𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 | JJ MAYBANK

XXVII

I undid my ponytail and shook out my mixup length brown hair. I was exhausted. these last few months have drained all the energy I had.  I kicked off my dirty converses to the side and slipped my jacket off my shoulders tossing it on the empty chair in the corner of my room, I wanted to fall into bed and sleep but I knew I had to shower before John B did. I grabbed my towel and just as I was about to reach for my door nod I got a glimpse of something shinning from below my bed.

I glanced between the door and the box telling myself I'll open it after but my curiosity was too strong, so my hand left the handle and with the other one I tossed my towel on my bed and knelt on the floor.  I reach underneath and grabbed the box and laying it on my lap, I didn't recognize the box but it looked familiar still, like I had somehow seen it before but I knew I didn't. I tugged the snug lid off the bottom and it popped opened, I slowly moved the piece of cardboard beside my legs and brought my glaze back to the inside.

I gasped lowly, astonished by the pictures and other valuable trinkets inside, I reached in grabbing the first picture and flipped it over. I took in the sight of my parents together at a hospital, there was a little boy with brown hair and a familiar big goofy grin on his lips and in John Bs hands was a small baby that I recognized to be me, and my dad was off standing by my mom admiring his family.

I knew I recognized the box, over the years I vaguely remember my mom putting things into but every time I asked her about it she'd tell me, "when the days right you'll know Andrea' and when she left I saw my dad adding things inside too. I didn't ever think I'd see it again, until now. I placed that picture down and picked up another one of John B and i, I was in his lap and he was practicing braids in my hair, and each picture after that had a similar story. But besides the pictures were items, I picked them up inspecting them each very precisely. I studied a baby pink child's hat, and a orange rattle and the last thing in the box was a note on a ripped post it.

I sniffled quitly, tears were welding up from deep inside as I read it.

Dear Bean and Bug.
One day you'll know why we did what we did, we love you so much more then you'll ever understand.
Love: you're beloved parents.

A solemn tear fell down my cheek; my body looked calm compared to how tangled my mind was.  How does someone just forget about there kids, I was a child waiting for her to come home, and then when she left a part of my dad left with her, the part that cared about us. Throughout our childhood he acted like he didn't care one day but then the next he'd her suddenly be controlling and want to know everythingc our grades, our lives and would try to make up for it in a week. then all over again we'd fall apart thinking he had finally shown us one ounce of attention and love, and after awhile John B figured out his ways but every time I fell for it over and over again and all those times John B picked up the pieces and held me when I cried and he became more then a brother, he took on the role they both left behind.

"Hey—" a voice broke into my door. I didn't move an inch from the position I was, my eyes were locked onto the blue post it in my hand. "hey. Hey you okay?"  My older brother worried, he crouched down beside me, placing a comforting hand on my back. I swiped my eyes but the tears came anyway, so many of them I felt a dam had broken, the stream was flooding out of my brown eyes and down my flushed cheeks.

I shake my head wordlessly, "I don't think so B." Bottom lip quivered, and my shoulders dropped in resignation and I fell into his arms letting our sobs, he didn't say anything, he just knew. He sat there and whispered calming words in my ear, it was weird how it was Sixteen years later and he was still picking up the pieces they broke.

—

I rub my finger over the post it note taking a mental Polaroid before slipping it inside the last compartment of my jewelry box, it was the next day and the sun going down and the golden light was peaking though my window aluminizing the side of my face.

After last nights cry I came to a realization that I couldn't keep letting them hurt me. I don't think I'll ever stop loving my parents, who they were before but I can't keep ignoring the way they treated us, Bee and I practically raised ourselves, and relied on each other for food, and other necessities, at one point Dad was just a roommate, but one thing dad did teach us was that being vulnerable was a bad thing, and I was determined to break that habit.

"Hey," I twisted around coming face to face with my brother himself. "How you feeling?" He walks into my room.

I smile slightly, "better, thanks for last night." He shifted on both of his feet, starring down at his fingers. "That's what I'm here for, right?" He smiles playfully. I chuckle and nod. "listen, I don't know what I'm doing Andie, trying to raise you all while still finding myself but I do know that as long as I'm here you don't have to go through anything alone."

"You know, you are a pretty good brother." I said with a beaming smile. He titles his head, "I try, I sigh slighlty, although we are falling apart here at least at there was some sort of an understanding that we're falling apart together, made me feel less alone. there's a knock at the door breaking our siblings glance , i arch my eyebrow and I walk past him, and JB trails closely behind, I carefully unlock the door and come face to face with three familiar faces.

"Anyone hungry?" I smile at my friends stammering in with two big bags filled with food and playful smiles. I stare, curiously. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked high pitched.

"Someone called said you needed a pick me up." I looked briefly at my brother with an appreciative smile before looking back, "well, thank you guys." I said. she dropped the food on the coffee table. Pope moved aside and JJ appeared from behind him, and when he saw me his face visually light up, His soft lips peaked up and his dimples followed behind. "Hey Andie," he slouched beside me, throwing his arm around the couch, it was normal for us to be affectionate so no one suspected anything.

I smiled softly, "hey JJ."

The rest of the night was spent laughing, telling jokes and remenecing of days when we were young, the sleepovers were Kiara and I painted all the boys nails in there sleep and when JJ woke us all up after a raver with an air horn and in the first time in six months we got to joke around like old times.
—

Very short chapter sorry guys, I just needs a filler!