My Brothers

Chapter 54: Playing In Rain

E T H A N

"Are you okay?" I asked Cathy as she got inside the car.

"Yeah," She muttered. "But Ev's not. I'm really worried for her."

"Do you know what happened?" Andrew asked, Evanna's head dropping onto his shoulder. He was trying to hold her up the best he could.

"No, I don't know..." Cathy said. "She was standing on the sidewalk while it was pouring and just staring at nothing and when I found her she started sobbing and then she fainted..."

"What was she doing there?" Brandon mumbled. "That could've been dangerous... Ethan, will be be okay?"

I sighed, tapping the steering wheel. "She's fainted before... usually it never took medical treatment so if it gets really bad again we'll get her to the doctor. But until then let's just take her home."

"Cathy, what's your address—"

"I'm coming with you," Cathy said. "I'm not leaving Ev alone until I see her safe and okay."

Alex and Daniel were stuck in the back, and I could still feel the awkward tension between Alex and Cathy. He was sitting right behind her and I could see him staring at her.

She was holding onto Evanna's hand, concerned. "Does she always faint? I'm worried. She must also be really cold... I couldn't keep her from the rain, my umbrella was too small."

"Hey, it's okay," Andrew said. "At least you were there. Thanks for staying by her side."

"And you must be just as cold as she is," I told Cathy. "You're drenched in rain."

"I was too busy worrying about her I completely forgot I had my umbrella—" Cathy froze. "My umbrella. I-It's not here... I must have left it—"

"Can't you just get a new one?" Alex mumbled.

Cathy must've heard. "My mom gave it to me. Before she died. It was one of the few things that survived the fire."

"Oh... I'm sorry..." Alex said quietly.

"I'll... look for it later. After Ev wakes up," Cathy said, sighing.

I wondered to myself as I drove. Is there any family that's perfectly fine? No problems, both parents that love each other, loving siblings, no worries... That seemed like an impossible dream.

I know I shouldn't dwell on it but how my mother told me I was a "mistake" and how she didn't even want me kept lingering in my head.

I never let that get the best of me but it hit me that this time she was being serious and she was actually going to leave for good.

She was never like this. I guess Mike had that much of a bad influence on her. Which pissed the fuck out of me.

"Ethan, pay attention to the fucking road," Brandon snapped, punching my arm as a car honked and whizzed past us.

I snapped out of my thoughts and focused on where I was going. "You didn't have to hit me."

"You could've killed us."