Last One Standing (wattys2017) (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

Just Open Your Eyes

He took my hand and dragged me down the stairs, forcing me to skip multiple steps on the way down. When we got to the living room, my eyes fell on the bulky cage in the middle of the living room with a blanket draped over it to block out the light.

"Please tell me there isn't a rat farm in there." I whispered, wrapping my fingers around Toby's bicep, "I'm okay seeing them when I visit."

"I love you more than I love my rats, but that hurts, Alex. We're going to have to talk about this and figure out how we're going to stay friends when you can't appreciate my rats." He said dramatically, feigning hurt as he crossed the room. I rolled my eyes, feeling my brothers starting to crowd around me.

Toby bowed and ripped the blanket from the cage, "I present you, Arrow."

I fell to my knees in front of the case as a whimper escaped the small German Shepard puppy with her face on her paws.

"Do you love her?" My best friend's anxiousness got the best of him as he unlocked the cage and threw the door open. The puppy tripped over her large paws a few times before climbing out of the cage and on to my lap.

"She's adorable." I picked the puppy up and held her in front of my face, "She's so cute, Toby! Thank you!" I stood and wrapped my free arm around my best friend, tucking my puppy securely in the other.

"I figured since you were struggling to find your way in life now, that you might need someone other than my amazing self to help you along the way." Toby explained, pushing a lock of my hair out of my eyes and tucking it behind my ear. I hugged him again, setting Arrow in Johnny's arms so I wouldn't squish her between us. When I spun back around to take our newest member to the family back, I caught sigh of Griffin as he shook his head and jogged back up the stairs.

*

I waited patiently on my parents bed as I stared at the shut bedroom door, minutes away from finally breaking the barrier between this entire thing being a fantasy and a reality.

As I let my mind wander to the thought of my brothers all spoiling my dog out in the yard, Aliyah turned the knob slowly and opened the door. She stood with one hand supporting her pink laptop, the other was outstretched and still gripping the knob, her legs shaking slightly at the sudden obstacle she was facing. After a moment of processing it, she brought her other hand under the laptop and carried it over to me, setting it so I was staring at myself on screen.

I look exhausted. My eyes held dark purple bags from my lack of sleep over the last couple weeks, and my hair was a force to be reckoned with; it looked as if I hadn't washed it in days.

"I just got off the phone with Anne. She says they were heading back to his room." I nodded, shifting back and forth on the bed, uncomfortable.

This was really happening; it wasn't just a fantasy I had been replaying in my head for the last two days.

Aliyah turned her tired eyes from the computer to me, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah." I leaned against her shoulder, "Positive."

She kissed my temple just as her laptop screen lit up with a notification. I could feel my heart began to pick up pace when she hit accept.

The screen went black for a moment before my grandmother's face appeared, her lips pursed and eyebrows drawn, "Oh! I see them, Richard."

Aliyah waved with a light hearted laugh. "We see you guys too."

I could hear the sound of a heart monitor and other machines clicking, buzzing, and beeping in the background. Once Anne shifted her laptop, I understood why.

A lump formed in my throat upon seeing the boy staring right back. He was ashen, his face lacking any color. Unlike his picture, he didn't have the short blonde hair on his head, but a shiny surface that the hospital lights reflected and ricocheted off of.

Neither of us spoke, but stared. He lifted his hand, attached to an IV tube, and touched the eye of the computer. When Anne scolded him for it, he dropped his hand back on to his lap with a look of awe.

"Hey there, Evan." Aliyah waved, "I'm Aliyah, and this is my step-daughter Alexis. I'm sure you've heard a lot about her the last couple days."

Aliyah speaking to the boy behind the camera only made everything more real and I felt a sudden surge of nausea spread through me.

"Well, say something." Anne said to her grandson, patting his hand. He stared at me for a moment longer, then returned his gaze to her.

"What am I supposed to say, Grandma? Oh, hey, I know this is totally weird, but I'm the twin brother you never knew of and I'd love if we could meet before I die." He snapped bitterly, tearing his hand from her grip. She shot him a disapproving look before turning her attention back to the laptop.

"Then you say something, Alexis." she ordered. I swallowed, then shook my head.

"I can't do this." I pushed the computer from my lap and rushed toward the door before my stepmom could call after me. I ran into something-more likely someone-and stumbled back before I could catch my balance.

Eliott stood a few feet away, red faced and on the verge of tears. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. A black and blue bruise beneath both eyes.

"Eli? Hey, what happened?" I tried to reach out and touch him, but he shoved my hand away.

"I went to talk to Dad abou-" I didn't hear the rest of what my brother said. I was already down the hall and throwing the door to my father's office open before he could get anymore out.

He stood with Mason behind his futon, holding a rag against his nose as he kept his head back.

"Mase, get out." I saw something close to fear enter my brother's eyes as he held his hands up in surrender and closed the door to my dad's office behind him.

I crossed my arms over my chest and watched as he slowly began to lower the rag from his bloody nose.

With a deep, shaky breath, I finally straightened out and shook my head, "We need to talk." 

***AN***

Hope you guys enjoyed! 

Let me know what you thought! Do you think Alex is going to finally snap? Do you think she'll be able to face her twin? 

~ChasingMadness24