Unpromised Home

trying and failing to be civil

'in which you almost fight a cop'

The light streamed in through the tiny window adjacent to the couch as you walked into the living room with a yawn. Contemplating going back to bed momentarily, you decide to fight against your exhaustion and take a seat in the sun. Sitting sideways on the couch you let out another yawn, crossing your hands in your lap. You sit in the solace, enjoying the small moment of quiet you had before chaos broke out. Chaos in the form of two very noisy siblings.

The move to Knoxville had been mostly quiet. Vivian had settled into her university studies, as well as she could of course. Many of her classmates were assholes, but you weren't expecting much else from men in the 40's. She, of course, remained as stubborn as ever. Not letting a single other opinion from anyone squander her motivation to reach her goal.

Justin fell back into his job. Leaving early, coming back late, working himself into the ground. In the short time you had known him, it has become incredibly apparent that Vivian is ninety percent of their family's impulse control. Many, many, many, days in the few months you had been in Knoxville he came back with excessive injuries from the factory job he worked. Man were you glad you didn't have to work in those types of conditions. Not that you hadn't offered to try and find a job for yourself, but Justin assured you that he would be able to support the three of you on his own. Not that he'd be able to do that if he ended up dead of course.

"Justin! What are you doing?!" A sigh escapes you as you stare blankly out the window. It was too early for any of this. How on earth either of them had the energy for squabbling this soon after waking up was entirely beyond you.

"That's my toothbrush!" You roll off the couch. Quite literally in fact. Laying on the floor for a moment proved to be quite therapeutic until Vivian began yelling again and you remember why you rolled onto the floor in the first place. Groaning quietly, you stand up, rubbing exhaustion from the corners of your eyes.

"Well, I'm sorry!" Justin exclaims, his voice muffled by the wall and distance to the bathroom. Something thuds off... Something. Hopefully the wall, and not someone's head. 

With a sigh, you push open the door. Gripping onto the handle as though your life depended on it, you stare blankly at the siblings. A yawn escapes your mouth as they stare back. Justin with what is apparently his sister's toothbrush in hand, and Vivian with a towel hanging above her head, evidently mid-swing. 

"Ah! Uh... [Name]!" Vivian laughs nervously, lowering the towel out of sight, "We didn't wake you, did we?" You sigh again, dropping the handle and leaning on the door's frame. 

"No. I was already up." Justin quietly sets the toothbrush down on the counter. You stare at it. At least Vivian wasn't starting a fight with him for absolutely nothing. It was still too close, in your opinion, to warrant yelling at such an ungodly time in the morning. 

"Just... Throw the toothbrush out." You finally say, rubbing one of your temples as pain begins to spark in your head, "I'll go get groceries later today... And I'll pick you up a new one." Vivian nods, satisfaction on her face. You step out of the doorframe as Justin tosses the toothbrush into the small trash bin under the counter. They both walk out, heading back to their respective rooms.

You go back to the living room, taking a seat once more on the couch. The sun was warm, as warm as it can be in late September. It definitely did help that you were inside, you'd probably freeze instantly if you went outside dressed as you were. A stark difference from the weather at the start of the month. You glance at the far end of the couch, where a small stack of newspapers sits just out of view.