I awoke the next morning to the sun beaming through my window. I groaned and attempted to pull the blankets over my head to catch a few extra minutes. I don't know what time I made it in last night, but it was late. I could tell by the very little amount of sleep I managed to get and the pounding headache I had.

I heard a knock at my bedroom door, "Kid, you getting up for school?"

"No!" I shouted back, my voice raspy.

I heard Seth's deep laugh as the cracked the door open. "Are you alive under there?"

"No." I turned over away from him.

I felt the lower corner of my bed sink down with the weight of him sitting. "Well, if you're dead set on playing hookie, we can at least do something fun, right?"

I peaked out from under my blankets, still not fully awake. My dark hair even more a wild mess than usual. I rubbed my eyes and a large yawn escaped as I answered, "Like what?" Seth knew that I always kept really good grades and academics never came as a challenge for me, so he was never really against me staying home every now and then.

I sat up, leaning a pillow between the back and my wall and rested back. "You look like hell, kid." Seth looked at me a little trace of worry in his eyes. "What time did you get home last night?"

"I didn't look." It dawned on me then, the events of last night. I looked down at myself, still clothed in one of Eddie's Metallic shirts and his sweatpants, since it was the only dry clothes he had in his van.

Seth's eyes weren't on my face, instead he had a found a spot on my neck. Oh shit. Seth frowned a little and I could tell this was way out of his level of parenting skills. "Uh- Wyatt?"

"Seth, we don't have to talk about this-"

"Did you…guys…" Seth clearly did not want to have to be asking me this.

"No! God, no! Seth!" I yelled, throwing a stuffed dog at him. "Jesus!"

Seth tossed it back at me, "Look, I may be your brother, but I'm also kinda a parent right? Like I have to parent this… and we've never really had the discussion of being careful or anything…" Seth continued under his breath, "We never really had this problem before."

"Seth," I leaned forward, putting my head in my hands embarrassed. "Eddie and I didn't have sex, okay! And if you really must know… I'm still a virgin…"

Seth threw his hands in front of him defensively, "I'm just checking in! You're technically an adult, and even though it weirds me out… I know you're going to want to do…. Things…"

"Oh my god, this is not a conversation I want to have with you." I laughed awkwardly.

"The feeling is mutual!" Seth assured, putting his hand on my knee. "But… I think this is as good of a time as any to …. Maybe make you an appointment with the doctor? Like to get you on some birth control or something?"

"This is awkward…" I yelled.

Seth laughed and threw another stuffed animal at me. "Well, next time maybe not come home looking like you got attacked by a fucking animal?" I was so glad when he dropped the 'safe sex' conversation. "I thought maybe we could go get breakfast or something? I've been wanting to get out of the house so bad."

I looked up, sleep still in my eyes, and smiled slightly. "Breakfast sounds nice."

Seth leapt off my bed with excitement. "Sweet! Get dressed, I'll be in the car."

It didn't take me much to get dressed. I just threw on some tore up jeans, my chucks, and a beige flannel. I brushed my slightly crooked teeth and swiped some deodorant from the cabinet before making it out the door in record time. I didn't bother to take of Eddie's shirt.

Seth was waiting in the El Camino with a cigarette for me, "Buckle up, I'm fucking starving."

I had my feet up on Seth's dashboard, which he usually hates, but today he complain. Seth would never admit it, but I think he was biting his tongue because he missed doing things like this with me. We used to ditch school and go on random adventures together all the time, and it was my favorite thing to do.

I looked over at him as he rode down the street, blowing smoke out the window. His brown skin was glowing in the sunlight and his dark chocolate wavy locks blew around wildly. I sometimes felt bad for Seth.

What eighteen year old teenage boy willingly takes on the full responsibility of his little sister, raising her by himself? Let alone, giving up everything. Seth lost all his friends, gave up his hobbies, his fiancé bailed on him; all to make sure I had everything I needed and that we could stick together all these years.

Seth was a catch, and I felt bad that I was truly everything he had in this world. My brother was my absolute best friend. It had always been me and him against the world.

"What are you looking at?" Seth's wide smile broke my thoughts.

I smiled back a little at him, but it was a sad smile. "I was just thinking."

"About?" Seth pressed on, turning down the radio.

"I just…" I didn't know how to say what I needed to, because Seth and I never really talked about any of this. "I don't think I tell you enough, but I love you."

Seth's eyes really narrowed with that statement. "Okay, now I know something is up. You never, never say that."

"I'm being serious, Seth." I retorted with a slight hint of annoyance. "I don't ever say thank you."

Seth's laugh echoed a little off the metal doors, "For what?"

"Are you kidding me!? What do you mean, for what?" I answered. "Seth, I don't think you realize how much I appreciate everything you've done, everything you gave up, how hard you work for us, any of that?"

