One of Nine

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

The blizzard lasted for three days. Snow fell like it was never planning to stop, winds howled, making the windows rattle and the old house creak.

I was growing tired of sitting around. When we first got here I didn't mind being away from home. It was kind of nice not having to go to work or worry about money. I had all the booze and cigarettes I could ask for. I had Juniper. I was okay, then.

Now, I just want to leave. I couldn't give two fucks as to why we're here. All I gave two fucks about is getting out and going home.

I was sitting on the window seat in my room. Breakfast would be starting soon, but I really didn't want to go down there. I glanced out my window, down to the ground three stories away. I would kill a man to be able to go outside right now, but the snow had been piling higher and higher and was now three feet high. No one in their right mind would go out there. Good thing I was never in a right state of mind.

My boots were loud on the steps as I descended the two floors. As I passed the dining room I saw Juniper sitting in there.

"Hey Juju," I said walking into the room, taking a small detour before my outdoor excursion.

She grunted a response without looking at me.

I tugged at her hair gently. That was how I used to get her attention when we were kids.

"Whatcha' doin'" I asked as I walked around the table to sit across from her.

"None of your concern," she whispered, the pen scratching across the paper.

"Come on tell me!" I pleaded

"Junius," she finally looked at me. "I say this with love. Go away."

I sneered at her, in the most loving and brotherly way. I leaned forward once her head was tilted back down to the paper.

"Dear Mom and Dad," I read the first line of the paper out loud, which is quite hard seeing as it's upside down.

Juniper pulled the paper closer to her. "Don't," she warned, her eyes now shining with the fire that only appears when she's performing on stage or when she's hiding something.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing."

"Fine don't tell me," I said, eyeing the paper. "They were assholes anyway."

"Junius stop."

"What? You know I'm right."

"Just stop talking about things you don't understand."

"You do remember that they kicked me out on my ass, right?"

"You left," she replied coolly.

"Stop talking about things you don't understand." I repeated her own words back to her, which was a mistake.

Juniper was glaring at me now, her face so twisted with anger that I was scared smoke would start coming from her ears any second.

"They kicked me out, told me not to come back, and you said nothing. Pretty, perfect, pristine Juniper, couldn't do anything wrong in mommy and daddy's eyes. The thousands of dollars spent on dance lessons was well worth it wasn't it? Juniper is so graceful, Juniper is so good at twirling around on a stage. Oh no! Juniper fell and broke her-"

"SHUT. UP." Juniper yelled, standing up and staring down at me. There was the smoke.

I reached forward, across the table and snatched the paper up. Juniper climbed over the table towards me, trying to take it back, but I started running around to the other side to avoid her.