Blanket of Stars [completed]

✩Nine Everybody's Hurtin'

✩Everybody's hurtin'

It had been a long day. After a disastrous shopping trip and a four hour class on Ancient architecture, I was exhausted. Around six in the evening, Devlin had dropped me off at my house and I bolted to get ready for class. I returned home after college to find Liza dozed off in her bedroom and dad reading the newspaper.

Dad and I ate dinner. He asked me about my day with Devlin and advised me to be safe. Let me assure you, it had been the most mortifying lecture of my life. "This is not the age for kids, you know, Alice. Your mom and I had to go through a-lot to raise you" Suffice to say, I was glad Devlin wasn't the kind who preferred a physical relationship. I'm pretty sure dad would have lectured me longer if I had been dating someone other than Devlin.

He trusted him.

So did I.

I tossed and turned in bed. My eyes were wide open. Despite being weary as hell, I couldn't sleep. I was worried for Devlin and his family. Sarah, Bre, Mr. Hutchins, Yuv, Brandon, Akihiro- so many people with whom his relation needed to fixed.

I don't think I have the power to fix it. I can merely push Devlin and all his family together so they may talk this through.

Why were they all angry with him? He had done nothing wrong. He needed their love, their support, their affection.

No-one loved Mrs. Hutchins more than Devlin.

If they could only see what I could see.

There was a hesitant shuffle near the door. In walked Liza, wearing her sky blue nightshirt. She smiled at me. "I was going to the bathroom and the lights were on so I thought I might check in."

And indeed, the lights were on. My mind had been so occupied I hadn't bothered to turn them off. I got up into a siting position. "Come on here." I patted to the space next me.

She sat down next me, resting her head on the maze of her knees.

"Our little dinner tradition broke today. What's going on?"

"It broke the day he came back." She didn't meet my gaze. "There's no point to it anymore."

"He? You mean Devlin? Liz, what are you trying to say?"

She shrugged her shoulders then suddenly perked up. "Did you talk to dad about my freshmen welcoming party? I really want to go with a date. All my friends are coming with their boyfriends."

"I was going to but it slipped out of my mind."

She sighed. "I should have known."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Now that he's back, it's all going to be about Devlin. You won't have time for me and dad. It's always Devlin this, Devlin that. He's taken up all your attention."

I placed my hand on her shoulder and forced her to look at me.

"It's not like that, okay? I'm really worried for him, Liza. He lost mother and no-one is there by his side. He needs me."

"So do we. You're all I have, Alice. There are things I can't share with dad, things I want to share with you but you're never there when I need you."

"Liza." I whispered. My ears unable to believe that she would say such a thing. Why couldn't she see? I was a better sister now than before. Why couldn't my little sister understand that I loved her just as much as I loved Devlin?