"Who even are you?" Seth laughed again. That's Seth, never serious.

I sighed, giving up. "Whatever." I took the last drag of my cigarette and tossed it out the window as we pulled into the parking lot of the local breakfast buffet. The smell of a heart attack radiating through the morning air.

We walked in, taking an open booth in the corner and wasting no time. We both loaded up our plates. Seth made himself two and slid into the seat across from me. "Fuck yes! Bacon!" An entire plate of his was loaded up with nothing but breakfast meat.

"Holy cow, Seth!" I teased, taking a bite of my scrambled eggs.

"I wasn't joking when I said I was hungry." Seth said with his mouth full, rubbing at his stomach playfully. "I'm a growing boy."

"Yeah, wider."

Seth swallowed his mouthful of food and took a drink, "So, how was last night?"

I blushed, taking another bite of food to buy me some time to compose myself.

Seth smiled at my embarrassment. "That good, huh?"

I tossed a piece of my biscuit at him. "Shush." Seth waited, clearing waiting for me to go on and actually answer his question. "It was…okay I'm just going to be honest here… it was amazing."

Seth grinned even wider, "I knew it."

"His band is pretty good," I started, "But Eddie.. Eddie is just.. Fucking fantastic. When he is playing on stage, you can tell he just has this love for it and it just radiated off of him." I smiled a little at the memory of just how happy he was after his show. "And then we left and went out to 'Skull Rock'.."

"OoOoOo" Seth teased.

"Not for that."

"But that clearly happened." Seth answered, pointing at the spots on my neck.

"Yes, but…" I got him back to topic. "We laid there for a while watching the stars and just talking about life and it was nice…. Nice to feel connected to someone."

Seth smiled deviously, "And then?"

I couldn't stop myself from smiling at the memory. "And then… it started raining, and he forced me to dance with him." I stopped, the look on Seth's face was highly doubtful. To be fair he knew about my lack of coordination, "Yes, Seth. Me. Wyatt. Dancing." I rolled my eyes and kept on. "And then … he kissed me."

Seth smiled at me, not one of his playful teasing big brother smiles, but a regular old smile. "How was that?"

I could feel the heat coming to my face, just thinking about the way his lips felt on mine. "Seth… it was… perfect."

Seth studied me for a second, chewing another bite of food. Finally he spoke, "You really like this guy, don't you?"

"I don't know, Seth." I answered truthfully. "He's… complicated. Besides, I don't like the idea of getting attached to people here. Or anywhere."

Seth frowned, and for a moment I felt sorry that I said that. I knew that he felt guilty for moving us around so much, but I understood why we had to get away from some places. "I'm sorry, Wyatt."

"No, stop!" I said immediately. "You don't have to be sorry, Seth. I didn't mean to make you feel like that's something you caused. It isn't."

Seth looked up at me, his brown eyes full of apologies. "We don't have to pretend I've always been the best person at taking care of you. It's no secret that I haven't been the most stable person for you to grow up with."

"You're better now, Seth." I reminded him. "You're better now, and that's all that matters. I'd give up 600 more stupid small towns and move another 600 times for you to be where you are now."

"I'll be two years sober this winter." The smile broke across his face, crinkling the ends of his eyes. "I never thought I'd be able to say that."

Seth was right to be proud of himself. For a few years he was heavily addicted to heroin. It was never something he had done around me, but there were always clear signs that he was doing things he shouldn't have.

I grabbed his large hand in mine. "I know, and I am so fucking proud of you."

"Thank you, I'm proud of myself." Seth answered. "I finally feel like I'm in charge of myself again, like I'm going down the right path for once."

"You've been going that direction, Seth." I promised. "You've always done the best you could. If I'm being honest, though. You really need to get out more and enjoy yourself. Make new friends, meet new people."

Seth faked a look of offense. "What? You don't like hanging out with me anymore? Are you suddenly old and embarrassed by your big brother?"

"I just think you deserve to have your own life sometimes." I rolled my eyes at him, "I'm getting old enough now that I don't need you to revolve your life around me anymore."

"Face it," Seth grinned at me, "You'd be lost without me. Oh yeah, by the way, that one girl called last night looking for you. I think she wanted to make sure Munson got you home alive."

I laughed, "You mean Robin?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

That reminded me, her and Steve would probably be panicked that I wasn't at school the day after I disappeared for the night alone with Eddie Munson. I hoped they didn't read too much into that. "She's probably freaking the hell out that I'm not at school right now."

"Most likely." Seth laughed.

We finished our meal and Seth paid the tab, escorting me back to the car and back towards home, but not before stopping to pick up movies for our day of hooky. Briefly my thoughts wondered to Eddie, I wondered if he made it to school and I wondered if he was thinking about last night just as much as I was.