There for you

Chapter 2

Chapter 2...

Tucker

I don't know what happened. One minute I was eating my breakfast, and the next, I was comforting my sad little sister, while she was in a heap of tears in her grey bedroom, on the floor.

I have done my best at hiding my tears for the past few months. I lost it yesterday. After she cried enough to let some hurt go for a little while, she gathered herself enough for us to be able to talk about everything.

"...it's time for a change..."I whisper. I don't know exactly what I mean by a change, but there definitely needs to be one if were going to make it till she turns eighteen, and move away from this goddamn town.

"Chris? Chris, hey it'll be okay, I'm here... I'm here..." I don't know what to do, she has never broken down like this before, it's like she finally just... cracked. "Chrissie, hey I'm here, I'm here." It's been almost an hour and a half, and I'm on the verge of breaking down just seeing her like this... so broken, so lost. A tear starts forming in my eye, then rolls down my cheek.

She is hiccupping and trying to calm herself down, when she realizes I'm beginning to cry. I don't think she has ever seen me cry, except for one other time... when mom died. I don't even realize I started to full on cry until she mumbles a barely audible sentence, "W-what... You're C-crying...?"

"Haha, yes. I thought it fit the circumstances." I mumble through my wet tears, trying to make her laugh. Truth is I'm finding it difficult to sound happy, or even a little okay... I'm pretty sure she sees through me.

"Y-you don't always have to be happy, y-you know. You can be sad for a little while... It helps with the hurt." She whispers, continuing to try to calm down and stop hiccuping.

"I need to be strong for you... for us. If I'm not strong, our bond will break and the little family we have left will be gone... If I fall apart I won't be here to pick up your pieces, Chrissie. And as your only family left, I need to do that; I need to be here for you. You know that." I know I have to be her role model. I have to take on the roles of her mom, dad, and most importantly, her brother. I have to be a great one too.

"I love you so much. By the way... Did u buy me a dress?" she asks me, as she falls asleep in my arms and lays her head on my tear stained shirt.

I let out a little sigh of regret on my part, because I did buy her a dress. -not expecting her to cry- I wish I had known what her reaction was going to be.

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She stayed home from school yesterday, but this morning is going to be good. I'm not going to overwhelm her with breakfast; I'll just put out cereal and go to the grocery to give her some space. I wonder what made her break yesterday? Was it because of my attempts at being a normal happy family, when we obviously aren't? I don't want to ask her, because she might cry, and I do not want to be the cause of her crying. I hate seeing her cry, and I want to cry when she does, I want to feel what she feels so I know how to fix it.

Although I know I can't, I won't ever be able to fully take away her pain.

Chrissie:

I have the best brother in the entire world. I think as I get ready for the second day of school.

I walk over to my wooden closet doors and open them to reveal my boring clothes. Then I see my new, beautiful pink dress, and a smile creeps onto my lips. I grab it off the rack and slide it on to my petite frame. I pull on the brown leathery belt and clip it together around my waist. Walking over to the mirror I step over a piece of paper that must have fallen off my dresser that lines the wall near my door. I flip it over to gaze upon a happy family- a woman who appears to be in her late thirty's, who has glorious dark, long and wavy hair lying on her shoulders; and holding her hand is a man, not much older, but maybe by a couple years. He has an amused grin indented on his slightly wrinkled face. And sitting near the man is a little boy. He looks so happy, truly happy. The boy looks about ten or eleven years old with a sparkle in his green orbs. There is one more person in this picture, a cheeky little girl with a dimple below her chin and has dark wavy hair, just like the woman. She looks so smiley... what happened to this family?

Wiping a tear away from my eye, I stop myself and put the picture back on my dresser, before I start to break down like yesterday. I want to go to school today, I want a new start. School is a good place to do that.

"Come on Chrissie, just walk to the mirror, and get ready. You don't want to be late." I encourage myself.

I do this all morning, "Come on Chrissie, just walk down the stairs so you can eat and get to school and see all your friends again..." That is if I still have any left.

I didn't keep contact with anyone over the summer, even though people did call and text me at first. They eventually gave up, but I didn't care. I wish I had. I want to walk with someone from class to class with. I want things to go back to normal.

I walk down the white carpeted stairs and expect Tucker to be sitting on the couch in his apron, waiting for me like every morning, but he's not. I don't think he's even in the house. That's strange, we have - or had- a routine going.... did he mean this when he said, 'it's time for a change.'? Maybe he is just running late. He's probably in his room doing something. As I walk over to the fridge to get breakfast, I see a box of Special Kay cereal, a glass bowl, a silver spoon, and a note on the island where the breakfast items are sitting.

It says, "Went out to the grocery store, remember? I forgot... surprise, surprise I know. Good luck at school, and don't forget to eat and grab lunch money. Love you -Tuck" What the hell? He never leaves me without saying goodbye...

"Remember, you wanted it to go back to normal Chrissie." I remind myself and I start to pour myself my cereal when all of a sudden I feel nauseous. I drop the box onto the floor and run to the nearest bathroom.

~~

I finish up and conclude that I'm just nervous. I now only have twenty minuets to get to school, when I haven't eaten yet, don't have a ride because I've already missed the bus, and I don't have my bag packed. "Great start to your first day of school, Chrissie... Just great."

The first thing I do is pack my bag with the essentials, a notebook, pencils, pens, planner, and a folder. "Great, that's done, now where is my purse?" I question myself as I make my way to my bedroom upstairs. Walking into my room, I spot my bag, my phone (which is currently on my nightstand charging), and my wallet. I grab my belongings, and stuff them into my boring, brown purse.

Running downstairs I remember the lunch money and grab the cash Tucker left on the counter for me, and reach for my backpack also. "Awesome, now grab an apple and call your best friends, Lila and Carter." I cross my fingers hopefully and reach into my bag for my phone, and type in Lila's number expecting her to be with Carter. We were like the three musketeers, best friends forever- then my mom died and I ignored them. While I silently scold myself I hear the phone ringing and then, thank the lord, she picks up.

"Oh my god!" I hear her shriek. "Carter! Get over here! Guess who I am talking to! Get over here!" I hear her screaming to Carter in the background. I silently hope she's excited, and not mad that I called.

"Chris? Is it really you?!" A male voice asks through the phone. Oh my god, how I missed his velvety smooth voice. He sounds relieved. Thank god.

"Yeah... I know I have been a real lousy friend all summer, ignoring your calls and everything, but could you bring me to school this morning? I really need a ride, cuz Tucker is out and I missed the bus..." As I'm ranting on, I hear an argument going on in the background. I listen, and I can make out words here and there. Carter wants me to come, but Lila isn't sure. -I'm not mad, because I probably wouldn't want me coming either- Please say yes, please Lila... I think, as I encourage her silently.

"Fine!" she screams at Carter. "Geez, Carter can be persistent when he wants to be, right Chris? Oh, and we would love to help you out- we'll be there in five minutes! See ya." She says, sounding unsure.

"Great, thanks Lila. See you guys in five minutes!" I say sweetly through the phone, stuffing it into my pocket, I hear the line cut off, and I plop onto the leathery couch with a loud and relieved sigh. "Thank you." I say, just above a whisper.

Getting up, I run towards the door and I realize I forgot my apple. I walk to the fridge, grab my apple, and with my backpack, and purse in hand, I run for the oak door that leads me to school, and out of this depressing grey house full of depressing grey memories.

The next chapter is going to be in Ticker's POV :D. YAY