We Are Stars | OLD DRAFT

Chapter Five: Hollow Cause

"I came home from work yesterday to find him more drunk than alive. The guy couldn't even talk straight when I talked to him, and he kept rambling things that didn't make sense. We were arguing for a while before you got home, Rowen," Dylan explains so solemnly. There's a deep sadness and regret in his voice that's hard to muster. I've never seen him like this before.

Caleb's hands are clasped together in a ball that rests between the crook of his eyebrows. His eyes are closed and he makes no noise. When he got home from work last night, Dylan and I didn't have the heart to break the news to him that his father wasn't coming back. But once the truth was revealed this morning, it was a surprise to see him more relieved than disappointed.

I take Dylan's hand in mine. "What did you mean when you said that you were the one keeping this family on top of water?" My father was the one who began paying all the mortgage when Mom died, but ever since he became an engaged alcoholic, it's been up to my brothers to pay most of the bills.

"He lost his job around a month ago... and I've been paying the bills ever since. I didn't want to worry you two with that information so I kept it to myself," Dylan explains. "That's the secret that Caleb and I were keeping from you, Rowen."

Caleb is still quiet, but I can see the slow nod in his head as he agrees with Dylan.

"Why did you tell Caleb and not me?" I ask him, not wanting to sound too angry or judgemental.

"He was going to find out sooner than later, and I didn't want you to worry about something as stupid as money. I also needed help paying and since Caleb has a job, I thought he could help me."

My blood runs cold when I realize that my brothers were only keeping this information from me because they felt that they could protect me from the truth - the truth that our family is almost broke. I instantly regret assuming the worst when I found out they were hiding something, and now, all I can feel is sympathetic.

"You both still should have told me," I say to them. "I could've helped."

"Helped how, Rowen?" Caleb speaks up. There's a weariness is his voice. "There's nothing you could've done." That, I can barely come up with a reply for. There is a long list of things I could've done, things that I can still do to help out now that the man who poses as an infestation is gone from our loved. But now that he's gone, what does that mean for us?

"What's gonna happen now that Dad's gone? I mean, he's technically our legal guardian," I state so weakly.

Caleb removes his hands from his face and places them on the table in front of him. "He's technically your legal guardian," he answers. "Dylan and I are adults so he's got nothing on us.

"Yeah, but I'll be eighteen soon," I say. "So it doesn't matter anyway."

Dylan stiffens. "Exactly. So we need to keep this to ourselves until you finish High School. As of right now, we're your guardians, and no one else needs to know," he explains is broad detail so I understand every bit of it.

"And if the school gets a little too curious? What will happen then?" I ask.

Caleb reaches for my hand from across the table. "It's gonna be fine, Rowen. Besides, it's like you said. You're almost eighteen, so you don't have to worry about it."

I nod and try to look strong for my brothers, but my shoddy performance doesn't enact any applause. Instead, I watch as Dylan takes my other hand and takes Caleb's as well until we're all sitting around the table with our hands connecting us. "From now on, we're all gonna try to do better," Dylan says. Caleb and I nod. Now that's something that I can agree too.