His Badass Juliet

Chapter14 Nightmares, Past And Icecream

~~~~~~*****FLASHBACK*****~~~~~

"So, what has Zoe planned for her wedding dress?" mom asked, while chopping vegetables on the cutting-board. Yeah, she was actually cooking. Very rare at the Howards' Residence.

"Uh..I don't have any idea about it. I tried asking her but then she was like 'Its a surprise'." I waved my hands in the way Zoe would when she talks. Mom stiffled a laugh as she went back to murdering the poor green thing. Literally.

"When is Harry coming back? Did he tell you?" I questioned. She shrugged her shoulders as I flipped another channel on the TV getting bored of the repeated commercials.

My phone rang, as a sweet familiar country song flowed through the speakers. I smiled at the picture of me and Harry displayed on the screen. He was giving me a piggy-back ride as I pinched his cheek and he made a face. I quickly slid the green icon. "Hey Sully! Wassup?" I answered cheerfully. The line on the other end was silent. I thought that he had hung up. I checked the phone once more. The line was still in. "Hello? You there?" Still nothing.

Then what I heard was really not what I expected, they were soft whimpers, as if he'd been.......crying. "Harry? You okay there?" I asked once again, switching off the TV as I sat up straight on the couch. Mom noticed the exchange going on, on the phone and she wiped her hands on her apron and sat beside me on the couch,"What is it? Is Harry alright?" her face was scrunched up in worry. I gave her a stiff nod and then turned my attention back on the line.

"Harry. You're scaring me now. Please if this is a prank or someth-" I heard sniffing on the other side. The thought of my brother crying for some unknown reason ran shivers down my spine. He was always happy and you know the 'guys-don't-cry-thing', anyway he was nineteen, you wouldn't expect an adult to cry just like that in front of their younger sister. It must be something.....

"Ash....I love you. Tell mom and dad I love them too. I want you to live a happy life and become something even though I wouldn't be there to see it..." there was a brief pause and I took it as my cue to speak. "What are you talking about?" I chuckled lightly, all my worries vanishing at the sound of his voice. It was less worrysome than the silence. "I-its over. I'm going." I raised an eyebrow even though I knew he wasn't looking. Mom smiled to herself and walked back to the kitchen, leaving her kids to have a brother-sister conversation.

"Sully, I'm warning you, if this for the hair-spray prank I played on you-" he cut me off. "Its not. Just remember what I said okay?" His tone scared me this time. I wondered what he was talking about. "Where are you? Is Zoe there?" I heard something break in the background or more like he punched himself or a wall or something. "Don't take her name." he warned me. "Harry whats wrong bro?" I was breaking inside. His tone, whatever he was saying didn't make any sense. And what happened to Zoe? Is she okay?

"Sis, I'm...I..." he was thinking deep about what he should say. "Is everything okay? You can tell me you know. I have always covered up for you haven't I? Tell me. Please." This was worse than any conversation we'd ever had. It was never like that, even if he had brought a girl home or when he came late in the night, totally wasted or anything else.

"I just want you to know that-that I'm s-sorry. I can't think of anything right now an-and this is the end for me. Goodbye Ash." and then there was silence. Nothing else. "Hello? Harry? Harry??" and then there was a loud thud and something cracking.

I waited and waited for hours for him to come home. He didn't. Dad went out to search for him. But it wasn't long before he came home. Alone. I decided to call Zoe and ask her what the hell was going on. "Hello? Ashley? Just give the phone to your dad." a man spoke from the other end. I didn't argue or try to know who he was answering Zoe's phone, but just did as I was told to.