"You're leaving?" Ellis questioned once she saw Ernest, Franklin, Patrick and Reuben all in their army uniforms.
"They want us back now or never." Patrick explained as he placed his hand on his younger sisters shoulder.
"Is James leaving too?" Ellis turned to face Carter who had tears forming in his eyes.
"No Ellie, my ranks lower than there's, they don't care if I don't come back for another couple of weeks, maybe even months." James explained, placing his hands in his trouser pockets and walking forward.
"You don't have to go. Pops isn't here anymore." Her bottom lip quivered. As much as she didn't get along with her older brothers she didn't want them to leave either.
"Ellis, Pops isn't the reason we went-" Reuben started.
"Of course it is. You were all scared of him." Ellis snapped. "You're going back so that you can have a purpose again. Feel some sort of power." Ellis turned and faced Ernest. "Major General Ernest Bennett." She saluted mockingly. Ernest's pale face turned red. She knew his exact reason.
"Brigadier Franklin Bennett." Ellis turned and faced him. "You hated army life. You came to me shouting, screaming, that you hated Pops for making you go." She saluted again.
"Colonel Patrick Bennett." She scoffed. "You are so smart Patty. Mom taught you how to read. You could have done anything. But you were scared so you too joined." She, once again, saluted.
"Major Reuben Bennett." She looked in his big brown eyes. "You think I don't hear you scream yourself awake during the night? The army life terrifies you. But Pops scared you more. Oh I'm sorry. Scares."
"Cadet James Bennett." She turned to face her only brother who wasn't abandoning her and Carter again. "I understood why you joined the army. And only you. You have so much built up anger. Need to let your anger out some way right?" She saluted for the last time.
She paused.
"Even though he's dead, you're all terrified of him. You all laugh and mock Carter for not joining the army. But truthfully, I think you admire him. He's the only one out of all of US that didn't do as Pops said. Heck, the day Carter told Pops that it wasn't want he wanted, I tried to join the army to take some heat off Carter."
"El-"
"Shut up Franklin." She snapped. "I'm not done talking. You're all cowards. You hated the man who you're so hard trying to be like. You all want to be General William Bennett. I mean that's why you're going back right? To please the corpse that is buried in our garden?" She scoffed.
"Ellis. Hear us out. All I want to do is make everyone proud. I came home to spend time with my family, which is all I wanted. But my family didn't want me-" Ernest ran his hand through his brown hair nervously.
"That's a load of crap Ernie and you know it! We did nothing but let you come back into our lives. It was you who tried to control us. Be like Pops." Ellis snapped. All her brothers watched her as she lost her temper.
"You were right Ellis. I was scared of Pops. I still am and he's dead. I hate being in the army. But I've saved so many people by being there. Helped many more. People are alive today because of me." Franklin smiled sadly. "Sometimes I do miss the simple things in life like farming or taking our family walks through the woods."
"So don't go back-"
"I'm the opposite to that." Patrick chuckled. "I loved the army life. I made so many new friends. So many great memories there. Yes, I completed school and know how to read or write but that's not the career I want Ellie."
"I hate army life." Reuben chuckled. "Like Frank said, we're still scared of Pops. I do have nightmares every night. About the people that I've killed. Or my friends who've died in my arms. But I wouldn't change it for a damn thing." Reubens naturally red cheeks, had tears rolling down them, just at the thought of those who he killed or his friends who died.
"Hey Ellie. You're right. I've always had a lot of anger. Still do. But no matter what we'll still be your big brothers. Now we do admire Carter." James placed his hand on his twin brothers shoulder. "He stood up for what he believed in. And we're all proud of him for that." James paused. "You can't stop them from going back Ellie. It's their choice."
"It's a stupid choice." She said as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"It's a stupid choice that we'll have to live with." Reuben said as he pulled her into his side. The rest of her brothers gathered around her, and for the first time ever. The Bennett's hugged.
~
Ellis sat at the back of the classroom in silence, as Gilbert got extra help from Miss Stacy. He met her at her house, not even seconds after the argument with the Bennett's, to walk down with her.
She began to fiddle with her hands as Gilbert read his book. Gilbert glanced up to the girl who was staring out of the window at the trees. He looked up to miss Stacy and leaned forward to talk to her.
"Ellis needs the extra support too. Not for her vocation but with reading, writing and spelling. She really struggles. She's just too scared to ask."
"I have a teacher friend from the mainland." She paused. "Before I left he was telling me about something called dyslexia. She could have that." Miss Stacy thought. "I'll help her out Gilbert, don't worry."
A/N: hey guys guess what? Ya girl got into uni!!!!
Thanks for the reads feeling real grateful right now