or sometimes we just sit and talk. We've played Cards Against Humanity a few times, which was pretty fun and not nearly as awkward as I suspected it would be. Being with them feels like reuniting with family. It feels like we've all been best friends for as long as I can remember.

Devon has been giving me rides to and from the hospital, which is good, because I definitely wouldn't follow through if I was driving myself.

"Do you think he's going to rememberer soon?" Devon asks me.

"I'm no doctor, Devon. I have no idea."

"Yeah."

"Watch it play out like the movies. Where Skylar remembers everything but pretends to not because he's manipulative."

Devon shoots me a look. "Are you always this paranoid and pessimistic?"

"Uhhhh yes?"

Devon pulls up to my house.

"Claire, I think you just need to stop seeing the worst in.." He pauses. "Who's the dude sitting on your porch?"

I haven't felt my heart race like this since what feels like forever ago. I hold my breath, my eyes darting to the porch steps. Part of me suspects who it might be, but I feel fear course through my body anyways. Will I ever be rid of this lingering fear? Even in my own home?

"Is that..."

"He's my neighbor." I quickly spit out.

Devon nods, a dark look crossing his face. I pretend to ignore it. "I didn't realize you were.."

"We aren't anything." I snap, "I babysit his brother." Devon nods again. "Thanks for driving me." I gather my things and let myself out of his SUV, having to nearly jump down from the height.

"Should I walk you in?" His eyes stay straight on the dark haired boy, still sitting on my steps.

Definitely not. "No, but thanks though. Have a nice evening." I slam the door shut and stand there for a few seconds, yet Devon doesn't move. I raise my eyebrows and give him a small wave, and without much expression Devon slowly backs out of the driveway. When I see him driving away, I then choose to acknowledge Alec.

Well, sort of. I turn on my heel and walk up the steps, straight past him as if he isn't there. As I pass, I mutter out a, "Funny seeing you here."

He stands up behind me. "I feel like I have some explaining to do.."

"What could you possibly need to explain?" I question with faux innocence as I aggressively jam my key into the door. It doesn't go all the way in, so I have to keep shoving it into the key hole until it loosens.