His sister was clearly mad. Or not mad; he changed his mind after throwing a single glance at her. She was not mad; she was furious. There was something in her calmness that terrified him, and yet he tried to play it off as if he didn't notice. Of course he could see that she was hurting, just as their parents were hurting. But he couldn't stop it. He had tried; he really had. But every time, it ended the same way. The anxiety returned, and he had nowhere else to go. Smoking and then disappearing into a different world where there was no real pressure on him. Playing football had always been his favorite thing in the world. He remembered how, even as a child, he would be excited to watch it on TV and try to recreate every move he had seen. But as the years went by, there was more pressure on him. From friends, his parents, his coach, and the entire school. He was the captain and had to keep his grades good and perform on top every single day. There were too many who depended on him, and even if he slipped up even just a single time, everything was over. He had thought that college would be different and easier in some way. But how wrong he had been. It had only gotten so much worse. Again, he had been elected to lead the team as the captain; classes had gotten harder, and games mattered even more as it was where the scouts were. He wanted to play professionally. But not when it felt as if he had the entire world on his shoulders. Going to the right parties, being friends with the right people, acting confident and careless, and scoring high on tests and in sports It was all an endless loop he was trapped in, and there was no way out. Or that was what he had thought. At first, it was alcohol. It had worked for a while, but he had always ended up in bed with some random girl and hurt people. It was some guy from another college who had introduced him to the smoke for the first time. He hadn't wanted to do it at first. But as more people tried it, he felt as if he had to. With each inhalation, it was as if he left all worries behind. He looked at his sister, standing at the door. Surely she had her things with friends, tennis, and school. But she didn't have an entire team that relied on her or a coach who would push her to be better in every aspect. Not all eyes were on her; she wasn't the topic of conversation or had to put on a fake smile every time she was mentioned. Sometimes he felt sorry for her, but if only she knew all the pain she didn't have to carry. Why couldn't she just understand him? They sat in her car as she drove them towards a breakfast place right outside of town. She probably didn't want anyone to see them and realize what had happened to him.
- Why are you doing this for me? It's not you who will get into trouble.
For the first time, she looked at him.
- There, you are wrong. I promised to look after you, and I didn't. So I will be in just as much trouble as you. If not even more.
She continued, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. He nodded slowly. How could she stay so cold? He had lost their parents trust a long time ago; now he could feel hers slipping away as well.
YOU ARE READING
Burned Pieces
Teen Fiction[Her heart was broken, not like when it drops to the ground and shatters; it was being torn out. She crossed the motel room, avoiding the sound coming from her bussing phone, and headed towards the bathroom. She sank to the floor, tears streaming do...
