Until We Bleed

{Two//4}

I wake up to an aggressive shake coming from my shoulder. I flicker my eyes open to see Jake, with his eyes as wide, and as angered as possible. When I come to, I realize her and I had fallen asleep on the porch swing and she was laying in my lap as my head fell against my hand. I shake out my wrist, hoping my hand would wake up from its pins and needles feeling.

"Sorry- are you mad?" I whisper.

"Mad?" Jake whispers back, "I'm infuriated! I told you i'd cover for you, not take in a little sister."

"Well what should I do about it?" I rub my eyes. Jake puts his hands up and shakes his head.

"No, you're on your own for this one. Mom is coming out to hang clothes up on the line by the way so you might want to have her sit up so it doesn't look like you're doing something adulterous." Jake winks and hops of the porch steps and goes out to the barn. 
I tuck her hair behind her ear, and gently shake her awake.

She groggily sits up and looks around, she hadn't been able to see the house or the land since it was too dark to see al; the little details. There was a soft fog close to the corn field, the sun evaporating the droplets of morning dew that had collected on the sharp green blades of grass over the night. She fixes her eyes on me after a few seconds then combs her fingers through her hair.

"What time is it?"

"I don't know, but my mom will be coming outside soon and we should be awake for that," I adjust my shirt. Her eyes widen and her eyes dart around.

"Your mom? Josh, I don't have the right clothes on for this!" She whisper shouts. I touch her upper bicep.

"it will be okay, my mother doesn't judge, and plus she will have extra clothes for you."

"I am not wearing your mothers clothes." Her eyes narrow as my mama waltz' out, Her new green dress that father had bought her in the towns. There was a stitching of flowers in a cream color to show the distinct designs. She looks over and her eyes widen.

"Well...Joshua who is this and did she walk here? She looks oh-so-very tired." Mama places her hands on her hips.

"This is..." I glance over to her, she nods with a smile. "My girlfriend?"

"Oh my! You have a girlfriend!" She claps her hands, "Up, up, up, You must come with me. I've got to get you out of those clothes." Mama pulls her up from the swing and drags her inside, the look she gave me as mama gripped  onto her wrist was hysterical. I stand up to follow them and I see Jake already arguing with father by the horse barn. I roll my eyes and make my way over to the two angry men.

"You don't understand!" Jake shouts, I keep a distance, not wanting to fully interfere—only listen.

"You don't understand either! You can't just make these rash decisions without taking account of  what lies in front of you." I hear father making the same argument as always. Jake shakes his head.

"And what is that exactly? The blatant disregard for my feelings, is that what you mean? If not, I must not be seeing what you are."

"Jake-" Father goes to console but Jake cuts him off—which is unlike him.

"Please, enlighten me on this thing you are seeing that I can't comprehend. Because I just need you to actually say something that resinates, something that hasn't been repeated already. And if it's not, don't worry about saying it." A vein in Jakes forehead bulges as his face flushes a deep red. Father rubs his temples, thinking, he does this when he wants to make sure his words are perfect. He has done so since we were little—usually when he would scold us.