A Furious Chick

My Word

Katherine

"Kaleb?" I ran down the stairs.

I was in my bathrobe and slippers and really needed to find my brother to inform him of my new award. My training course was completed. I can move on. I was excited. Genuinely excited.

"Kay?!"

I found him in my father's office, opening the safe and retrieving the sturdy gun that my Grandfather passed on to my father. He began to check it out, loading it.

"I passed! I passed! Bloody hell!" I ignored his activities and jumped around in joy, a bright smile on my face.

Kaleb was swaying side to side and I knew he got an early start on a long night of strictly booze and peanuts. I walked closer to him.

"Did you pass?" I asked, ready to celebrate with my right hand man. My brother, my best friend.

"Nope. In fact, Nobody has benched me." Kaleb cocked the gun.

I was focused on his words rather than what he was doing.

"Why?" I asked, gasping.

Kaleb held the weapon up to my face, staring at me with blank eyes. The barrel of the gun was placed right beside my nose, under my eye, on my cheek. I felt the coldness that chilled down my spine.

"Because of you, beloved." He smiled softly. "Once again, you rejoice in triumph while I'm left choking on your dust. I can never outshine my darling little sister, can I?"

"Kaleb." I began.

"I can kill you right now and not blink an eye. Tell mum and dad and Nobody that their sweet assassin ended her own life because she felt it was the only way out. Because there is no other way out."

I stood there, bracing myself. I had to let him steam it off.

"A sister...a twin is supposed to be my ally. Not my enemy."

I did a quick move and snapped his wrist, the gun falling into my hands. Kaleb swung at me with his free hand and I was able to get a solid grip, bending it until he winced. I placed the gun on the desk.

"If you would like to have me as an enemy, well so be it. I am improving while you're withering away, out of my hair. I have no choice but to live this life, Kaleb. I'm afraid, even in death, it'll still be just as brutal. But I'll tell you something, brother. You ever hold a gun to my face....I won't kill you. No that would be too easy. I'd fucking carve out your kneecaps, break every fucking finger and dig a hold into your eye socket. Don't fuck with the big bad wolf."

-

I entered the bar, a quarter past one in the morning. It was quite empty in there considering it was a Monday night. I noticed my brother's leather jacket in the farthest booth from where I was standing. I knew I'd find him here. He wasn't answering any calls or texts. I just needed to see him to clear my mind. I slid into the booth and pushed my hair back.

"I really lost her...didn't I?" He asked me, staring up at the TV that had a tennis match on. He was sipping his drink. "Really lost the light of my life."

I stayed quiet and watched as tears pooled up in his eyes but he fought against them.

"Leave it to Kaleb Howard to fuck everything up." He scoffed.

"I'm quitting." I told him.

He finally looked at me.

"I have too much to lose." I sighed. "Perhaps I've always did. The moment I met Brian, I had too much to lose. And I'm choosing to follow through with a life where I wake up feeling refreshed, I eat a full meal without being on edge...I leave my children running around the house and not having to fear that they'll figure out the safe code that contains guns and knives... I believe I ought to have a good time while I'm here."

He reached across the table and took my hand. "There's is no way out."

"There is." I nodded. "And besides, the world knows that even without a gun in her hand or a bloody fist...Katherine Howard is invincible due to her equally chaotic twin brother."

Kaleb chuckled.

"I need you to be my support now." I stated. "I have Brian. My girls. This team. But I need you to stop this. I want you to be in my children's lives."

"And if I refuse?" He looked down at the table.

"Don't." I shake my head. "Because I am choosing the best for me and my family. I'll no longer fret over others and their feelings."

Kaleb continued looking at the table and sipped his drink with shaky hands.

"You go in on Saturday. You get phone access, TV access, a gym room and your own room with a spa downstairs."

Kaleb continued drinking. "It gets dark when I'm sober."

"So then go get your light back." I raised my eyebrows.

"She'd rather die than to see me again."

"She'd rather die than to see you crumble like this."

I handed the sonogram over to him and he took it, peering at my child.

"Beautiful little alien." Kaleb finally shed the tears that's been brewing.

I laughed and rubbed his knuckles.

"You got me. As long as you got yourself, I got you. You have my word." I kissed his hand.

"Howard's don't break their word." He reminded me.

"Not planning on it." I shrugged.