Strings Attached

Chapter One

"You know that this isn't your responsibility, right? I am supposed to be taking care of you and the boys, not the other way around," Lucy comments. "Cody, I don't want you to forget to live for yourself too."

I shrug awkwardly, unable to find the right words to say. My brothers, my responsibility. Lucy is the one who really gave up everything; at twenty-five, she left her life in New York City behind in order to raise her older sister's children in a small town located in Oregon.

She wants me to live for me, but how can I do that when I don't know who I am anymore? All I know for certain is that I am Austin and Elliott's sister, so that's what I'm going to be to the best of my ability. I would never be able to live with myself if anything happened to them too.

Before Lucy can say anything else, Elliott comes bounding the stairs, his red Jansport already slung onto his shoulders. He's wearing his favorite Star Wars shirt despite the fact there's a small hole on the right sleeve. "I'm ready," he announces.

"Morning, El," I grin. "Why don't you seat down and I'll make you some cereal?"

"Cheerios?"

I nod. Lucy and I watch in amusement as Elliott rushes to his spot at the table. By the way he ravenously attacks the bowl of cereal I place in front of him, you'd think we never feed him. He doesn't even object to me ruffling his shaggy curls because his mouth is stuffed with Cheerios.

Heavy thudding travels down the stairs. Austin lazily walks into the kitchen wearing a nice pair of jeans and blue shirt—for someone who says he doesn't care, he cleans up nicely. His brown hair, which used fall across his forehead and reach the nape of his neck, is now cropped short because he insisted it made him look older. The truth is, it really does, making him look like he belongs in high school; he had a large growth spurt over the summer, transforming him from a baby-faced eighth grader to someone who looks like he should be a sophomore or a junior. Austin shot up, surpassing me in height, and filled out from playing soccer nonstop. His features are starting to become more defined, causing him to look exactly like Dad.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Are you ready for school?" I ask brightly, smirking at the unamused expression on his face. "Aw, did someone wake up on the wrong side of the floor?"

Scowling, Austin tells me, "You know, Cody, if you were as half as funny as you think you are, you'd be hilarious." He pulls out a chair at the table, slouching the instant he sits in his chair, and begins shoveling food in his mouth. I am still amazed at how much my brothers can eat; these days, I barely have any appetite.

Lucy has picked up this detail too. "Why don't you grab something to eat before you go to school as well, Cody?" Her blue eyes are watching me like a hawk, searching for even a ghost of telltale sign that something is wrong with me. I know she's afraid at failing at this whole parenting thing—she doesn't want to let her big sister down by failing her children. She desperately wants to be Lucy Bennington, aunt extraordinaire.

I polish off my coffee before meeting Lucy's gaze. "I ate earlier," I lie easily. Before, I wasn't much for lying and wasn't very good at it, and I'm scared at how quickly that's changed.

She looks skeptical but push the issue any further in front of my brothers. I flash her a smile as an attempt to assure her that I'm okay, or at least, that I'm not currently doing or am going to do something stupid and reckless. The tension coiled in her thin shoulders eases slightly.

Checking the clock, I say, "Well, it's time to get going. C'mon boys, let's go."

Elliott jumps out of his seat, ready to spring into action, a smile appearing on his face. The dimple on his left cheek pops out, and I can't help but smile back at him. Austin slides out of his chair in one fluid, semi-sulky motion with significantly less enthusiasm, but at least the scowl that seems to have tattooed itself onto his face over the past few months has momentarily vanished. There is a faint upward turn of the corners of his mouth as he takes in Elliott's excitement, unless my eyes are deceiving me. Elliott notices it too and his smile deepens, glad to have his happy older brother back instead of the moody model that's been around lately.