Lost

Chapter 21 - Breaking Point

Almost a year passed in silence like this.

Ace got used to observing and never talking, he got used to everyone acting as though he was some sort of magical miracle, because they acted like he didn't even have a mother, like she never existed. The police talked to him one day as it was clear he was at the scene of Katherine Hampton's suicide. They cleared him of any wrong doings and offered their condolences, but Ace didn't really care. Past then he had probably never spoken of Kat.

Jodee was six years old now and had changed quite a bit in a year. She was still as small as ever and probably hadn't grown that much but mentally she had. She was a lot more mature now that her brother was going through his own struggles. She was still quiet and cute but instead of being quiet because she was scared, she was quiet because she just didn't enjoy speaking all that much. Maybe it was because she had watched a role model in her life observing everything, but she did just like to sit back and watch scene's unfold before her.

But she wasn't alone in a completely silent world — she had Caleb who became more and more like her brother as the days continued. There were pretty clear boundaries on what Cal did and what Ace did and who Jodee would go to in certain situations. Caleb was like an overgrown cheerleader who you went to for random things or if you needed someone to pick you up. Ace, on the other hand, was for serious things and if Jodee was really sad or scared he would be there.

Caleb had never really had a purpose in life — his mother was in her own world and he didn't have any desire to meet or speak to his father in any sort of capacity. Although the man relentlessly tried to. But now he did have a purpose and a family that really cared for him. They may be dysfunctional and not really a real family as the two boys weren't over eighteen and could not live on their own. So yeah, their lives were broken, and maybe they were too, but together they weren't broken ... not anymore.

"Hey." Caleb said, tossing his cigarette out hastily as Ace came to join him in the little outside porch.

For the past couple of months the boys and Jodee had been living together in either Ace's house or Caleb's. Most of the time they preferred Caleb's as Tobias was always a hassle and would be set off pretty quickly when he saw Cal. But Jodee did have her own room there and Cal's mother wasn't so those were plus's. So they stayed at Caleb's house until Julia came home and then they moved over to Ace's until something happened with Toby and repeat, repeat, repeat.

"Here." Ace grumbled, holding out his hand as a way to ask for Caleb's lighter as he lifted one of his own cigarettes to his mouth.

Caleb fumbled for the little metal case, caught off guard by Ace's request. Normally, Ace didn't like smoking anywhere near Jodee and although she was in bed and it was past her bedtime Ace had gotten mad before so Cal thought it was just best to throw his cancer stick away before Ace had the chance to even see it.

"Spot me?" Caleb asked, holding out his hand for one of Ace's cigarettes as he had just tossed his away. His upper ears turned red from embarrassment of the request but he still had to ask.

Ace rolled his eyes, but nonetheless, handed his friend one. He took his spot next to Caleb, both leaning over the railing of the porch as they looked into the night sky. No stars could be seen due to the amount of light pollution but they still looked.

"Jodee in bed?" The blonde haired boy asked — he hated silence.

The other one nodded his head in response. "Sleeping." Ace did add on to say that Jodee was sleeping as well and not just in bed.

Caleb raised his eyebrows. "Wow, that was fast." He murmured. "'Took you a long time." Cal also observed. Jodee was a good kid and therefore went down to bed pretty easily if she was on her routine, however tonight it took Ace about 45 minutes which is a lot longer than her normal 20 minute, max, routine..