He looked as his brother threw the last of their stuff into the boxes they had haphazardly packed. It didn't even matter, he was sure that eventually he would have to pack it all again. Every time they seemed to have found a home, it never last long before they had to leave again.
Their last home had finally felt like home, for the first time they had been taken away from their parents when he was 11 - well, not really taken away. More so, they had been surrendered to foster care. It had just been a simple council home but his brother had done everything to fix it up and make it a nice home.
It had even felt like more of a home than the house they had shared with their parents ever had. It had been a much better home than all the foster homes. It was their first house together.
As soon as Joe had been able to be his legal guardian, he had taken him out of foster care and given up everything to look after him.
Although he had trouble showing it, he was grateful that his brother had done that for him. Nobody had ever wanted to look after him. Nobody had cared about him from that day he had climbed that tree.
When they had moved here about seven months ago, he hadn't even bothered getting into a new school. They had already worried they couldn't stay and that turned out to be the truth. He didn't even know most of the people living around him and he knew and his brother had themselves to blame. Only keeping to themselves and although they needed to be opportunistic to survive.
He wished he had been kinder, and he wished he had made friends.
Now they had to leave once again and again he had not managed to build a life.
Looking at the car that they had managed to borrow from a friend he looked as Joe was loading the little stuff they had into the car. It wasn't much as they had moved from foster home to foster home. Most of the stuff that was loaded into the car now was stuff they needed to provide care for him.
''Still room for me?'' Isaac said as most of the boot and backseat were full.
''Just a little, not sure if your ego will fit,'' Joe joked as he easily picked Isaac up. With most of the muscles in his body no longer working, he was light enough that Joe could easily lift him up. He tried not to be self concous about it, but even after 7 years, he still was. It was one of the reasons he didn't go to school anymore. That he wasn't sure about if he would ever amount to anything in life.
Carefully putting his brother in the car and closing the safety belt, Joe folded and dismantled the wheelchair. It was a bit unnatural. They had no car and never went anywhere.
Some of their old neighbours were looking as they left. They never had been in contact with them over 7 months.
Driving out of their old street, he did enjoy the view as they drove towards Moordale. It was not too far, but since he didn't get to go out of the house often just the ride already entertained him. It was nice to finally see something more than their own street.
Looking at the view, he couldn't help but get stuck in his own head.
Sometimes he did wonder what life would be like if their parents had never used drugs. What had happened if he had never climbed that tree.
Maybe he would have finished school. Maybe he would have made some friends. Maybe he would have more people in his life besides his brother.
Maybe there would have been a girl that loved him.
Maybe he wouldn't have been such a dickhead.
''What's wrong?''
''Nothing – just – just wish we didn't have to move again,'' he finally admitted, the hard façade of quick wit and pushing people away slipping away for just a second. The only person he once again had in his life was his brother.
''I know and I am sorry, I am sorry, I am going to do my best to make it a home,'' Joe said as he kept looking at the road, feeling bad for the fact they had to say goodbye to the house they had made their home. He knew it would make it even harder for Isaac to find his way around the world from the caravan park. It was the last thing he had wanted to do, but not being able to afford the council, they had no other choice but to move here.
They knew they would have a much better chance at getting a decent house if only Joe could keep down a job. Bu the was aware that the reason Joe never kept a job was because of him. The constant care he had to provide, staying at home when he got ill, needing flexible hours. He knew he was the reason that Joe had got laid off in multiple times.
Joe drove the car onto the caravan park, hoping to park close to the trailer they were renting now to unload their stuff.
''Worse than I imagined,''
''It's fine – at least there is no trees,'' Isaac tried to keep things light, not wanting his brother to see how vulnerable he was feeling with the move. Joe didn't respond to his self-deprecating joke as he carefully drove between the caravans. Theirs wasn't hard to find as it was one of the few with a ramp. It was lucky they had even found it, as much as neither of them wanted to move at all.
As joe parked the car and walked around to help him out, he noticed people looking from the other trailers, stopping on the paths between the caravans.
''Got a bit of an audience,'' Joe said as Isaac wrapped his arm around his neck. Gently he put one arm on his back and one under his knees as he lifted his brother up.
''Well, they better get used to it,'' Isaac just said as Joe gently put him down in his chair, Isaac not able to do much as his brother helped him.
He tried not to care about it, hoping that after living here for a while people would stop staring. Joe put his feet on the footrests properly, laying his hands on his lap so he could use them more easily. Looking as his brother threw all the stuff out of the car so he could move the car out of the way.
Throwing the large duffel back on his lap, Joe picked up one of the boxes.
''Need a hand?''
God, he hated that question.
''Didn't ask, so no,'' he sneered, going inside before he would get even more angry, glaring at the brown haired girl for just a second. He heard Joe talk to her behind him as he went inside. Seeing the caravan from inside he felt even more dreary about staying here. It was better than going into foster care.
He knew that if Joe couldn't have worked this out, he would have either ended up in a care facility, since he was almost too old to go back into foster care and he couldn't live on his own.
The caravan small, musky and he was sure it hadn't been updated since 1983.
It wasn't long before Joe came in with most of their other stuff.
''I know it's not much, but we can make it work together, right?'' Joe said as he put his bag on the kitchen table, the shabby wooden table nearly collapsing under the weight. He moved some of the furniture aside so Isaac could move around the caravan as well.
''Grandma wouldn't have decorated it any differently,'' Isaac grinned, hoping that the dreary decorations in the caravan would at least lead to some much needed laughter. He knew that Joe was doing his best with the shit hand they were dealt.
''I think I can make something off it,'' Joe told him.
''I could help if you want to get that wall out,'' Isaac said as he waved at one of the small walls that separated one of the tiny bedrooms from the living area.
