Tight-Knit Family

Marvin Hits Trina

(TW: physical abuse. I'm sorry in advance)

Emma

Papa's been acting...weird ever since he and Dad broke up. Things have been so hectic and chaotic in this family that I'm not even sure my brother and I exist anymore. It's all "Marvin this" and "Mendel that" and "what about Jason?" 

Papa seemed to have forgotten that he adopted two other kids a few weeks ago. 

It was one of those days where Papa was just having a really bad day. I think it was because Mendel and Trina were starting to get serious, and he was not happy about that. I personally didn't get what the whole problem was, it was Papa who divorced Trina, and he was gay so he didn't really love her anyway, so why was he getting so pissed about this whole thing?

"Hey, Em?" Dylan asked softly from the corner. I looked at him and said, "Yeah?"

"Are you scared?"

Was I scared? No. Confused? Yes. I was really confused. I didn't know what was happening, I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what would happen to my brother and I if things spiraled out of control. 

I heard a knock on the door and ran to answer it. Jason was standing at the door with a big smile on his face.

"Hey Jason, come in." Dylan said softly. Jason let himself into the room and then sat on Dylan's bed. "So...you know how my dad wanted me to see a psychiatrist? Well, I saw Mendel, and then I convinced him to propose to Mom!"

Shoot.

"JASON? WHAT THE HELL?" Dylan yelled, shoving our little brother out of the room. "Because of you, my life is about to become absolute hell. You know what? Fine. I don't care. Just get the hell out of my room and get the hell out of my life."

"Dylan?" I asked once my brother slammed the door in Jason's face. "Dylan, what on Earth was that for? I get you're scared, but why did you take it out on Jason? He's only ten!"

"Because if anything happens to us, it's gonna be his fault." Dylan snapped. I sighed and said, "It's not Jason's fault, Dylan. It's...it's Papa's fault. I hate to say it...but Papa's become a cruel man."

I sunk down with my back against the door and sighed. I didn't know what to do. This was a scary situation, a situation that I never thought I would ever have to go through. 

Then I heard the door bang open, the force causing a plate that was on the counter to fall to the ground and shatter. 

"Hello, Trina, thank you for sending this. Goodness, Trina, I am relieved. Frankly, Trina, nice of you sending this. Thank you, Trina, I have received your new-sent wedding invitations! They are pseudo-romantic and sick! You say you'll love him until you both die! You die on May 27th at 8!"

I have never heard Papa threaten anyone before. Ever. And I never thought I would hear it. Dylan started shaking in the corner and I swear I could hear him sobbing and hyperventilating.

Nice job, Papa. You just gave my brother a panic attack. I thought to myself, getting angrier and angrier by the second. Trying to keep my composure, I went up to my shaking brother and knelt down next to him, grabbing his hand and gently rubbing his knuckles.

"Hey. Pickle. It's okay, we're gonna be fine. I know you're scared, but we're gonna get through this together, okay? I love you."

Dylan looked up at me, his glasses fogged up, his nose and cheeks red, and his chocolate brown eyes stained with tears. I gave Dylan a big hug and held him tightly, letting him cry into my shoulder. One Brown sibling down, two to go, that is, if Jason isn't totally freaking out.

I heard dead silence throughout the entire house, except for the sound of Dylan sniffling from my arms. 

That was until I heard another bang, and I heard Papa yell "Why?" at the top of his lungs over and over.

And then I heard a slap. A hard, loud slap.

"We're next." Dylan whispered, scrambling out of my arms and running to open the window. I looked to my brother and said, "Where the heck are you going?"

"I'm going to Charlotte and Cordelia's. The one place I know it's safe." Dylan said. "Come on, Em, come with me. I don't want you getting hurt too."

My brother and I ran next door as fast as we could and Charlotte let us in immediately. "I saw what happened through the window. Delia was gonna come over and ask if you guys were okay, but by the looks of things, you're obviously not."

"Can we stay with you?" Dylan asked, his words frantic and sped together. Charlotte nodded and said, "Of course. Stay for as long as you need, okay? Delia and I are both here for you."

If only we knew how long we'd be staying there...how long it would be until we went back home...