Walk On The Wild Side ♡ JEGGY ✓

♡ 2: You're A Little Too F*cked Up For A Schuyler

A/N: Literally have been staring at a blank page for Ch. 9 of Serendipity for days. I know what happens next I just can't write it down. Anyway, this is John's perspective of move-in day. It's a long one!

Warnings: John being cute with his siblings. Angst, I guess? John's a mess. Things also get a little spicy. (John absolutely needs to go to horny jail.) Mentions of abuse and suicidal thoughts. 

John ♡

❝Jack! Jack!❞

I turn over in bed, groaning into my pillow. "Jack!" 

"Get out of my room."

"Jaaaack!" My little brother, James launches himself into my bed, falling on my back.

"Oof," I grunt, the wind being knocked out of my chest. "James," I reach back and grab his leg, gently tugging it to get him to roll off me. "James, please."

"Jack, get up. We gotta go." He grabs ahold of my shoulders and shakes. "Jack!"

I can't help the laugh that bubbles out of my chest at how persistent the six-year-old is. "Okay!" I lift my head. "Okay, J. I'm up."

"Are you sure?" He doesn't move. "Are you really, really up?"

I nod. "I am." James rolls off my back, sitting next to me while I sit up. "God, what time is it?" I knuckle at my eyes, stretching my arms as I yawn. 

"It's 2:45 in the morning!" James says, excitedly, grinning at me. He's missing one of his front teeth, but it hasn't stopped that adorably dimpled smile from appearing all the time. "Daddy says we have to leave super early to get you to school on time."

Right. It's move-in day.

As much as I loved being away from home, I hated being away from my siblings. They're my entire world and leaving them with our shitty father doesn't bring me any comfort.

In a perfect world, I wouldn't have to be shipped off to boarding school because my father can't stand the sight of me. In a perfect world, he wouldn't get drunk and use me as a punching bag. In a perfect world, I wouldn't think of my siblings as my babies because I've been the one raising them for four years.

My mother wouldn't have died in a perfect world.

But, the world isn't perfect. 

My mom is still dead and my father is still an asshole.

I guess life did throw me a bone, in a way. My father's better to my siblings when I'm not around, hence the boarding school. He doesn't hit them when I'm gone, at least.

It seems like when I'm home, we're all walking on eggshells, waiting for him to snap. He usually does, and it's usually at me (for things I never have any control over). I try not to dwell on the beatings though. I'll take a few punches any day because as long as he's hitting me, he's not hitting my siblings.

Speaking of siblings, James crawls into my lap and wraps his arms around my torso, squeezing me as hard as his little body could. "Hey, bud." I ruffle his already messy curls. "Sleep okay?"

"Yep!" He tilts his head back to smile at me, big green eyes shining. James is such a happy kid. He's so full of energy, even at two in the morning. It's exhausting, but I love him. "Piggy-back to breakfast?"

"Breakfast? It's two in the morning, bubs."

"We still gotta eat, John." He whines, pouting at me. "Piggy-back, please?"

"Okay," I laugh. "What do I get for it?"

"All the snuggles!" He smashes his cheek against mine, wrapping his arms around my neck. I laugh, rubbing his back.