THEM » Us #1

Guns and Gone

  (Warning: This part may be intense for some viewers)

Two weeks later

I pushed the door of Cooper's house open. He texted me and said I could come right in. He sat at the counter. I shut the door behind me and walked to Cooper. He didn't look at me or even smile. I finally realised he was drinking. He wouldn't do that. I tapped his shoulder. He turned and faced me. "Cooper, why?" He shook his head and took a swing of his beer. "She broke up with me. You hate me. My dad just called. My mom is sick and in the hospital. My brothers won't talk to me. God isn't helping me or anyone on this fucked up planet." I put my hand over my mouth. I shook my head as tears fell.
  "Stop drinking. Just stop. This isn't you. I don't hate you. Please stop." He put his beer down. "How many have you had?" I asked as I took the bottle away. He tried to grab it but I pulled my arm away so he couldn't reach.
  "One." He stood up. I threw the beer away.
  "No beer. Just talk to me." Tears filled his eyes. They spiller down mine, too. He opened the cabinet. Reaching for the middle shelf, he pushed boxes out of the way. Tears spilled into the counter. He pulled out a gun. I raised my hand over my mouth. "Don't." He put the barrel to his head. I ran at him and grabbed the gun. I put it back in the cabinet. I faced him. This time, he had his hands over his face. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. "Your mom is going to be okay. I don't hate you. Aislinn never loved you, and your brothers will talk to you. I'll make sure they do." I whispered the words into his ear.
  Both off us cried. His younger brother, Joey, walked in. "V?"
  I released Cooper. I turned to Joey. He stared at my face. Tears filled his eyes. He was only thirteen. "My mom isn't going to get better." He whispered. He run over to me and Cooper and both of us hugged him. "Everything is going to be alright." I whisper. We all cried together. I pulled away after a few minutes. I wiped tears from Joey's eyes and Cooper wiped his tears. I wiped mine. "I should go." Joey said goodbye and went back upstairs.
  I hugged Cooper one more time. "Don't drink, just talk or write about it. I get it. Sometimes you don't want to talk. But you can't drink your fears away." He nodded. "Thank you Violet."
  He kissed the top of my head and let my go. I didn't want to leave just yet. I stood there, staring at his freckles. He stared at my eyes. "Whatcha looking at?" I ask, smirking. He smiled and his face turned red.
  "Your eyes look like melted chocolate."
  I giggled. I put my hand on his shoulder and walked him into the living room. I sat him down on the couch and put Sinister 3 into the DVD player. I sat down next to him as the movie played. "Don't leave me." He whispered. I knew what he meant. "I won't, if you won't." I replied.
  He smiled.
  I smiled back.

*******

  It was half-way through the movie when the phone rang. Cooper got up to answer it. I paused the movie. He came back a few minutes later, tears in his eyes. "My dad is going to be here soon. My mom, um, just died." I put my hand over my mouth. I stood up and walked over to him. "Joey! Chris!" Tears filled my eyes. His brothers walked downstairs.  Chris shook his head we he saw us. "She's gone, isn't she?"
  I nodded. Joey started crying. He ran over and hugged me and Cooper. Chris tried to pretend to be tough, but he couldn't. He hugged all three of us. Tears rained over us. Chris pulled away and walked into the kitchen. I pulled away. "I'll be right back." I whispered to Cooper and Joey.
  I entered the kitchen. Chris was crying. He lifted a bottles to his lips and took a swing. He was in college, but wasn't old enough to be drinking. I stood across from him. "Cooper was drinking early." He put the bottle down and stared at me. "Really?"
  I nodded. "He tried to kill himself. You shouldn't be drinking. That gun should be in a safe. I don't want to lose you guys. Even if we don't know each other that well. Even if your mom will never like me. Even if you guys will always be ten times taller than I am."
  He looked up. "My family started falling apart when my mom got sick. It was mouths ago. Cooper said he wasn't going to tell you. He said it would be to painful for you and him both. My dad left as here alone most of the time. He got a gun for protection. My mom went to the hospital a couple weeks ago. Cooper was really protective of you. He started dating Aislinn because my mom said she only like Aislinn and Anna. Apparently Anna is dating Eric or someone. He wanted you ya know." I nodded.
  "Thanks for telling me." I whisper. He stood up and threw away the beer. "I won't drink. For my brothers." I smiled. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and we walked back into the living room. Joey and Cooper sat on my couch, tears still dripping from their eyes. I sat next to Cooper and Chris sat by Joey. He wrapped his arm around him.
  The front door opened. Their dad walked in. "I should go." I stood up and saw their dad. Tears filled his eyes. I stopped in front of him. "I'm sorry." I whispered. He mouthed the words "thank you" and walked into the living room. I opened the door and stepped outside. I turned to shut the door and saw Cooper leaning against the door frame. We stared at each other for a minute. Finally, he hugged me. "Bye."
  "Bye." I let go and walked down the driveway. He stood there watching me go. I walked towards the bus stop. I wiped tears from my eyes.