"And lastly, that's Madison, or Mads, my little sister who is also trying to climb up the broken lifeguard tower. We're only a year apart. When she's not doing some odd job for extra cash she is on the HMS Pogue with the rest of us. Most loyal perso...
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The rain fell from the sky with such grace it was almost enough to make Madison forget it all. It had this uncanny way of sweeping in, blanketing the town, and washing away the nightmares but this was one it wouldn't be able to erase. She had taken up residence at the end of the dock, her feet dangling above the water, her tears mixing with the rain that had long since soaked through her clothes. The occasional rumble of thunder was the only indication she wasn't as alone as she felt though it would be okay with her if she was. Madison had never been the kind of girl who thought she needed anyone to complete her. But she was wrong. She needed her family, she needed her brother, and it was the one thing she would never have again. She'd forever be this broken little girl who the world didn't love enough to give her a sense of home.
She no longer held any concept of time and couldn't tell you how long she had been sitting outside, only that she felt like she couldn't breathe when she tried to walk through the front door. He was everywhere she looked. He was the bandana hanging from the door handle, the unmade bed in the corner of his room, and the half empty bottle of beer on the counter. The Chateau was just another reminder of everything that had been so harshly taken away from her. A worn board creaked as a pair of boots made their way down the dock and she took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as JJ came up behind her.
"Going to catch cold."
His voice was soft, concern lacing every word, but she felt the true anguish behind every syllable. She was supposed to be the strong one. She wanted to be the strong one. She should have been the one making sure he was okay. John B had been his brother just as much as he was hers. She should be making sure that he had a shoulder to cry on or to even talk him out of any crazy ideas he might have come up with but yet here he was taking care of her, again. It was hard to think about one of them without thinking about the other. Truth be told, she had been avoiding JJ, not strong enough to be able to see him without carving a deeper hole into her heart. He and John B were a definitive duo that effortlessly complimented one another. It had only been a matter of hours since the news but she found herself staring out at the marsh waiting for him to pull up at any second. He was supposed to dock the boat with that stupid smirk on his face and tell her it was all some cruel joke except that he never did.
"Maddie," he tried again, this time a bit louder than the last but with more emotion.
She couldn't turn around and face him. How was she supposed to look at him without thinking about her brother? How was she supposed to see those baby blues so lifeless, a mirror image of her own? She had lost a part of her heart, a part of her identity, but so had he. They were both broken, both affected by his death in different ways, and although not alone they were as lonely as they had ever been.
JJ's jacket was draped over her shoulders when she hadn't responded and the familiar scent of weed and Old Spice was enough to lose any control on her emotions. The broken sobs left her mouth without warning, the weight of the jacket more than she could bear, his arms barely able to wrap around her before the uncontrollable sobs cut through the night air like a knife. His comfort was welcomed and hated all in the same ragged breath. He shouldn't have to be there holding her, quieting her cries, because her brother should have come home. He should have kept his promise like he had any other time not only for her but for the one beside her keeping her together. She wanted to be that strong girl people claimed she was but she was lost. Lost as easily as a leaf on a windy day that drifted through the air without meaning or a purpose.
