"Okay, so I've got a few movies, a tub of ice cream, and my laptop!"
Justin was laughing as he fell back onto my bed, immediately taking the ice cream from me and eating it, his eyes on the ceiling.
"Babe, you can't keep eating or Coach will kick you off the team." I poked at his flat stomach as I set my laptop on my lap and opened netflix.
He agreed to let me watch a rom-com first, as long as he got to watch any crappy action movie ever afterward. It was about halfway through the movie that a wave of emotions seemed to slam into me and I broke down crying like a child.
"Han? Hey, what's wrong?" Justin sat up immediately, wrapping his arms around me. I waited until I wasn't a snotty mess to turn to look at him.
"I don't know. I. . . I think I just let myself think too much." I tried to laugh, "Or maybe I'm on my period."
"It's because of your birthday, isn't it?" I avoided his questioning eyes as he hugged me against his chest, his lips against my forehead.
"It's the fifth year without her, Justin." I shut my eyes, "I always thought she might come back home, but if she hasn't by now. . . maybe she won't. Maybe-"
"She's an idiot." Justin cut me off, "She left both of your wonderful girls. Stop crying over her, Han. I hate seeing you cry."
"I hate seeing you cry." I retorted, "I want you to move out of there, Justin. I don't want you there anymore." He opened his mouth, ready to ask where he was supposed to say when I cut him off.
"You can live here with me and if Dad kicks you out, I'll come with you. We can find a place. You're smart and we'll get dorms wherever we go and-" He rested his index finger against my lips, his eyes searching mine.
"Calm down. You already promised Hail you'd live with her." He shook his head, "I love you, Hannah. You're my entire world, as cliche and stupid as that sounds, but I can't drag you down with me. I need to figure everything out on my own."
"Are you breaking up with me?" My words were barely above a whisper. He blinked, shocked.
"No, Hannah. Of course not. Babe, I love you. I love you as much as that tool loves your sister, I just grew a pair a long time ago and admitted it to my girl." I kissed him gently, sniffling as we laid back on my bed, my head against his chest as we let ourselves get drawn back into the fantasy world, escaping reality for a while.
*
I was stirred awake in the middle of the night by the movement of a blanket. I had always been a light sleeper, and feeling the blanket at my feet start to pull woke me up instantly. I opened my eyes, careful not to wake Justin as I shifted slightly, ready to find my sister standing at the foot of my bed. Instead I found my dad, setting laptop on top of my dresser and throwing a blanket over the both of us, obviously unaware I was awake. I forced my eyes shut when I felt his hand against my cheek.
"I'm sorry, Hannah. I'm so sorry." I never got to ask him why he was apologizing. When I sat up, he was already out the door, shutting the door gently behind him.
*
When I woke up the next morning, I was surprised to find Justin's side of the bed vacant, my arms wrapped around nothing. I groaned as I stumbled out of the room and into the hall, shielding my eyes from the bright light bleeding in through the blinds.
"Goodmorning, Sunshine." I looked up, my eyes falling on my boyfriend at the table, a cup of coffee in his hands. Even more surprising was Dad sitting across from him, a smile on his face.
Dad and Justin were having a conversation that didn't involve The Talk or tear each other's limbs off? What has the world come to?
"Don't kiss me." I pushed Justin away when he leaned forward, "I haven't brushed my teeth yet." He chuckled and pecked me on the cheek, his hand pulling at a knot in my hair.
"Or your hair apparently." I slapped his hand away and turned to Dad.
"Do you care to explain what's going on here?" Or what you had apologized for last night?
"I was just speaking with Justin, sweetheart." Dad responded.
"Obviously. What are you talking about?"
"There's an extra room." Justin didn't look at me as he spoke, "Your father planned on using it for an office years ago but never got the chance, he said I could live here for a while. Take the room." I could feel shock spread through my body like a bolt of lightning.
That room had been our nursery, the place Mom had slept in after her and Dad started having issues.
"Oh." was my brilliant answer.
"I would rather have you safe under my roof then going out and doing reckless things elsewhere, honey. Both of you." He gestured toward Justin with his coffee cup.
