Before it ends

Family dinners...

"Ryan, a fight. Really? You haven't gotten into a fight in so long. I thought things were changing, with Dan and Hayley and-"

"Do not bring Hayley into this mom. It's got nothing to-"

"Nothing to do with her? Come on Ryan how stupid do you think I am? You really hurt that boy, it wasn't just a stupid fight. You were angry, angry enough knock his nose out of place and get suspended." She shook her head and stormed off, muttering how stupid fighting is.

"Ratings brother." I turned to see Emily in the kitchen door way. "So what are you gonna do with your two days off? Pop by your girlfriends-"

"No." I answered that too quickly. Emily's eyebrows scrunched together.

"What happened?" I turn to her and shrug. I don't actually know, that's the problem. I'm not angry anymore I'm just so confused. She called Jake, of all people. Someone she shared nothing with but a few weeks of dating. Someone who was so clearly trying to fuck her. I just don't get it. Nothing, they have nothing together. He wasn't her first, they weren't in love, he wasn't there when her sister was diagnosed. They share nothing. We share everything- but she called him.

"You guys fight all the time." Emily's looking at me with a pitiful stare. "Don't worry about it brother."

"Yeah." Is all I can manage to mumble.

Most of the day is spent with me catching up on homework. I went to Dan's for a bit, we played video games and got stoned until his Dad came home. Mr Carmichael was just about ready to blow our heads off until Dan pulled the: "Ryan's going through a really rough time with his girl" card. After that he all but joined us until I had to leave for dinner. Now I'm sitting opposite my mum watching her stab at her broccoli.
"So I have something to tell you guys." She says. I looked to my sister, her eyes were focused on my mother beside her.
"Let me guess, he's started calling again?" Judging by my mothers facial expression Emily hit the nail on the head.
"Yep. I keep getting calls from California state prison."
"Are you answering these calls?" I ask. My mum almost seems hurt by the question but she soon covers it up with an answer.
"No."
"Good." Emily states, she gives mum and approving smile and starts eating again.
"I think I might want to." My thoughts slip out of my mouth before I've really had time to think about them.
"What?"
"He can't hurt us anymore, it might be good to get some closure, for all of us." Mum smiled faintly and nods.
"Hypocrite." My sister pushes away from the table. "When mum was talking to him you were all about staying away-"
"Yes but that was different. He's locked up now Em-"
"No."
"What?"
"Nobody is going to see dad. No." With that she storms off upstairs. Montgomery dinners are never easy-that's for sure.