I opened the front door of the house and walked in, hearing yelling from the living room: Bobby and Angel. I entered the living room and watched as my two brothers yelled at the TV screen. A hockey game was on and, from the looks of it, the team my brothers had been rooting for were loosing.
"I'm home," I said loudly to get their attention.
"What, do you want the royal treatment?" Bobby snorted, taking a momentary glance at me.
"Shut up." I wasn't in the mood for Bobby's sarcasm right now.
I ignored the comment coming from his mouth as I hurried upstairs. I removed my coat, walking into the room that I still shared with Jack. He wasn't home right now, having gone out to pick up some stuff for his guitar. Speaking of his guitar, it lay across his bed, out of its case. Jack must have been playing while I was gone. I moved over to his bed and picked up his guitar. He had five guitars all together. This was my favorite. I had tried to talk him into giving it to me. He said I could have it after he was dead and in the ground. That was the only way I was getting it. I lowered myself to the floor and grabbed a pick lying next to my black electric guitar. I immediately started playing Jack's guitar. It wasn't song; just little bits and pieces I had picked up over the years. I got caught up in the melody, having always had a thing for music. I wasn't the musician in the family. That was Jack. I was the artist. Mom always said so. She would get so proud when I created something new, even if it was crap. She had been the one that made me want to pursue in the arts. If she had never adopted me, there was no way that I would be trying to get into the school of performing arts.
I jumped as an envelope appeared in front of my face. I looked up and saw Jack was the one that was giving it to me.
"Don't scare me like that," I said, snatching the envelope from him.
Jack smirked, sitting down on his bed and taking off his leather jacket.
"When did you get home?" Jack asked, seeing that I was playing his guitar.
"Only about five minutes ago," I answered and read the front of the envelope.
It was from the school of performing arts. I had connections with a lady there and she said she would write to me and see what she could do to get me in. I didn't feel like reading it right now, so I just set it aside till I was in a better mood.
"Who's it from?" Jack asked, nodding his head at the letter.
I cracked a smile as I laughed. "As if you didn't hold it up to a light and read through the envelope."
Jack avoided looking into my eyes. I knew he had read the letter. He was a nosy little thing when it came to me. Before me, he had been the youngest in the family. But when I came along, he immediately took the role of big brother and protected me all the time.
"Here," I said, handing Jack his guitar.
He took it from me and started playing it himself. I smiled softly at whatever he was playing. That was the thing about Jack. He could make you feel good with a simple tune. Lord knows I needed it. Mom's death really made me think about things. As I watched Jack play his guitar, I thought of what life would be like without him. We had gotten very close to that scenario once.
(Seven Years Ago)
"What are you talking about?" I heard Jack's voice from downstairs.
Hearing that he was home, I got panicky. I wasn't supposed to mess with his guitar when he wasn't around. I quickly put the guitar back in its case.
"Jack, sit down," Mom said as I walked over to the door.
Mom sounded sad about something and Jack had sounded upset when he first came in. Something was wrong. I slowly crept down the stairs, making sure no one knew I was listening in. From my spot on the stairs, I could just see into the dining room, where Mom sat and Jack was at the moment taking the seat beside her, a worried look stuck on his face.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Jack asked, seeing Mom was beyond saddened by whatever she had on her mind.
It scared me the way Mom closed her eyes and put her hands to her mouth like she wanted to cry, but not in front of Jack. Mom cried rarely. The waterworks only started when something bad happened.
"Is it Bobby?" was the first thing that I thought and the first thing to come from Jack's mouth.
Mom shook her head, sniffing back the tears she wanted to cry. She brushed her whitening hair out of her face and took Jack's hand. At the contact, Jack knew the problem had to do with him.
"Jack, I have to tell you something and I know you're not going to like it," Mom said, staring into Jack's eyes.
"Just tell me," Jack said, looking like he was going to have a heart attack if he waited any longer.
"Your real father and brother just got released from jail," was all Mom said, letting Jack take that in.
I moved further down the stairs to see Jack's reaction. He was frozen in his seat, his eyes wide with dread as he stared down at his hands. He had that vacant look in his eyes that he only got when one of us brought up his past.
"Jack, talk to me," Mom said quickly, knowing how Jack could get when he was scared.
"I'm fine," Jack said, his voice so low I barely heard him. "It's not like they can hurt me anymore, right?"
Uh oh. I didn't like Mom's expression. She wasn't agreeing with Jack. She still wasn't saying something. I could tell.
"There's something else," Mom said and Jack raised his eyes to look at her.
"They can't hurt me, right?" Jack's voice was shaking just as much as his hands.
"I'm not going to let them," Mom promised, taking Jack's face in her hands.
"Mom, what aren't you telling me?"
Mom's eyes began to water. "Jack, both your father and brother have cleaned up their acts for the courts. Your father wants you back. They're taking you away from me."
"No!" Jack screamed, jumping out of his seat. "They can't do that!"
Mom was on her feet now, trying to calm Jack, but my brother was already freaking out. How could they take Jack away from us, from me? He was my brother. They couldn't take him.
"How could you let them get custody of me?" Jack yelled at Mom as he backed away from her.
"I did everything I could," Mom said, tears now running from her eyes. "I tried everything, but the courts don't think I'm the best parent for you."
Jack was crying now to, breathing heavily as he became angry. "How could they think he's better than you? They know what he and my brother did to me!"
Mom couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed Jack and pulled him into a tight hug, needing to hold him close.
"Don't worry. I'll fight them. I'll get you back. I'm not going to let them hurt you. I promise," Mom said as Jack shook in her arms, crying.
I stood on the stairs, horrorstruck at what I had just heard. I had been told some things about Jack's father and his so-called brother. Jack couldn't go back to them. I didn't want him to go. I sat on one step, sobbing into my hands. Why did everyone I love leave me?
(Sorry it took me so long to write this y'all. I've been working on other stories that I want to publish right now. I promise next time I will update sooner. Hope you like. Review!)
