Welcome to the family || Johnnie Guilbert story

Meeting again - Chapter 8

Johnnie's P.O.V

I sat on my bed, scrolling through my phone, aimlessly flicking past notifications that blurred together, when the call came in. I frowned, looking at the name that appeared on the screen. It was his Marie, what could she want?

"Hello" i said, trying to infuse warmth into my voice, though i knew it was futile under the current circumstances.

"Johnnie," she began, her voice trembling. "I need to talk to you about Emily."

The weight in her tone gave me a pause, amplifying the concern already knotting inside of my stomach. "What happened? Is she okay?"

There was a long silence on the other end, and i could feel my heart begin to race. "No. She's... she's not okay. She's in the hospital."

"Hospital?" I echoed, the word tasting bitter. "What happened?"

"She... she was found on the bathroom floor. It's bad, Johnnie. She's been cutting again, really bad. They say she tested positive for Molly."

"Molly?" I scoffed, bewildered. "Is she seriously messing with that stuff? I thought she was getting better? She told me so."

"Clearly, she isn't." There was a heaviness in Marie's voice that echoed with helplessness. "I can't keep trying to protect her anymore. I was thinking... would it be alright if she stayed with you for a while? Just until she gets her bearings sorted out?"

"Me?" The surprise lifted my voice higher than i intended. "Marie, we've hardly talked in years. Why would she want to stay with me?"

"Because I don't know what else to do. And you have been getting close over the last moth, You're her only option right now. I'm scared for her, Johnnie. I feel like I'm losing her."

Rubbing my temples, I felt a pang of guilt surge through me. "Okay, um... Sure. But I can't promise she'll be any better with me. I'm kind of a mess myself."

"I know," she murmured softly. "But I trust you."

An unexpected heat bloomed in my chest. It was a strange feeling, knowing her mother was entrusting me with Emily's care, despite their distance. "Alright, I'll pick her up."

"Thank you, Johnnie. I knew I could count on you."

After the call ended, i leaned back against my bed, staring at the faintly waving shadows. I wondered what kind of jam i was getting myself into.

The clock on my wall kept ticking, its monotonous sound—tic-tic-tic—filling the quiet space of my small room. I was perched on the edge of my bed, clutching my phone tightly, staring at the screen as if it held the answers to all my worries.

I took a deep breath, brushing a hand through my black hair. There was still time before Jake came home, he usually rounded back around 8pm, loud and full of life. I knew he would have to accept this truth, our lives were about to change.

Just as I was lost in thought, the door to my room swung open, and Jake walked in, carrying a bag over his shoulder. He dropped his bag on the floor, kicked off his shoes with a grin, and plopped down next to me.

"Hey, man! What's up? You look like you just saw a ghost," he teased, nudging me with an elbow.

"Something happened," I said, the weight of the news finally crashing down on me. "My sister... Emily. She needs to stay with us for a while."

Jake tilted his head, furrowing his brow. "Emily? I didn't even know she was your sister."

"Yeah, she's my half-sister. We share a dad, but we never really connected growing up—" I hesitated, searching for the right words. "She's been struggling. Her mom just called; Emily ended up in the hospital last night. She... well, I think she needs a place to heal."

Jake's expression shifted from confusion to concern. "Whoa. I didn't know it was that deep. I seen her videos but i didn't know it was that bad" He leaned back, running his hands through his hair as if trying to process everything at once. "What do you think? Is she okay?"

"I-I don't know. Her mom sounded really worried." I bit my lip, feeling the old familiar pressure in my chest tighten. "I thought maybe, since you've met her before, we could help her. I don't want her to be alone."

Jake nodded thoughtfully, his usual joyful exuberance tempered by empathy. "It's great that you want to help. But... do you think she'll fit in with us? I mean, you know how we can be, right? It's like, our place is loud and chaotic with all your music and my friends popping by."

"Yeah, but I don't care about any of that. I just want her to feel safe," I replied, my voice growing firmer. "We can create a safe space for her. I'll adjust. We'll adjust. I can't just leave her hanging."

"Okay," Jake said slowly, still processing. "If she needs help, of course, I'm on board. It's just... what if she doesn't want to talk about it? What if she feels out of place?"

I sighed, knowing these were valid concerns. "I'll be here for her. I mean, I struggle with some of the same things she does. I think it might actually help her to have someone who understands, and you is a great listener"

"True," he conceded, his voice low. "But hey, if things get heavy, it's okay to step back and take breaks, right? I don't want to put too much pressure on her or yourself—"

"I know," I interrupted gently, already feeling overwhelmed at the thought of being someone's anchor while also facing my own storms. "I just can't help but feel responsible. I didn't step up as a brother before; I can at least do it now."

Jake smiled warmly, his kindness radiating from him in waves. "Then we'll figure it out. We'll make it work, I promise." He stood up suddenly, extending his hand. "Let's just prepare the living room a bit more. We can draw up a welcome poster. Emily will love that, don't you think?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. It was like he was planning for a party, which, in essence, was exactly what we were doing—inviting a troubled soul into our space. "I don't know if poster board is what she needs right now, but I'll help if that makes you feel better."

Jake laughed, and I could sense the anxiety in my chest settle just a bit as the mood shifted. "Let's go grab the markers! This is going to be fun."

"You know, Johnnie," he called from the kitchen as he rummaged through the cabinets, "maybe this time together will be good for both of you. She's lucky to have you, man."

I felt a rush of warmth and gratitude for my roommate, who had no idea how much that little affirmation meant to me at that moment.

"Thanks, Jake. You're right. We'll find a way to make it work."

I looked at the clock and realised that it was time to go to the hospital, i got up and said bye to Jake, ordering an uber and went outside to wait.

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