I sat in the car patiently taking Olive's eye tests. She had picked up the pamphlets in the hospital that they stole grandpa's body from. Now we were bored out of our minds and would put up with anything…including Olive and her pamphlets

"Mom Dwayne has 20-20 vision!" Olive told their mother excitedly.

"I'm sure he does" she sighed. Richard was busy pounding the steering wheel in an attempt to make the horn stop honking.

"Ok now we'll see if you're colorblind" she said in a business like way as she unfolded another pamphlet. It was almostamusing but I wasn't the type who smiled easily.

"What's the letter in the circle?" I stared at it with my arms folded. I didn't see anything

"No, no, no inside the circle, right there, see?" I had no idea what she was talking about. I shook his head, I wasn't seeing whatever she was pointing at…it was just a circle

"Its an A. Cant you see it? It's right there" what letter? I thought feeling perplexed as I grabbed the pamphlet away from Olive and stared at the circle she and indicated.

"Its bright green" Frank put in looking worried. I simply shook my head. Frank looked away as I hurriedly pulled out my notepad and scribbled one word on it.

What?

Olive was avoiding eye contact now, and Frank seemed to be trying to articulate what needed to be said. He didn't want to say it but it needed to be said.

"Dwayne…I think you might be colorblind" he said softly. I just stared at him with wide eyes. Then I indicated to the notepad

What?

Frank looked away for a moment before he managed to say

"You cant fly jets if you're colorblind"

The realization set in. Nine moths wasted, and it was all for nothing.

My face reddened as the frustration built up.

I punched the side of the car.

BANG

Nine moths of not speaking to anybody

BANG

Nine months of being tormented by classmates

BANG

Nine moths of my family antagonizing me for it

BANG!

Nine months and it was all for nothing!

Frank was trying to get them to pull over and it was resulting in a loud frantic argument. My mom calling my name trying to speak to me, my sister looking at me with such pity, I couldn't stand it, and Frank and Richard yelling, all the noise and I just wanted it to stop.

All the words I had locked away for nine months were bursting to get out. I lunged for the car door but Frank held me back until the car stopped.

I pushed past him and yanked the door open, running down the hill on the side of the road.

I just wanted to get away from everything and let all the anger out. It came out in one loud word.

"FUCK!" I fell to my knees

"FUCK!" I bent down on the ground, sobbing in anger and frustration.

All the emotions, everything was coming out now.

Suddenly someone was here to interrupt my pain and misery.

"Dwayne? Dwayne, honey…I'm sorry"

There was a long pause. All I wanted was to be left alone.

"Dwayne, come on we…we have to go" she was trying to get me to keep going?

"I'm not going" I told her. There was no way in hell I was going to just get up and go after everything that had happened…and now this!

There was another pause…

"Honey…"

"I said I'm not!" I told her. My mom could go fuck herself for all I cared…along with the rest of them and that stupid car too.

"Ok? I don't care I'm not getting on that bus again" I said. My control was breaking

"Dwayne for better or for worse we are your family"

"No you're not my family! Ok I don't want to be your family!" I stood up knowing I had now lost all control and now there was only anger

"I hate you fucking people!" I pointed at them. I didn't care they were my outlet and all the rage was coming forth. "

I hate you! Divorce? Bankruptcy? Suicide?!" you fucking losers! You're losers!" I screamed it at them. The anger was leaving me even as the words left my mouth. My mom walked towards me. She was going to try and help but I didn't want her help.

"No please just leave me mom, ok? Please?" I fell back to the ground

"Please just leave me alone!" she walked off leaving me alone. But the rage was gone and now there was just frustration. I almost wanted the comfort now but I wouldn't have admitted it.

I heard the footsteps. Little, light footsteps that sounded like boots in the dirt. It was Olive. Oh the irony…

One day, about a month after I had taken my vow of silence…I was sitting in my bedroom reading a book. Under my bed was a present.

Today was Olive's birthday and I had been told to hide her gift so she wouldn't try and see what it was.

Mom was still at work, Grandpa was…out doing god knows what, and Richard was busy pushing his nine steps.

I always got home an hour before Olive because her school ended later.

I heard the door open and realized she was home later than usual.

Odd…I thought…but my book was getting good so I just sat there. I heard the noises of Olive putting down her backpack and walking into the kitchen for a snack.

But normally I could hear her opening the cabinet and the fridge. She did this everyday so I couldn't help noticing the sound of the door to her room opening instead.

I was getting curious and sat up in my bed listening intently. I had recently noticed little things like this with noises and whatnot. I noticed the patterns and motions they went through everyday. An unnecessary routine, and so when someone did something different I noticed.

Then I heard sniffles coming from her room.

Is Olive crying? I wondered

I got up to investigate and brought my pen and paper.

I walked into her room quietly to see her crying as quietly as she could manage into her pillow.

I sat down next to her on the bed and pulled out my pad and paper.

I touched her shoulder and she sat up quickly wiping away her tears.

'What happened?'

She read the paper through her tears and stared me. Her lower lip trembled as she tried not to start crying again. I patted her head trying to communicate that I didn't mind if she cried. I'm pretty sure she understood because she calmed down a little and quietly said

"Well today I was all excited because today was my birthday…everybody is always nice to the birthday girl…I thought today they would like me a little more…so when I told them that today was my birthday they told me that they didn't care…" her lower lip trembled once more.

"They said 'why should we care about some worthless fat girls birthday'" and with that she fell back on her pillow, crying into it. Richard had been bugging her about her weight lately.

I knew it was bothering her more than she said. But I had no pearls of wisdom suitable for a seven year old.

I watched her cry and imagined the satisfaction of teaching those girls several violent lessons. How dare they make Olive cry! I felt my anger getting the best of me when I was brought back to reality by Olive's sobbing. Biting my lip, I trusted my instincts and gathered her up on my lap. I grabbed my pad and paper and scribbled

'It's ok Olive'

"But I really wanted them to like me" she whispered as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

'Fuck'...I scratched that out, I did try not to swear around her.

'Forget them Olive'

She read the page and bit her lip.

'You deserve better'

"You think so?" I nodded. That got her crying again and this time I didn't even try talking. I wrapped my arms around my sister and hoped she understood what I was trying to say.

She did understand…that was all that mattered. When she had finished crying I took her to my room and unearthed her present.

It was a brown fluffy teddy bear. He had a round belly just like Olive. She noticed that too and a smile lit her features.

I gave her a half smile as I rummaged around for my pen and pad.

'Now just pretend to be surprised tonight when I give it to you again'

That got a laugh out of her

That night when I mutely handed her the teddy bear she squealed and gave me a hug.

She was overdoing the surprised part…but she was happy, so I didn't tell her otherwise

……I would not be consoled and I hated everyone. But even with all that, it was hard to remain cold when I felt her little arm wrap around my shoulder. She leaned her head against me.

She said nothing but we both understood. It didn't require words.

I stood up

"Alright lets go" I told her as we walked back up the hill.

I didn't need to say it, nor did she.

I loved my little sister, every fucking inch of her.

She drove me nuts now and then I probably did the same to her.

But I loved Olive more than I could possibly say. And I knew she loved me back.

Even when I was talking, I could never express it so I never said it.

But I knew she understood and that was all that mattered.

Oh the attack of the fluff bunnies! This story is definitely fluffy but I had to just get inside Dwayne's head a little bit. It was fun to write.

But I'm going to watch LOST now.

I hope you all enjoyed that and please R&R. I love it when you do.