I See You [REWRITING]

chapter 33: sunshine

After so long of feeling like I've been living in limbo, things finally start to feel normal again. Not one hundred percent normal, but normal enough that I don't seem to notice the distance. It's felt like that for a while, but I've always questioned whether or not my mind is playing tricks on me. It's finally at a point I know that this is real. My dad's around more. My mom's not as busy with work, finally taking the chance for the six of us to be a functioning family again.

But in the back of my mind I'm waiting for the ball to drop. For something to happen that disrupts the calm, something to change the pace and send my life back into a storm instead of clear skies. A part of me knows it's going to happen. I just don't know when.

"Vee!" Isaac shouts my name, getting my attention from my daydreams.

"Sorry," I frown, and look over at him. "What did you say?"

"We were asking if Felix is coming over later," Riker answers my question as he drives up to our gated entry, leaning through the window to type in the code.

"Oh, uh, no," I shake my head and tuck a piece of loose hair behind my ear. "He had a meeting with the guidance counselor after school, or maybe it was plans with his friends...I, uh, no."

"Are you okay, Vee?" Isaac asks, turning in his seat to look at me.

"Yeah, no," I swallow. "I'm good. He's meeting the guidance counselor and mentioned he might be hanging out with Gavin later."

"Alright," he chuckles as we reach the front of the house when my attention is immediately drawn to Greyson, sitting on the front steps outside the door. "What is he doing?" Isaac asks.

"Good question," I frown, climbing out after him when he pulls the passenger seat forward and Riker jumps out of the driver side.

"Grey, what are you doing out here?" Riker asks first, walking towards the house.

"World war three is taking place inside," he points behind him, answering the question while simultaneously confirming my thoughts.

They aren't working.

"They're fighting again?" Isaac frowns, sitting down next to him. "I thought things were finally getting better. What are they fighting about now?"

"Who the hell knows?" Greyson growls, rubbing her hands over her face. "I walked out as soon as I got in there and heard them shouting. Think it's got something to do with the party dad's label is throwing and the fact that he didn't run it by mom before he agreed to host it here."

"Seriously?" Riker groans. "What? Are they five-years-old?"

"It's pathetic, I know," he sighs. "I just couldn't handle the screaming on my own."

"We're here," I hold my hand out for him, squeezing his hand tightly. "We'll face this together, just like everything else."

Riker nods in agreement. "Alexander siblings for the win."

"You guys are such losers," Isaac rolls his eyes. "But you're right. Let's do this."

I nod my head and hold my other hand out for Greyson, pulling him up to his feet before stepping into the house. Just like Greyson had said, the house is ringing with the echoes of their shouts. Shouts of meaningless words, trying their hardest to find something worth wild. Even though that thing is right in front of their faces.

I lean in through the arch leading into the kitchen, pausing to see them red with anger. False anger that they're letting fuel them, as if the reasons are of any substance. My chest dropping into my stomach when I realize just how destroyed our family is, and now it's sending me spiralling.