Family

TWENTY-TWO

There's nothing more depressing than having it all and still feeling alone.

Present || Leonardo

Alonzo squeezed my hand gently in a reassuring way as Alex drove. We were sitting in the back of the Alonzo's Audi and soft music was playing in the background.

"Anyone want ice-cream?" Alex offered, his mouth forming a smile behind his mask as he looked at me in the car's mirror.

Alonzo frowned," It's a bit chilly, what if he gets sick?"

"Stop babying him Alonzo, I'm sure he hasn't had anything nice to eat with you around." Alex rolled his eyes.

Alonzo groaned in annoyance," Fine what flavour do you want Leo?"

"Chocolate right?" Alex interrupted.

"V-Vanilla," I replied back quietly, still shaken up by what happened in the hospital.

Alonzo's eyes widened in surprise but a look of playfulness danced across his face," After all these years and you still like vanilla?" He teased.

I shrugged, not really in the mood to talk and looked out the window. A flock of birds flew in the sky, flying together to their next destination. Oh how I would love to be them. Free. Maybe then I'd finally be happy and at peace, if it all just ended. Sometimes, the feeling of free meant death. When one dies, only then are they truly free.

My mind drifted back to what happened earlier. The look of concern plastered on my brother's faces and the way the doctor seemed deep in thought. When I had finally calmed down from my panic attack, Alex took me out of the room and back into the car.

It took some time before Alonzo came back, his expression gave nothing away which worried me. Just what did the doctor and him talk about?

"We're here!" Alex exclaimed, smiling at me with his eyes.

I gave him a weak smile and waited as he ordered our ice-creams in the drive thru. Alex nodded in thanks at the woman and handed Alonzo our ice-creams. My mouth watered as Alonzo handed it to me.

Vanilla ice-cream was my favourite.

"Are w-we going back t-there now?" Alex raised an eyebrow at my question.

"No baby brother, we're going to have some fun," His eyes twinkled, pressing his foot onto the pedal.

"How's your ribs?" Alonzo asked in worry.

"They're o-okay," I replied softly.

The doctor didn't bandage them as it could be dangerous for my breathing but he did give me some cream and told me to ice my ribs either in the morning or night and do the opposite with the cream.

"Great." Alex chuckled.

I held onto my ice-cream tighter, fearing what was to happen.

****

In the end, my ice-cream lay victim to my cheeks and the car window and somehow ended up in Alonzo's hair.

We were currently sitting in a booth in a restaurant Alex had brought us to, a waitress kindly offered us wipes to clean our faces with. Alonzo still wasn't over what had happened and was glaring at Alex the whole time.

"You're cleaning my car." He demanded, crossing his arms over his chest as he laid back in his seat.

Alex scoffed," Not my fault you can't handle my speed."

"It's not my fault you're awful at driving," He replied, his eyes twitching.

Nervously, my eyes swept between the two, wondering if things were going to escalate like they did with Alonzo and Alfonzo in my bedroom.