Family Don't Break

CHAPTER 22

ALEX'S POV:

I swear, these boys must be dragging their clothes along a barbed wire fence. I'm sewing up another hole every couple of days. Race holds the record, with six holes in one day. He refuses to say how he got them, and to be honest, I don't really want to know.

I keep having to steal thread and buttons from my mom. She says she doesn't mind, but I still feel bad. They cost money, something we're short on right now. On the bright side, these boys have never had a good seamstress in their midst. Before I came, they were sewing up their own clothes, which did not go well.

"Hey, Alex? Can I get some help please?" It's Jack's voice, and it sounds pained. I whirl around to look at him. "Jesus, Jack! What happened?" He has a bruise forming around his eye and another one on his jaw. His knuckle is raw and bleeding. I race over to him, checking his injuries. I place a hand on his shoulder and he winces. I pull back, getting even more worried. "Did you get hit by a car or something?" I ask. "No, got in a fight. Can we talk about it later? I really want to get some ice on these."

I usher him to the couch while I run to get some ice from the icebox. I also grab some of the first aid supplies from the bathroom.

I take a seat in front of him, handing him the ice pack. He gingerly places it on his eye. "This is going to sting a bit." I dampen the cloth with some alcohol and gently dab at his wounds. He hisses a bit but he stays still. "I'm going to put a bandage on these, alright? Don't want them getting infected." I wrap a white bandage around his hand, fastening it with a safety pin. "Shirt. Off." I order. "Now's not really the time for-" I roll my eyes. "You know what I mean. Take it off, I need to see if you have any more cuts."

He takes off his vest and shirt, tossing them in a crumpled pile on the floor. His chest is covered with bruises and some cuts, as well as his back. "Oy, Jack. You're gonna be in pain for a while." I wash his cuts and place some bandages on them. "Put that ice pack on some of your other bruises, okay?" he does as I say, alternating it between injuries.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" I ask. "Like I told you, I got in a fight." so he's going to be difficult about this. "Who did you fight with?" I press. "Doesn't matter. I won."

"Not by the looks of it, you didn't. Now tell me what happened, or I'm going to let Davey yell at you." This is a threat. Davey is the mom friend, and he will lecture like a mom. It's funny to watch, but not as funny when you're the one being lectured.

"Fine. Just don't get pissed, alright?" I cross my arms, waiting for him to continue. "The Delancey's were saying some crude things about ya, so I socked 'em."

"And then they socked you?" He rolls his eyes but he nods. "Jack, you have to let it slide. I don't want you to get hurt,"

"I'm not gonna let them get away with saying things like that. They need a few good hits to the head."

"I can agree with that, but you getting in fights won't do any good. It'll just get them angrier. And when those two get angry, they do something stupid. They'll start going after us any way they can, and that means me, you, or the boys. They can fight 'em off, but I don't want to be sewing on any more buttons when they lose them in a fight. I'm running low."

Jack chuckles, some of the angst he was holding releasing. "Okay. I'll stop. But I'm still gonna steal their hats when they're not looking."