'Dysfunctional: not operating normally or properly'
That was one way to describe Clara Campbells family. Dysfunctional; not operating properly. That was just what happened when your older siblings leave you.
Or that's what Clara had always believed...
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| Elias Campbell |
Sitting down in the living room I had slept in for most of my life, I realized that it wasn't just me that had been dealing with shit. Clara had been the one having to pick up everything we had left behind. She was the one that had done it all for us.
I had disappeared from her life. I left when I was 18, and I regret that day every time I think about it. For 3 years, I have regretted it. In all reality, the way I left had nothing to do with Clara, she was just someone I believed I couldn't live with, when she couldn't live with the person I had become, right in front of her innocent eyes.
| Flashback to 3 years ago |
I stepped into the apartment, sighing at the mess that had been made. For some reason, whenever we all left the apartment, mom was usually left with Clara, and occasionally Caleb, and there was always a mess found. Now, being the eldest, I had to clean it all up whenever I had the time.
Not only was I juggling a job, and looking after three younger siblings, I was in my final year of high school, while Clara had only just started high school. None of this had been fair on me, none of it.
Just as I dropped my bags on the table, Clara came running out of the bedroom we had all had a few years in, tears streaming down her face. I sighed, knowing this would be a long night of tears and screaming.
"What Clara?" I didn't miss the flash of hurt that crossed her eyes, as she skidded to a stop, not coming any closer, like she usually would. "Doesn't matter" she muttered, before turning her back on me, and quietly sulked back to the room.
I didn't need to know what had happened between her and Colton, because it usually was her fault. She would annoy him till he had had enough of her, and probably locked her out of the room. I didn't know how wrong I actually was.
Right as I started to unpack the grocery bags I had bought for the week, I heard another patter of feet. I didn't bother to turn around until I saw that it was Caleb, who stared at me. I huffed in annoyance, before he started to say what he had to say to me.
"Eli, Ara wanted to tell you but she told me that she couldn't, so I came to tell you that she's hurting. She needs your help, cause if Aust was here, she would go to him, but he's not here so she needs you. She really really needs you, Eli"
Just another thing I had to do. "I'll be in soon" I murmured as I heard him walk away. The faint sounds of someone sobbing didn't faze me one bit, rather being put to the back of my mind as I got to cleaning up the kitchen.
I was so used to being overlooked by my parents, even my own siblings, that now that I was the call of help, I didn't know what to do. I wasn't as good as the older ones, and I wanted to seem tough like them, and that meant no little siblings hanging off of my arms.
