detention

twenty three - jake

i scrub at the blue paint, trying my hardest to get it off. i huff when it hardly budges.

i hear a little 'beep' from my phone, and i tug it carefully out of my pocket, hoping the blue paint won't stain it.

'probs.' is all kai's message had said, so i sigh once again. at least now, i have the rest of the night to deal with this.

standing back, i evaluate the mess again. blue paint stains the front of our door; explicit words and offensive insults aimed at my brother are scattered around the porch walls.

luckily, our parents are on some type of business trip. unluckily, i have to clean this up on my own.

while also watching my back in case those guys make a sudden return.

my tired eyes and blistered hands make this almost impossible, but i know elliot wouldn't be able to deal with this.

or the letter they left under the mat on our porch.

see, the letter they left described every single one of elliot's insecurities, and even though i'm only his half-brother, i know him better than anyone.

the letter was riddled with details about elliot's older brother and the incident.

the incident which scarred elliot.
the incident which was the talk of the neighbourhood for months.
the incident which elliot still can't think about without crying.

i was never very close to him, but elliot definitely was. and it broke him.

so, my (half) brotherly instinct kicked in upon reading this letter which those guys left him.

i texted kai, and explained everything.

everything except the letter.

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word count: 284
*in editing*
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