Broken Promises

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

"Rehab?"

I was sitting at lunch on Monday with my boyfriend Brody and best friend Melissa. I just finished telling them about dropping my brother off at rehab on Saturday. Taking a bite of my apple, I simply nodded.

"Yep," I said, popping the p. "But guys, please don't say anything to anyone. My parents don't want anybody to know."

I remembered that conversation – more like lecture – that my mother gave me on the car ride back home. She said that nobody was allowed to know, because if it was bad enough people knew he was on drugs. And if they were to know we had to take the drastic measures to put him in rehab, it would become an even more embarrassment. My dad had nodded his agreement.

Brody wrapped his arms around my shoulder and pulled me closer to his side. When he kissed my temple, my lips curled up into a smile and I couldn't help but shiver. It was those simple kind of kisses that made my stomach swarm with butterflies. Even after being with him since the beginning of freshmen year, it amazed me that he still had that effect on me.

Melissa gave me a small smile while twirling her loose curls on her fingers. Her brown eyes held understanding. "Of course, Sierra."

The conversation changed to one of the assignments that our literature teacher gave us that was due by the end of next week. But as they were talking about what they were doing, my mind was elsewhere. Mainly on my brother. Was he doing okay? Was rehab helping him so far? I knew he was only there for two days so far – today marking the third day – but I couldn't help but wonder if he was regretting his decision on listening to me about going. I sighed. Home wasn't the same without him.

When the bell rang, I gathered my things and held onto Brody's hand. He walked Melissa and I to class, and when we made it the door, he gave me a quick kiss on the lips, said his goodbyes, and headed to his class. Melissa and I took our normal seats in the back with a few of our other friends.

"So," Melissa said, taking her notebook out of her bag and placing it on the desk. "What made him cave?"

She was referring to my brother.

"Well," I started, turning in my desk to face her. "He didn't go without a fight. He was beyond mad, but I gave him a few words of encouragement. You know he listens to me sometimes."

She nodded, blonde curls bouncing. "Yeah, but I didn't expect him to listen when it came to that. You know, older brothers are stubborn and normally don't give a rat's ass what their little sister had to say."

Melissa was right, to an extent. Most brothers wouldn't listen to their younger sister's. matter of fact, most brothers didn't care what their sisters did or said or what their opinions were. But Adam wasn't like most brothers. We were actually close, and it was honestly because of him that my high school life was somewhat normal. He was popular, and I really wasn't. But nobody messed me with because they knew Adam would actually do something about it.

That was the end of our conversation, because the bell chose that moment to ring. Our teacher, Mrs. Florence, struts in with her normal heels and black dress, and when she took the front of the room, the chatter in the room died completely, and while she droned on and on about World War 1, my mind were drowned with thoughts of Adam.

~~~~~~

Neither of my parents were home, which meant I had the house to myself. Even when my brother wasn't out of the picture, it was always like this. Before and after the drugs.

My heart tightened in my chest as I reached the top of the stairs and stood in front of first door on the right. My brother's room. I knew I shouldn't go in there. My brother always warned me to stay out, but now that he wasn't here, I couldn't find myself to listen to his warning. I pushed the door opened and stepped inside.