If We Could See Tomorrow

Chapter 2 - The Deal

I stared at the boy, I was sure I looked as shocked as him. Thankfully, the boy didn't seem scared, which was strange, because everyone would be scared if they saw a random stranger hidden in their closet. But the boy looked... Amused. Maybe he was happy because he could now convince everyone that there is a monster in the closet.

I didn't know who exactly he was, but I was sure he wasn't my Axl. Axl's cheekbones were higher, his jaw was stronger. He had green eyes, not blue like this boy's. And his lips were fuller than his. Most importantly, this kid looked a lot younger than 15. He was 6 or 7.

"Hi," I breathed, whispering. "My name is Luna. What is yours?" I was trying to gain this child's trust before he called Stephen. He first hesitated. He took a step back and eyed me from bottom to toe. I then remembered how horrible I looked. "Stuart." he answered with a cute, little voice. "Stuart Bailey." So, as I guessed before, this boy was Axl's half brother.

Just as I was trying to decide what to tell him next, a man's voice boomed from the corridor. "Stuart!" Not just a man, the asshole who didn't let me get inside the house, Stephen Bailey. "Stuart, where are you?"

I was about to open my mouth and tell him to be quiet, but then I found out that he wasn't really eager to go back to his father. He hurriedly tried to get inside the closet, pushing me back as he did so.

I first didn't understand why he was hiding, and thought he was just being naughty and playing a game with his dad. Then, it clicked. This guy was a monster, I knew that he always beat Axl. He beat Stuart too. The boy was now scared. He wasn't scared that he saw a strange, creepy-looking girl hiding in the closet, he was scared that his father was searching for him.

I stepped aside and pulled him inside, then quickly closed the door. We were both quiet after that...
Stephen boomed into the room, taking steps strong enough to shake the house. He stopped for a minute. I and Stuart were so quiet, all that can be heard was our breathing. "Stuart?" He started walking in the room, and it sounded like he was inspecting it. "Are you under the bed again?" There was a painful silence. "I remember telling you what kind of a punishment you will receive if you hid under the bed one more time, don't you remember?"

I bent down and quietly put my eye on the key hole. The lights were turned on. Stephen was kneeling, looking to see if Stuart was under the bed. It was a perfect moment to burst out of the closet and kick him in the back, but I stopped myself. He straightened his back, and looked around. "Stuart?" I felt Stuart's body tremble next to mine, and my heart ached for him. "I want you to stop playing this game, or..."

Stephen turned towards the window, seeing the curtains fly. The window was still open. He looked out the window, trying to figure out if Stuart jumped out and ran away. He then scoffed, and stormed out of the room. Stuart gave out a breath and relaxed, then I opened the door and he quietly stepped outside. "Is that your dad?" I whispered, and he nodded.

"Look Stuart..." I whispered, "I came here looking for your brother, Bill. Do you know where he is?" His eyes widened when I mentioned Bill's name, and I wondered what was wrong. "N-No you can't." he whispered, stuttering. I furrowed my eyebrows. What did this mean now? "Dad kicked him out of the house last week, because his hair was too long."

This time it was my turn to widen my eyes. I gaped in shock, and Stuart kept looking at me with innocent eyes. "T-Then where did he go?" I whispered, still not being able to accept the truth. He shrugged. "I don't know. He might have gone to Don or Jeff. But he'll come back after he gets his hair cut. That's what mom told me."

I sighed, feeling my chest narrow. So, this was it? No one even knew where he was? This couldn't be the end. I was going to search for him, and I was going to find him. "Alright, I guess I should go then." I whispered and stepped out of the closet. "Why don't you stay here?" he asked, and I smiled. "I can't. I need to go." He frowned and looked at his feet. I could see how disappointed he was. He then said something unexpected: "Take me with you."