TROUBLED || thirteen reasons why

018.

Tristan has been home for the rest of the day. She lays in her bed tightly wrapped with a blanket and an old teddy bear Justin got her for her seventh birthday. It's dark by now and she can hear her mom and Seth in the living room watching tv. Tristan slowly gets up and wraps her blanket around her, wiping the tears out of her eyes. As She opens her door, she sees Justin in the kitchen, digging in the pantry. Tristan sniffs, continuing on and plopping down on the chair next to the sofa.

Seth and her mom are watching an infomercial and Tristan stares blankly at the screen as her mind is elsewhere. She sniffles again. "Cut that shit out. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you wail about whatever bullshit you've got yourself into. Grow the fuck up."

She snaps her neck towards Seth, who is glaring at her, and her face heats up with embarrassment. Justin walks in and glances at his sister before looking at their mom, "So do we have any dinner plans or what?"

"Good idea, get me a beer." Seth says, turning his attention back to the tv.

"If you're hungry, babe, I'll give you a twenty and you can go get us a pizza." Their mom pipes up over Seth.

"We could have an actual delivery boy come and bring it." Justin walks further into the living room, blocking the tv.

"They cut my cell phone service off again, so..." Their mom looks away from Justin and back to the tv.

Justin scoffs. He looks at Tristan again, but turns back around when he sees Seth's feet on his notebook, "The fuck. Get your dirty ass feet off my notebook, man."

"What, you mean this notebook?" Seth mocks before rubbing his feet all over Justin's notebook. Justin slaps his feet away, making Seth stand up quickly and loom over Justin, "Don't you ever fucking touch me."

"Get the fuck out of my house." Justin demands, his body growing tense.

"It's not your house."

"You think it's yours?" Justin spits back. Tristan throws her blanket off and latches her hand around Justin's arm, trying to get him to back off.

"Justin, stop." She whisper, but he pushes her away as Seth continues.

"You pay rent?"

"Do you?"

Their mom pipes up and rolls her eyes, "Jesus, you're like two little boys. Put your dicks away."

"I want him out of here." Justin says. Their mom looks away and pretends she didn't hear him, "Either he goes or I go."

Their mom looks back over and nods towards Seth, "I'll get you a beer."

She stands up and leaves for the kitchen, and Seth leans in closer to Justin, "Don't fuck with me, kid."

Justin scoffs and pushes past Seth. Seth's eyes linger on Tristan before he returns to his seat on the couch. The girl stands in the living room for a moment until she sees Justin emerge from his room with a bag and his jacket. She walks towards him as he heads to the door, "Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm not fucking staying here tonight." He says and slams the door shut. Tristan sighs and rubs her face, heading back to the living room.

She reaches down to grab her blanket when Seth speaks up, "Are you gonna run away too like you're little pussy brother?"

She bites her tongue and rolls her eyes as she goes to her room and locks the door behind her. Tristan texts Justin repeatedly for the next two hours, but he won't respond. She asks Zach if he has heard from him, but he says he hasn't talked to Justin since today at school.