"What did you do to your sister?"

His father patronizing tone was the first thing Eli heard as he walked through the door.

"It's good to see you too dad."

"Don't get smart with me," He said, jabbing his pointer finger in Eli's face, "You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Dad please don't do this." Kaylie moaned as she slumped against the banister. "It was nothing, really."

"Nothing? Anything that makes my daughter scream in agony can't possibly be nothing."

"What are you talking about?" Eli asked, struggling to get a word in edgewise, "What happened?"

His father's eyes narrowed into two thin slits, "You tell me."

Eli suddenly recalled the fight he had with Fitz and Shay... and the cigarette burn on his forearm. "Oh crap!" Eli exclaimed, slapping a hand to his forehead, "I got into a fight with some jerks at school, and one of them burned me with his cigarette, that's probably why Kaylie was in pain." He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a gray, ashy circle right above his wrist.

Mr. Goldsworthy barley took any notice of it, "Well that certainly explains it."

"You fought with Fitz and Shay?" Kaylie asked with worry lines etched across her face.

"They hurt you Kaylie, I was only trying to protect you."

Mr. Goldsworthy threw his head back and laughed, "How is it that in the process of protecting your sister, you wined up injuring her?" He said, putting emphasis on the word 'protect'. He paced the foyer restlessly, "For Christ's sake Eli, when are you going to learn that what you do affects Kaylie too. Just because you feel the need to put your own life in danger doesn't give you the right to put your sister at risk."

Eli started forward, about to charge his dad but Kaylie stepped between them, keeping them an arms length apart, "Both of you need to stop this, now."

Eli and his father each took a step back. They may not have agreed on most things but when Kaylie was upset, they both knew that the best thing to do was listen to her.

"Dinners already on the table, it won't kill you two to sit through one meal together." Kaylie insisted.

They slowly made there way into the dinning room and sat on separate sides of the table.

Leftover take-out wasn't much of a dinner but no one complained about it. They just ate their meal quietly. Their forks clanged against the china and every time someone took a sip of their drink it was like thunder echoing over the silence.

"Okay, I don't want to go back to you two fighting, but someone please say something," Kaylie begged, "Anything, because this is killing me...figuratively speaking..."

But neither Eli nor his dad made an effort to start up a conversation.

Kaylie put down her silverware, having barley touched her food, "One of you has to have something to say."

"I sold the hearse." Said Mr. Goldsworthy so bluntly that he didn't even bother to look up.

"What?" Eli barked, choking on an egg roll. Kaylie also turned her father with a shocked expression.

"Yep, I posted it on the internet and a man contacted me yesterday about it. He's coming next week to pick it up"

"You can't just sell my car without asking me!"

"I already have." His dad said casually while chewing.

"Dad, Eli loves that car. You can't get rid of it." Kaylie protested.

"I spent all my money on that car."

"So get a job and earn your money back."

"What am I supposed to do about getting to school?" Eli asked, both desperate and pissed off.

"I believe they still have those big yellow transportation vehicles. You can try taking one of them."

"And you yell at me for being sarcastic?"

"Stop it..." Kaylie said, but her voice failed to be heard over Eli's.

"I won't let you give away Morty!"

Mr. Goldsworthy pounded his fist on the table and stood up, clearly having reached the end of his patience, "You don't have a say in the matter! I am sick of having to look at that death mobile parked in my driveway everyday! I'm not going to do it anymore!"

Eli and Kaylie knew very well why their father didn't want to see the hearse anymore, but Eli still wasn't about to just give up, "You're not being reasonable! It's not fair to sell someone's possessions without their permission!"

Mr. Goldsworthy stabbed his fork into the table making the plates rattle and Kaylie flinch. "Life isn't fair Eli! I don't need that hearse to sit outside and remind me of how unfair it is!"

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop Talking!" Kaylie screamed clamping her hands over her ears and shaking her head violently. "I can't take it!" A sharp pain spread through her chest below her ribs and she fell sideways off her chair.

"Kaylie!" Mr. Goldsworthy shouted, rushing to his daughter's aid.

Kaylie shut her eyes to block out the pain but it didn't help. When she opened them again she saw Eli through the legs of the table. He too appeared to have fallen off his chair and was gripping his stomach in anguish.

Kaylie suddenly felt overwhelmed with sadness and she burst out sobbing.

"What is it Kaylie? Talk to me." Her dad cooed.

"Don't come near me! Just leave! Stop trying to fight my battles for me and leave me alone, both of you!" She stormed off to her room slamming the door behind her and bolting it shut. Her back slid down the wall as she curled up into a ball and cried.

They didn't understand. Not Eli, or her dad, or anybody. Everyone was too blinded by their sympathy for her to see how much she was ruining their lives. If she hadn't come home from the mental hospital Eli and her dad wouldn't be arguing every other night, and Eli wouldn't have to sell Morty.

Knock knock. "Kaylie, are you alright?" Eli called from behind the door.

Kaylie got up and tried to sound normal, "Go away Eli."

He started to jiggle the doorknob, and even through she knew it was locked, Kaylie put her hand over it to stop of from turning. She rested her forehead against the door and she could sense that Eli was doing the same thing on the other side. "Please, Eli," She whispered, "I want to be alone."

Moments passed before she felt him release the doorknob and head back down the hall.

What she really wanted to tell him was to get away from her, as far away from her as he possibly could. Despite what their dad thought, It wasn't Eli who had hurt Kaylie, it was Kaylie who was hurting Eli. She knew it. She saw it in his eyes. It was killing him inside. She couldn't let that happen, she just couldn't.

Even though it hurt her to admit it, she knew what would have to happen. She knew what Eli would have to do...

And he would have to leave Kaylie behind to do it...

A/N: Drama, drama, drama. Mr. Goldsworthy's gone a bit too far, but the hearse just reminds him to much about his daughters death. He still shouldn't have sold it. I wrote it and even I'm mad at him! Haha.

Please review and let me know what you think!