"Dad-"
"You have work, babe." Justin ruffled my ratty hair on his way to the kitchen, "I highly suggest you go get ready so you aren't late."
*
Work was slow, it seemed to drag on incredibly long. Maybe it was because I wanted to go home and talk to Hailey about this morning and what dad had done last night. Or maybe it was because the store was nearly empty and I'd been sitting and reading from the same magazine all day.
"Excuse me, Ma'am. You open?" A grin stretched across my face at the voice.
"Hey, Mase." I knew, just from a quick glance, that he was sick.
His eyes were as red as his nose and cheeks, his hair trapped under a dark beanie to keep unruly dark curls from escaping beneath it.
"You look bored out of your mind." He commented, setting a bouquet of roses on the counter with a small smile, his voice nasally.
"Who are these for?" everything in me wanted him to answer that they were for my sister. That he had finally come to terms with his feelings and would act on them before it was too late.
"Someone special." Is all he muttered, sliding his credit card as I set the flowers in a bag.
"Is it Hailey?" I questioned, giving him a knowing look.
He sniffled, shrugging his shoulders. Avoiding all eye contact.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He teased, still not seeming to put all that much energy into it. I nodded, leaning forward on my elbows.
"Get better, Mase." He saluted me before taking the bag and heading out of the store. I watched after him, curiosity getting the best of me.
If they hadn't been for Hailey, he would have answered me directly. He would have given me a straight answer instead of a joke.
It wasn't long after that when Hailey walked in, her hair in a tight bun on her head. She immediately caught my eye and hurried over to me.
"Please tell me you still have art supplies." She looked frantic.
"Isle four." I pointed, about to tell her what happened, but decided against it. She gave me a quick smile and took off. I had just began reading an article in my magazine when she appeared at the register again, dumping everything in her arms onto the counter.
"Why are you so freaked out?" I asked, scanning everything as I waited for an answer.
"No reason, really. I just have this image I want to draw in my head and I need to get it out before it disappears." She answered, shaking her head with a small smile.
"Mason was here." I mumbled, slouching my shoulder's slightly, "He's sick."
"I'm aware." She touched her cheek, "I think I probably am too by now. We're contagious before we actually know we're sick, so he probably spread all his disgusting germs on to me a couple days ago."
It wasn't until I looked up again and finally met her eyes for the first time since she'd come in that I saw the dark circles under them. The puffiness of her normally soft and kind eyes.
"You've been crying." I stated, clenching her back of art supplies in my hand, "Why have you been crying, Hail?"
"You've been crying too." was her response.
"Hailey, why were you crying?" I tried again.
"Why were you crying?" she shot back.
"Mom." My voice was barely above a whisper. She dropped her head, a shaky breath escaping her.
"Same here."
We stared at each other, both of us waiting for the other to say something. Once Hailey realized I wasn't going to ask any more questions, she took the bag in my hands and walked out of the store, leaving a twenty dollar bill in front of me. I took it, shaking my head to myself as I put it into the register.
I should have just told her about Mason. I should have just told her instead of asking what was wrong.
*
I sat on my bed, my knees tucked under my arms as I held them against my chest. I stared at my open bedroom door, tears stinging the back of my eyes as I waited in silence. I just wasn't sure what I was waiting for.
It could be Justin, who had been helping Dad with the dishes and dinner when I got home. Or maybe it was Hailey, who was possibly hurting just as much as I was.
Maybe I was waiting for Mom.
I was waiting for her to appear in the doorway, her blonde hair thrown into a lazy ponytail as she prepared herself to walk in and kiss me goodnight. The blue in her eyes so vibrant that it seemed as if they had come from a paint pallet. The part of me that had always hoped and prayed she'd realize she made a mistake leaving was starting to fall victim to the bigger part of me that knew that was unlikely.
Mom is gone. Dad is heartbroken. Hailey is shattered. And me. . . I don't even know where I stand anymore.
***AN***
Not nearly as good as BriannaVore but I hope you guys enjoyed nonetheless.
Let us know what you thought.
~ChasingMadness24 and BriannaVore