the truce, evan fletcher

chapter three

╰┈➤ 🎸 🖤 💿 ...

ARRIVING AT THE
BAKER'S HOUSE

ryan and june walked into the house, hearing their parents already arguing in their room upstairs.

june simply sighed before taking another sip of her milkshake. "what are they arguing about now?" he wondered.

the two siblings snuck upstairs and pressed their ears against their parent's door, trying not to be heard.

"ryan is not a disgrace, do you fucking hear me, greg? neither is june!" their mother argued. "june is a damned traumatized burden to this family ever since last year! all this damn therapy that's been costing more than i make in a month hasn't helped her one fucking but! and ryan, don't get me started on him!" greg shouted.

june glanced at her brother, the boy looking at her too. "you're not a burden, june." ryan whispered. "yeah, i hope not." june sniffled, walking over to her room.

ryan watched her before returning to his room too. june shut her door, allowing herself to break into tears.

she plopped in bed and face timed gabby, who was always there for her. gabby answered, also laying in bed. when she noticed june's teary eyes, she sat up with furrowed brows.

"aw, babe. what's wrong?" gabby cooed. "my dad thinks i'm a burden. ever since last year." june said. "you're no burden, june arya baker. it's not your fault that you're still in recovery, psychically and mentally. you nearly died, june. that'd take anyone a long time to process too, don't feel alone." gabby reassured.

"i just hate living here, gabby, i have everything about it. my mother defends me and ryan, you know? but she... even she still says some really hurtful shit about us. you and ryan are only people i can go to when our parents start arguing." june explained. "and i'll stay that person for you, always forever." gabby smiled.

june forced a smile back to not be rude, but it was a weak and small one. "well, thank you gabby. i'll, uhh, see you at school tomorrow. i'm gonna go to sleep." june stated, getting ready to hang up.

"alright. call or text me if you need to talk again, okay? i love you." gabby said. "love you too." june mumbled, then the call hung up. she set her phone down on her nightstand and sighed as she rolled onto her back to look up at the ceiling. she was deep in thought.

all of the sudden, june heard her brother's name being called. "ryan!" greg shouted.

the sound of a door opening and shutting was heard, most likely ryan leaving his room and entering his parent's.

"you failed your math test?!" greg jeered, clearly to ryan.

june sat up, trying to hear their conversation. "yeah, but... mr. gallagher is strict, dad! half the class failed too." ryan tried to explain.

"that's no excuse! you aren't half the class, ryan!" their mother cried out. "i know, i tried!" ryan told her. "clearly you didn't if your teacher had to email me about your F in math!" greg shouted.

"i told you, i'm trying! you don't understand what it's like —" ryan added, being cut off by the sound of a loud slap.

june jumped out of bed and hurried out of her room, walking into her parents room and finding ryan with his hand on his red cheek. greg was breathing heavily, their mom just looking like she was stressed, her head down as she pinched the bridge of her knows.