The Banished

Katie

"Can you hurry up!"

"School is in a half hour and it's like ten minutes down the road, relax."

Irritated, I gave myself a once over in the mirror before turning to look at my older brother Steve.

"We need to pick up Robin on the way." He snapped.

A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips, I knew that picking up Robin was as much a part of our morning routine, as alarm clocks and breakfast.

"Wipe that smirk off your face Katie." Steve sighed, "it's not like that."

"Whatever you say, Harrington." I replied, reaching up and ruffling his hair as I walked past.

Muttering under his breath, he trailed after me to the empty kitchen.

"Mom isn't up yet?" I questioned.

"I made your lunch." He muttered, tossing a brown paper bag at me.

"Is she still breathing?" I asked, cramming the bag in my backpack.

"They went to a party last night." Steve replied, "You'd know that if you weren't out until three in the morning."

I surveyed the empty wine glasses on the counter around the sink.

"After party?"

Steve shook his head, "They had an argument."

"Doesn't she have pills for that now? Are you supposed to mix those with alcohol."

"She's fine Kate." He grumbled defensively.

"I'm sure they said that about Derrick to."

Steve winced at the mention of our older brother who had died suddenly five years prior by drinking himself to death trying to get into some stupid fraternity at Ball State.

I knew that's why Steve showed no interest in going away to college, and instead chose to work at Family Video, he was scared to leave Mom and I. Even though I was only a year younger then him and Mom had our step dad John, he just couldn't shake the responsibility of taking care of us. But that was Steve in a nutshell, taking care of people all the time.

I honestly don't know where he got it from, our Dad split after Derrick died, not bothering to look back and our Mom has always had the maternal instincts of a rock, but Steve has always looked out for everyone.

We didn't say much after I brought up Derrick, in fact we didn't say anything at all until we pulled into Robin's driveway and I climbed in the back seat so she could get into the front.

"Morning Harringtons!" She chirped, aggravatingly optimistic as always.

"Morning Robin." Steve answered, putting on an air of carefreeness that he reserved for everyone besides our immediate family.

Not caring about what the two love birds were going to twill about for the next ten minutes, I put on my Walkman and sunk in my seat, mentally preparing me for another day at Hawkins High.