You Promised

1

(Annabelle)

"Ugh," I say as I lug the last of the paint cans into the house. "That's all of them." I glared at my brother Jay who had been sitting on the couch the whole time. "You know you could have helped."

He looked at my and smirked. "You really think I could lift one of those?"

I sighed. He was right. Despite being thirteen, Jay was about the size of a fourth grader. I collapsed on the couch next to him and ruffled his shaggy brown hair. We didn't get a lot of moments like this. Just the two of us sitting together, no fear of our dad, no worrying about grades, no nothing. Just a moment alone. I stood up and grabbed one of the paint cans and began to climb the stairs.

"Sissy."

I looked back. He hadn't called me that in years.

"I miss my friends."

I sat the paint cans down and walked back over to him. I set my hand on his shoulder.

"I know. But we can't go back there. I did everything I could to get you away. To get you safe."

He sighed. His eyes were wet with tears. I looked into them. Like me he had Heterochromia, meaning his eyes were two different colors. He had a silvery gray one and a green one. Mine were green and gold. His glasses had fallen down a bit so I pushed them back up.

"You're right. You promise he won't find us here?"

"I promise. Now lets get this paint upstairs to do my room."

"Why you're room?"

"Because I dragged all the paint in here. If we start now we can be done by lunch. Then we can do your room."

"Alright."