Captive

thirty » c o m p a n y

Jeremy

       "Hey little man, how was—" I started to say, watching as Drake opens the door but he ignores me, stomping his way up the stairs and up to his room, I heard his door slam shut loudly.

       "He's been like this all week." Zuri says, looking over at me from across the table, a bowl in front of her as she munches on her cereal, I sigh as I lean back and cross my arms over my chest.

       "I should check up on him," I say, shaking my head before pushing myself away from the counter and straightening up. I made my way to the exit of the kitchen but Zuri's voice stop me, I turn my head and look over at her.

       "Hey Jeremy?" She says, looking at me with worried but frustrated eyes.

       "Yeah?" I hold my breath, wondering if she's gonna ask me about Octavia again, I know what has happen to Octavia and what she's been through, but my parents told me not to tell either Drake or Zuri about her. Since then, Drake has been ignoring all of us and Zuri just didn't asked since she knew we wouldn't tell her.

       "What's a divorce?"

       I suck in a breath, my eyes widening a little as she looks to me, her eyes flickering with emotions. "It's um," I lick my lips, feeling as if my throat went dry with the question she asked me. I didn't know that this was how bad Mom and Dad were fighting. "Why, uh, why are you asking?" I avoided the question, instead looking at her with a steady and cool expression.

      "When you left last night, I heard Mom and Dad fighting again, I heard divorce and I don't know what that means. What is it? They sounded really angry." Zuri explains, and she turns around in her seat, her arms wrap around the back of her chair as she looks to me.

        "It means when a couple don't love each other anymore and they want to leave each other." I say, swallowing roughly as I look at her, clenching my jaw tightly that I gritted my teeth together.

        "Oh." Zuri's face drops and she nods slowly. "Are Mom and Dad gonna get a divorce then?"

       "No, that won't happen, we're just going through a tough time Zuri. I won't let it happen." I nod at her before turning and leaving the kitchen, walking up the stairs. Dad won't probably be back home till later tonight and Mom will maybe show up in an hour, I don't even know if she went to work. Sighing quietly, I stand before my younger brother's bedroom door and knocked on it softly with my knuckles.

       "Drake? You okay man?" I ask, not earning any kind of replay. Waiting a few seconds, I grab the handle and open the door realizing that for once it wasn't locked. Pushing the door open, I look at Drake as he sits up on his bed and quickly pulls his hoodie up over his head and looks at me, he looks to the ground as he pulls his headphones down to hang around his neck.

       "What are you doing? Get out of my room." Drake says, his voice hard and rude.

       "What's up with you man? You've been ignoring us a lot." I say, tilting my head and looking down at him.

       "Nothing, well other than the fact that our sister is kidnapped and being held somewhere God only knows and also the fact you won't tell me a thing that's been going on too." He snaps, his voice filled with anger but he doesn't raised his head at all, he just looks down to his feet.

       "Drake, you're only thirteen—" He cuts me off, shaking his head.

       "So? It doesn't excuse the fact that I know things, Jeremy. I'm not five! I can handle whatever's happening, just talk to me!" Drake says, his voice raising just a bit and he looks up suddenly and I watch as his hoodie falls back, showing me his face.