Mother Cut

11: Jen and Violet Part I

11: Jen and Violet Part I

       Will Byers is officially declared missing the next morning. Jen hears Alex cry in her room during breakfast.

   Jen sits alone, staring at cold bacon that she no longer wants to eat. She's nauseated. Hearing her sister cry doesn't make things better. Alex isn't one for the theatrics of emotions.

   Jen pushes the plate away.

   Jen sits in silence for awhile trying not to gag as she listens to the cries from her sister fade. And Alex eventually comes out. And when she does, Jen sits up a little more. She clears her throat as her eyes meet Jen's, "I'm, uh, skipping out on school today. Jonathan called when you were in the shower. Will's.. Yeah. Anyway, we're going looking for him today, so, I probably won't be home."

   Jen breathes. "That's fine with me."

   Alex pauses over the cold bacon, her eyes are all red and cheeks blotchy. "Yeah?"

   Jen hums, fingering at the frayed edge of her jean overalls pocket. "Uh, yeah. I have plans tonight."

  "You do?"

   "With a baby."

   Alex suddenly glares at the younger girl of the two and Jen had almost felt bad for going against her odds—The Byers mean a lot to her older sister, apparently. "Steve's baby. He's busy tonight."

   Alex scoffs, "you are fucking something else."

    Jen's chest gets tight. "Don't act like you care, Alex. We stopped being sisters months before mom died. Move on. I shouldn't be taking care of you, I'm the younger sister, not older."

    They don't talk after that. They don't ever really talk.

   Jonathan picks up Alex. Jen decides to stay home from school today too. (Oddly enough.)

    She stays home till Steve comes knocking on her door. She can hear little baby babbles with him. Jen panics for a moment, just a moment. "Jesus.. Shit, okay."