Bruised Knuckles

27. our only relation is blood

By the time the ambulance showed up, Aspen was able to mumble a few things to us. I don't know what happened to her but I didn't ever want it to happen again.

My mom and dad kind of pushed me to the side as the paramedics took control, so I stood in the kitchen and nervously tapped my foot against the linoleum. I wanted to cry but I don't think there were any tears left.

I watched people carry her out on a stretcher, my mom and dad following with cigarettes inbetween their fingers, mumbling something I couldn't understand nor hear.

"Is she okay?" I spoke as my voice broke mid sentence.

My dad nodded and immediately pulled my mother into a consoling hug. I watched their interaction, raising my arms like I had just given up. I did give up.

"I'm going to the lake," I told my embraced parents. My dad's eyebrow rose.

"You are? So you don't care about your sister either?" He scowled at me, holding my mother protectively at his side.

"I do, but I don't want to visit her when you're there," I told them, grabbing my jacket from off of the counter. Immediately after, I began to open the door.

"We need to do something with him. He should be in jail, not Devian," my father's voice mumbled in an effort to keep the words away from me.

"I heard that," I huffed and stepped back inside so the door could close behind me. My father shrugged and pulled his lips into a grin.

"It's only the truth, Orion," he told me with a twist in his voice.

"Why would you wish any of your children to be in jail?" I told him with heat in my voice. Why would he ever say that in front of me?

"I only wish you to be in jail," he corrected me and squeezed my mother's arm as if it were her time to chime in.

"What the hell," I angrily spewed at him, turning to face the door, "I wish I was born into a different family."

Slowly, I began walking out the door for good this time. I wasn't coming home and I wasn't going to school. I was going to live somewhere else, breathe somewhere else, sleep somewhere else. I was tired of this household and I was tired of the same people surrounding me every single day. The only person who mattered anymore was Axel.

I began walking down the sidewalk, morning birds still chirping and the leaves still blowing in the wind. I didn't have anything on me but the clothes on my back.

I stopped a few minutes down the sidewalk and sat on a bench conveniently placed outside a drugstore. I tapped my foot against the ground as I thought.

First, I'm visiting Devian. Second, I'm visiting Aspen. I'm telling them my situation and I'm leaving. Maybe I can live with Axel?

I got up from the bench and continued down the sidewalk towards Axel's house. I knew he was in school but I decided to knock on the door anyway, because I'd ultimately have to win over his parent's hearts to allow me in their home.

I reached their porch and knocked on the door three times. I saw his step mom peek through the blinds covering the upper half of the door.

She slowly opened the door with Jackson on her hip, giving me a puzzled expression. "Yes?"

"I left my house. Is it okay for me to stay with you guys? A week tops, I promise I'll keep to myself and stay with Axel."

April twisted her expression into an even more puzzled look, running her free hand through her flowing hair.

"I have to ask Robbie," she bluntly said.

"Will he say it's okay?"

"I really don't know."

"Can you sway him to say it's okay?"

"I really don't know."

Great. Maybe this plan wasn't going to work out and I'd have to go somewhere else, like behind a dumpster. I could live off expired canned food the dollar store throws away.

"Okay... well..." I trailed off and rubbed the back of my neck with my hand, "I'll be back when Axel is done with school."

I began to turn around but April's hand caught my shoulder, her ring flashing briefly in the sunlight. "You can stay here... for one week. Prom is in a few days and then it's graduation. I know this is an exciting and tough time for you."

I felt happiness fill my stomach as I nodded quickly, my eyebrows crinkling to give more of a sad affect to this whole thing. "Thank you so much."

• • •

After school was let out, I waited on a bench by Axel's house. I wanted to see him so badly my stomach felt twisted in knots.

I watched some cars go by, noticing a group of people in orange vests. I squinted to look closer at the group of people — teenagers.

A lightbulb went off in my mind and I stood up from the bench to see who exactly those people were. It was Devian. My brother.

I let out an excited squeak from the back of my throat. I could finally explain everything to my brother.

"Devian!" I exclaimed as I crossed the street to the common area they were proceeding across.

The police officers leading them stopped when they saw me running towards them, but I certainly didn't stop until the police officers grabbed their belts.

"Devian, I'm sorry!" I pleaded, seeing his head pop out from the line. He was pale and bruised from head to toe which made me wonder what he has even been up to.

I saw his head disappear into the line again, my heart sinking just as fast. I started to believe my brother would never forgive me for this — something I didn't even intend to do.

Making my way back to the bench, I watched Devian and the other teenagers emotionlessly pick up garabage and weeds. Every now and then he would glance at me, probably wondering why I was sitting on this bench.

At one point I wanted to yell across the street to him about Aspen, but I didn't want him to worry anymore than he probably was.

Axel interrupted my thoughts with his lips against my cheek, "You looked upset."

Indeed I was.

• • •

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