Promise Me Tomorrow

Day 27

Jensen walked into the living room where Jett was still sulking from getting in trouble. Of course weed and even some alcohol still showed up for him, but he got 3 months of no leaving the house and no friends over, no one told him what the last thing was and he didn't ask.

No one asked anything.

He wasn't asked where he was. No one asked what happened at the party again. No one even bothered asking where he went anymore. In the week, no one even talked, the little greeting they had in the morning had turned to nods and smiles before the others may not exist anymore. Quiet was expected without four less people in the house at all times but it wasn't peaceful. The air was thicker than smoke even when no one else was around, the house felt vacant and cold, as if he was walking around a haunted house and his family was the tortured souls trapped there.

Jensen won't lie and say the peace wasn't a relief. He couldn't remember the last time he wasn't harassed as soon as left his room. No comments or questions on where he was going or what he was doing, It does make moments like these awkward though. Jensen took a glass out of the cabinet and filled it up in the sink.

"Why didn't you help me?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you clear me for mom and dad?" Jett didn't even look at him, staring a hole into the floor instead.

"None of you even knew I was there until I yelled I was getting food." Jensen responded, staying by the island.

"You could have done something."

"What could I have done?"

"I don't know, say you saw us? Agree with what I was saying? Stop mom from overreacting and dragging me to the hospital to get every blood test under the sun."

"Yeah, maybe, just like how you could tell people to stop saying shit about me, and not fight Emily when she's doing what you should be as my brother, and Oh yeah how you could have stop literally all of the hell I have to deal with whenever your friends are around."

"I do! You think I can control them."

"You could do something else cause a stop and a slap on the arm doesn't work."

"It's not that bad, nothing compared to getting dragged into a hospital against your will and held down by dad as mom takes your blood because they think you're a druggie."

"But getting dragged into hospital multiple times to get locked up away from friends and family for weeks where everyone knows what happened and why is fine, right?" Jensen stated and Jett got quiet. "Don't try to get sympathy from me. You don't get to see your friends outside of school for a few months because you fucked up. Welcome to your first lesson in consequences, be happy you learned it because of your own mistakes over your brothers." Jensen tried to walk back to his room, but Jett grabbed him by his collar yanking him back into the living room.

"You don't have to be a fucking jackass like your innocent. You sure as fuck weren't being mr perfect halloween either and yet your walking free while I'm stuck inside for next three months. How's that fair?"

"Oh please you know mom and dad are going to let you off easy. I sure as hell would have loved that every time I caught the rap for your shitty behavior." Jensen yanked his hand off his shirt, "You loved doing that didn't you, giving out my name and getting your goon squad to agree every time you idiots got caught doing something. Why do you think I grew my hair out in middle school the only way we can look different so you can't pull that shit anymore!"

"That was years ago."

"Yeah and I believe you would pull the same shit now because as soon as you couldn't that's when you started telling people I didn't exist, because as soon as you couldn't use me as a scapegoat I might as well not, right?"

"I was a joke."

"It's always a joke to you, you can't just say its a joke and get away with it." Jensen chuckled, "I wonder what would have happened if Jackson didn't notice the knife was missing?"

"Jensen, don't-"

"Why not? Not like it was you that found me. Were you even the one to call 911 or was that also Jackson, I was too busy bleeding out to remember."

"That was years ago."

"Feels like yesterday." Jensen extended the fingers on his left hand as much as he could, nerve damage from the scar limiting his movement.

"You did it to yourself."

"That's what suicide is yes."

"Fuck off." Jett hissed at him like an offended snake, slinking back into himself. Jensen started walking off, he had his fun, and now he should go see Owen before Jett loses it. "And do it right next time."

Jensen stopped dead looking over his shoulder at his brother. "What."

"Nothing." Jett said going back to the living room, Jensen stared at him for a bit before going on his own way.