Baby of the Family

Chapter 10 : Rocky finds out

Chapter 10

The next day...     

Ross POV

"Tell him to stop jumping out and scaring me! It's not nice!" Riker screamed.

My eyes snapped open. I could tell Riker was downstairs. And I'm guessing it was Rocky who scared him.

"I literally just walked out of the kitchen! I didn't jump out!" Rocky yelled.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. It's too early for this...

"Both of you in the kitchen. Now," Dad said.

I went downstairs. Riker was crying. Rocky looked annoyed. And dad looked like he was out of patience.

"I'm tired of you two fighting all the time. You're brothers. You need to learn how to get along. And until you can do that, I think maybe it would be a good idea if both of you roomed together instead."

"No!" Riker cried.

"Dad, you can't do that to him," I said.

"Well nothing else is working, so maybe if they're forced to spend more time together, they'll learn how to get along."

I pulled Riker into a hug.

"This is stupid," Rocky said.

"It's stupid that you two can't get along," dad said.

Riker started crying into my shirt. Honestly, I don't think this is going to go well. And I think it's a bad idea. And if dad knew Riker's mental health was so bad that he was cutting, maybe he wouldn't be doing this. But I already told Riker I wouldn't tell.

"I want you two in the same room by bedtime tonight," dad said.

"When can we go back to the original rooms we're in now?" I asked.

"When they can get along again," dad said.

Rocky rolled his eyes and left. Dad left too.

"Riker, it'll be ok. You just need to get along with him and then you can go back to rooming with me."

I sat down beside him and waited for him to calm down.

"You can do this, Riker."

"I don't feel like I can."

"I promise, you can. And if you need help, just tell me."

"Will you help me move into his room?"

"I don't think we should even move your stuff. I think you and Rocky should just try super hard for a few days to get along. And then this can be over."

"Ok..."

"I'll tell Rocky. You don't even have to get along. It can be fake getting along. It only has to be believable for dad."

"Ok."

"Let's go upstairs. You can just chill in bed for a while and calm down. I'll talk to Rocky."

"Thanks, Ross."

Later...

Riker POV

Rocky and I just avoided each other all day. Ross talked to him earlier and he's on the same page as us with our plan to just pretend to get along so this punishment can be over.

But I still wasn't happy with the arrangements.

I took a shower and then went to my new room with Rocky. But as soon as I got in bed, he shut the light off. So I reached over and turned it back on.

"What are you doing?" Rocky asked.

"I can't sleep in the dark."

"Riker, that's the whole point of the sun going down at night. So you can sleep. In the dark."

"Well Ryland let me have a nightlight on."

"Does this lamp look like a nightlight to you?"

"No, but I can't sleep in the dark!"

"Well I can't sleep with the lamp on."

Rocky turned it back off again. I felt myself getting really frustrated.

"Riker, just go to bed. It's not up for discussion."

I laid there for a while. But I was too anxious to try to fall asleep. And I knew it was no use to fight with Rocky.

I got up and locked myself in the bathroom. I know Ross said not to, but Ross doesn't understand how I feel.

I took out my razor blade and started making more cuts on my wrist. But someone knocked on the door, which made me jump and press down a bit hard.

"What!?" I asked, panicking.

"Riker, come back to bed," Rocky said.

I started rinsing my wrist off in the sink. I held paper towels on it, trying to stop the bleeding, but I could feel it soaking through the paper towels.

"Riker."

I heard him messing with the lock and he got the door open.

"What are you doing in here?"

He shut the door and came over. I gently took the paper towels off.

"Riker, this isn't ok. You can't do this. This is really serious."

"Rocky, please don't tell!"

Rocky grabbed more paper towels and held them tight on my wrist.

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I was mad and overwhelmed and anxious and literally nothing is going my way!"

"Is this because of the lamp?"

"Yes, but other things too!" I said, starting to cry.

"Never do this again, Riker. I'm serious."

He got my cuts to stop bleeding and then he bandaged them up.

"Let's go to bed," he said, putting his arm around me.

He led me back to his room and put the light on for me. I still felt upset though.

"Riker, are you going to be able to sleep?"

"I don't know."

"Would it make you feel better if you came over here?"

"Yes."

I got up and got in bed beside Rocky.

"Thank you," I said, quietly.

"Just try to relax, ok? I didn't know you were this anxious about stuff."

"Please can you not tell mom and dad?"

"I won't this time. But don't do it again, Riker. Seriously."

"I won't."

I shut my eyes, feeling a bit better now. I have light and I have Rocky, which normally wouldn't make me feel better, but I do tonight because he took care of me. So I'm happy about that.

I sighed, finally relaxing for the first time today. Maybe it won't be so bad rooming with Rocky.