Homecoming

Warning Signs

"May I come in?" Janet asked poking her head through the crack in my bedroom door. I patted the left side of the bed, which was still partially made up since I only slept on the right side, and she came in flopping down next to me. "I'm sorry.... about last night."

I looked over at her. She was glancing out the window but when she turned to look at me, tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"You don't have to cry," I tried to reassure her. "I'm not mad. I know you just want everyone to be happy. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"I get where you were coming from..." She sat up, fiddling with her fingers. She didn't finish her sentence and I could tell there was something she was holding back from me.

"Janet what is it?" I asked.

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "Michael is spiraling out of control, doing things he wouldn't have done if you were around and I'm afraid for him. We all are."

This was typical of Michael. He would always do stuff that he knew would get my attention and it worked every time. The only thing that was different, was the fact that Janet seemed genuinely concerned about her brother.

"So," I paused, trying to figure out how not to sound inconsiderate. "What exactly does this have to do with me?"

That sounded very inconsiderate.

"Well," She gave me a sly smile and I knew what she was about to get at. "I, along with everyone else, thinks that you should go talk some sense into him!"

I let out a long exaggerated sigh before giving her a hard 'NO.'

That's how our day went from that point on. Janet begging me to talk to Michael and me telling her no as nicely as I can but by the time evening rolled around, I was just about ready to hurt her feelings.

Right as I opened my mouth to give her a decent cursing out, she held her hand up. "Before you even start, lets call mother and see what she says."

"Katherine would never tell me to do something I was dead set against doing." I stated, following her to phone. "Maybe you can learn something."

She smirked at my comment and proceeded to dial home, putting the phone on speaker so we could both hear.

"Hello?"

"Hey momma!" Janet beamed at the sound of her mothers voice. "It's me, Janet and I'm here with Kennedy."

"Oh, Hey! How are you two lovely ladies doing?"

"Good Mother," Janet answered. "I just called to see if you spoke to Michael today."

"I did as a matter of fact." She explained. "He came to see me. Said he was coming from New York and headed back home but wanted to stop in and say Hi. I don't know what to do about him anymore. He's my baby and I want to do what I can to help him, but there's nothing I can do."

I could hear the sadness in her voice which nearly broke my heart. She sounded tired and I just wish I was there to comfort her the way she was for me many many times.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

When Michael acted out, no one bothered to check him on the shit he was doing. Now, hearing it from Katherine, I was curious as to what was really going on with him.

"He's been getting drunk out of his mind," Janet spoke up. "Randy just bailed him out of jail last week for causing a scene at a bar and assaulting the bartender. He's also been strung out on something, we don't know what exactly, but it's more than just alcohol."