Brother Sharpens Brother

Beginnings: Jay

Jay

Jay hated this house. He couldn't stand the hurt of it any longer, he wanted to leave. Desperately wanted to leave. Ducking his head behind the kitchen island, he tried to steady his racing heartbeat as a cookie sheet hurtled past him before loudly making contact with the wall. It missed him by only six inches.

Letting out a yelp, the auburn haired boy darted to the other side of the isolated cabinet, his offender pursuing.

"Walker! You're dead! Dead!"

The elder girl screamed at him, throwing the closest thing in her reach in his direction. Both skidded around the side of the island, Jay being extremely thankful for it's solid boundaries as the other clambered furiously after him. "I-I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean t-t-to Hailey!" He pleaded as the twosome moved their chase into the living room where the girl's father sat reclining in peace before their entrance.

The smaller boy trembled once he realized he was cornered. All he had done was accidentally drop her laundry on the floor, and now the giant of a female was out for his blood. He didn't mean to trip over his shoelace. He said he would pick up the clothes. Why did she always try to hurt him? It was an honest accident. Jay began to hyperventilate when she finally got to him, screeching out apologies in the most pitiful of ways as she slammed his smaller body against the wall in anger.

With every hit she gave him, no one came to stop her. The father actually watched on with annoyance, most likely irked by their interruption of his nap. The larger girl pressed his skull far back into the wall with all the grace of a woman scorned before taking away her other hand and punching him repeatedly in the gut as he struggled.

Punch.

Someday he will leave here.

Hit.

One day he'll get far away from them.

Push.

Someday, he'd get out of their reach.

Punch.

Wait, was that the doorbell?

The three froze in shock at the front door opening, fear and relief resting in Jay's stomach as the inspector's widening eyes read the situation. He furrowed his eyes at the two in the room with Jay, before looking the boy up and down and setting his jaw in anger. Jay's heart made a free fall when the inspector turned and walked out the door with his phone in hand.

He's leaving? No! No, no, no! Please don't go! Help me!

The girl and her father stood frozen, staring in the direction the inspector retreated, giving Jay the opportunity to wiggle out of her grasp and bolt for the front door in wild abandon. On the verge of another panic attack, he started when his body met that of the old inspector and he fell onto his rear. He was going to hit him wasn't he? He didn't mean to run into him, he didn't want to get hurt!

The inspector must have noticed Jay's fear, his face turning into something somber at the younger man's features. It felt like hours passed before anyone in the house made a sound, but when they did Jay couldn't understand what they were saying, his mind and body still in panic mode. At some point he knew there was yelling, and officers had showed up but he was too frantic to take in what it meant. His panic had taken over him completely and all he could focus on was the fear he felt.

He just sat there against the wall, shaking and panting and curling in on himself. Why did his life always take these kinds of turns? He would have been just fine staying with his elderly grandparents, so why did he end up in care houses like this? Why did he have to enter the stupid system to begin with? Just because his grandfather had dementia didn't mean they needed to move him into places like this. He was old enough, he could have stayed a few more years until he graduated, he wasn't too much of a handful, it wouldn't have been too much for his grandma. He could have helped her even, but instead, they decided he needed to be taken away.

Jay wanted to go home. He wanted to be whole again. He wanted to hug his Grandma Edna, and laugh with his Grandpa Ed again. He wanted to wrestle with his dog, Sparks- and just be the kid he was. He was tired of being dropped off at stranger's houses and being expected to like the people. He missed his house. He wanted to get as far away as possible from here.

Grabbing at the sleeves of his jacket, the disgruntled teen tried to calm himself. He couldn't go back. They wouldn't let him. They'll just keep putting him in different homes until one family decides to keep him. Oh, how he wished someone would keep him. Maybe then he wouldn't have to come to houses like this one.

Maybe then I'd have a family of my own.

His shoulders heaved at that thought, and it was then he realized he had been crying. Why would anyone ever want him? He's never been anything but a failure. A disaster waiting to happen. An overall klutz. No, the only way he would get out of the system was turning eighteen. Nobody wanted this walking catastrophe of a boy as their son. He wasn't going to meet their expectations at all.

Vaguely, Jay felt someone sit beside him and pull him into an embrace. Jay longed for the person to be Grandpa Ed. He wanted them to be someone that actually cared. He clutched his arms tighter around his knees, making no effort to lean into the man's attempt at comfort. How could he anyways, when they were the ones that put him here in the first place? The better part of him knew it wasn't their fault, they had known nothing about the family's ways, and yet the teen felt a small hint of betrayal from them.

They should have known. He decided.

That's their job in the first place.

Maybe the new house he'd be put in would have a nice family. A caring Mom and Dad who wouldn't hit him, and maybe learn to tolerate his foolishness. Hopefully, maybe... If they liked Jay, they would... adopt him? He'd have to quit messing up everything if he wanted the next family to like him. No more dropping laundry, stuttering, or any other kinds of things that might get him in trouble. He'd try his best to be tolerable, instead of becoming a burden. Only, who was Jay kidding? No one in their right mind would take him as their kid. Not with the baggage he carried.

Maybe someday I'll find a home.