Jesse, who was born mute, has moved from city to city many times before. As she does so again, she considers it pure luck that she gets in the same school as Cheeto and Lewis, two best friends who immediately take her under their wing and don't trea...
As I look up, I notice an elderly woman staring at us from her window – I don't know her name, but she's the most curious person on the planet who loves to stalk her neighbors. I shoot her a look that says This is none of your business, mind your own before lowering my gaze to Cheeto again. "It's going to be okay; you'll see." I mutter, trying to make sure my voice is somewhat stable. "You're safe here. I love you." Cheeto's fingers dig into the fabric of my hoodie as ze cries and cries, the sobs are those of someone unwanted in their own parents' home. And I can hardly bear seeing my sibling like this.
"Do you want to go inside?" I ask after some time as Cheeto seems to calm a little.
The person sniffs. "Yeah." Ze says, zir voice breaking.
"I'll take your suitcase." I say and do so before Cheeto can protest, carrying it upstairs with my left hand on my sibling's back. Shutting the door to my apartment behind us, I put the suitcase down and turn around. "Okay, maybe we should-"
That is when I notice the bruise forming on zir tear-stained left cheek.
"Did they...?" I point towards the stain and my sibling nods.
"Guess which one." Ze says in a bitter tone.
I know. Dahlia is terrible, but she would never use physical violence. "I hate him. I hate him so much." I hiss, then: "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, I get it."
~
I'm sitting upright in my bed, and it takes me a second to realize what woke me up. A scream. Intruder. I first think, but then I remember the events from yesterday and don't hesitate before jumping to my feet. A sudden dizziness falls over me as I move, but I ignore it as much as I can and run straight to the living room. My sibling sits there on the couch-bed-fusion – pure luck that my friend gave it to me as she moved in with her boyfriend – with a hand over zir mouth. Ze flinches as ze notices me approaching through the dark room and the bit of light shining through the window reflects in the tears on zir face.
"It's just me." I whisper. "It's Jayden."
Cheeto nods and wipes the tears away before lowering zir hand. "Sorry I woke you up, I didn't mean to-"
"Hey, it's okay." I respond, sitting down on the edge of the couch. "It was a nightmare, wasn't it?"
"Y-Yeah."
"Would you mind telling me what it was about?" I ask as I switch on the lamp on the table.
Surprise reflects in Cheeto's eyes. "You're... Not mad?"
Oh god. I almost forgot that part about their "parenting" again. Nightmares make you weak, also, no noise at night. I feel the anger rise within me again, but I try to shake it off and just shake my head. "No. You have no control over your dreams, otherwise I don't think you'd choose something that makes you cry."
"Not really, no."
"Thought so." I smile a little.
"Uh, about your question..." Cheeto runs zir hand through zir hair and looks down at the blanket. "Yesterday. Except I'm not sure I made it out of the house. Woke up with a bottle inches from my face."
I freeze for a few seconds, unsure if I should say the words forming inside my head. But I do anyway, putting my hand on Cheeto's. "Did he actually try something like that yesterday?"
"No, no, he didn't." Cheeto shakes zir head. "I feel like... Doesn't matter. He didn't do it."
I hug my little sibling tightly. "I'm so sorry I left you alone with them, I-"
"Hey. No. I get why you left. I'm not mad about that. I mean, sure, it sucked more than before, but... I could still talk to you. And again, I understand it."
I nod. "I mean, yeah, it was reasonable, but..." I interrupt myself, unsure what to say. "Anyway." I let go, giving Cheeto a small smile. "Are you better?"
Ze nods. "Thank you. Really, I can't express how grateful I am for... Everything."
"I couldn't have forgiven myself if I'd done anything else. And, well, it was the first and only solution I thought of."
"No, not only letting you live with me." Cheeto smiles. "That, too, of course. But I also mean... You were always there for me to listen, and right now, it's just... It's completely different to what I normally experience – or experienced. I feel like... I feel like I finally found a home."
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i wrote this one a while back actually and didn't even plan to publish it but when i couldn't come up w anything better for togay i went "why not let's go"