''Might need to get some extra insurance if you keep ramming into everything,'' Joe told him as he pushed the door to the bedroom open.
''Alright, I am going to take the car back to James. Will go shopping for some dinner for us later tonight too. Feeling like eating lasagna, alright?'' Joe said as he grabbed his jacket.
''Yeah,'' Isaac mumbled, looking at the boxes they were yet to unpack. His bag was still on the bed. As Joe left the small caravan they had to make their new home, he made his way to his new bedroom. His bag was still on the bed and even though he couldn't open the zipper, he didn't feel like unpacking anyway.
It was tiny bedroom, only one bed. He'd offer to sleep on the couch but knew his brother would never accept that, even most beds not helping with his chronic pain coming from his formerly broken neck and damaged spine.
He still hoped they could work out something for Joe. He didn't want him to have to sleep on the couch.
He knew Joe had done everything to keep him with him and making sure he didn't end up somewhere alone. Given their parents and never having had a stable home it did mean a lot they wouldn't be separated, but it didn't make it any easier.
Before he could wallow in the sadness that he felt knowing that this was their live now, there was knock on the door.
Making his way to the door, cursing at all the stuff that was in his way. The owner of the caravan park was at the door. Moving his wheelchair so the door opened with a sensor, he smiled at her.
As much as he wasn't up for small talk, he hoped Joe and he could stay here for a while, so instead he put a friendly smile on his face.
''How are you and your brother settling in? Please let me know if there is anything you need,''
''Thank you, it's all good, he is just out do so some shopping,''
''Good, is he picking up a gas cannister as well? You are going to need it to cook tonight,''
He hadn't even thought of that, but they would need it.
They were broke, broker than broke.
''Yeah, I just – maybe Joe is getting us some later,'' Isaac said, looking at Cynthia with large puppy eyes.
''Oh don't worry, I will tell Jeffrey to take over our cannister, it's almost empty but it should tide you over,''
''Thank you kindly,''
He felt like shit every time he did this, he knew that people were more inclined to help him because of his disabilities. It felt like shit every time he did this, but he knew it was also one of the few things he could do to help out Joe.
''Can I ask why-''
''Some youths – I don't want to talk about it,'' he said, adding another reason of his disability to his repertoire.
''Alright, now you just give a shout if you need anything, sweety,'' Cynthia told him, soon leaving.
Making his way to the bedroom, he struggled to pull the bag from the bed onto his lap as he wasn't sure what else to do but unpack. Hooking his hand through one of the straps, he finally managed to pull it onto his lap.
With the very limited use had had of his fingers, tried to get the zipper open, but didn't manage to do so.
It wasn't long before Joe returned, carrying large shopping bags inside.
''Can you help me out for a second?'' Isaac asked as he drove the wheelchair towards Joe, his bag still on his lap.
''Yeah, yeah, ofcourse,'' Joe said as he opened the bag. As Joe started to make dinner, he started to put the little belongings he had around the room. He couldn't reach some of the shelves, instead putting it onto the bed for Joe to put up later.
After 7 years, he was used to it, but sometimes didn't make it any less frustrating.
''Could go outside for a little tour around the caravan park,'' Joe said as he was putting the lasagna together.
''Nah, I am already bored enough watching you cook, I don't need more boring, dreary shit,'' Isaac told him. Looking outside, he hoped they would unpack his painting supplies tomorrow, as it was one of the few hobbies he had.
''You know you could look at going back to college. If I can find a job and the college works along with us you could be going back to school,''
''Nah,''
''Isaac, it might be good for you,''
''I will think about it,'' he just said as he moved to the table. He knew that Joe was right and he should be thinking about the future. He was only 17 after all. But he was really not sure about what to do in the future. From the moment their parents had abandoned them, he had never dared to believe that he ever would have a future.
They had always told him he couldn't do anything and he wouldn't amount to anything and he was worried he had started to believe that. Honestly, he was sure he had started to believe that.
Even all the jokes in the world he made about himself wouldn't change that.
''You daring to let you underage brother drink?'' Isaac teased his brother, not wanting to wallow in his own thought and sat Joe pick 2 bottles of beer out of the shopping bags.
''You are high on painkillers half of the day, a beer won't hurt you,'' Joe said as he put the bottles on the table. Collapsing onto one of the chairs that nearly gave away, Joe let out a deep sigh.
As much as he was happy to keep his brother with him and move here, looking out of the window over the rest of the park he wasn't sure if this was going to be must better for them.
''What are we celebrating, moving in with our dead grandma?'' Isaac scampered,
''New beginnings.''
Taking a sip, he held a bottle out for Isaac as well, carefully letting him drink a few sip and assisted him eat as needed.
After dinner, Joe spend a solid hour getting the TV working, until finally it did.
''Want me to move you to the couch as well?'' Joe said as he almost fell of the tiny couch.
''No, I am sure this seat is more comfortable,'' Isaac said about his wheelchair as he moved it closer to the TV. As the movie Joe had put the channel too didn't really interest him he instead looked around the caravans. Most of them had their curtains closed, but the one diagonally across from them hadn't. He looked at the brown haired girl walking around the kitchen.
Only now it clicked that it was the girl he had been sneering at earlier today.
''Want to watch something else?''
Looking at the girl in the other trailer, he didn't want to look at anybody else.
''No, I am fine,''
Looking at her he felt his face turning red. She was one of the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Looking at her, he felt enamored. Given his history of never having been able to have date nor having even been looked at by a girl, he wasnt even sure what the feeling was that was washing over him.
Maybe Joe was right, maybe this was a new beginning for them.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope that even though a lot of people have a lot of opinions of his character, I did want to write a little more fleshed out story about him since it saddens me how they shafted his character in the show. I might write more stories about Sex Education in the future. Please let me know what you thought and hopefully until the next story!