Epilogue- 1 month later
Aleks leaned up against the counter with his chin pressed into his cheek. Behind him, the carnival game lit up in bright lights, repeating the same excited slogans it always did.
It was getting on his nerves.
He switched his eyes to slowly scan the other amusement park games and spotted Eddie and Jordan working games right next to each other. But Eddie's duck pond was busy, so he hadn't had a chance to really talk with Jordan today.
Aleks laughed sadistically.
Then he looked over to the game on the far side: the basketball throw. Seamus was standing, idly dribbling the ball as he waited in vain for customers.
Seamus had finally stood up to his father and told him that he wanted to do something for himself. Working at an amusement park wasn't that impressive, but it was a start.
Suddenly, Aleks' supervisor slammed a hand down on the counter in front of Aleks, surprising him. He jolted briefly before straightening up for his boss, but he didn't give Aleks time to talk.
"Your guardian just called the office. You need to go home immediately. They said it's something about your brother?"
Aleks' heart froze with fear. "Did they say what it was about?"
"No."
Aleks raced around the guy and bolted down the sidewalk past his friends' games. They stared after him but didn't call him out.
They knew that whatever it was, they would hear about it later that night.
On the way home, Aleks repeatedly called everyone in his household. No one picked up. It is possible that something terrible had happened again? It was a thought that left him breathless.
When he reached home, he slammed into the driveway, and was up to the door in a flash. "James!" Aleks cried, throwing the door open, frightened.
He paused at the sight he was greeted with in the living room. James was sitting on the couch with Laura and Lily on either side, looking absolutely gleeful. Sean sat on the arm of the couch with the same grin as the girls.
James, however, was blushing heavily with his hands over his face. "I told you guys not to call him at work."
"This is important," Lily said excitedly. "Aleks, get over here."
Aleks approached slowly, not knowing what to think. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, they're overreacting," James said.
All three started protesting at his words while Aleks looked around in confusion. "What?"
"James, tell him," Laura said.
James sighed but smiled despite himself. "This morning I woke up... and I'm seeing—"
"WHAT?" Aleks cried.
"Calm down!" James cried, laughing. "I'm only seeing really, really, really blurry images with like no color."
"But you can see!" Aleks hollered.
James started laughing and happy tears bubbled up into his eyes. Aleks launched himself at James and gave him a suffocating hug. "It's a miracle!"
Aleks started crying himself after that and James ended up comforting him.
Nothing had changed, but yet, everything had.
It was wonderful.
YOU ARE READING
Behind Closed Hearts
Fanfiction""I don't hurt myself. I don't. I don't." He inhaled sharply. Through his mind flashed images of Nathen at his worst, towering over him with that look in his eyes. James flinched into his arms, gasping. "I wish he would just leave me alone," he said...
