Chris' POV
"I shouldn't be gone too long, I'm only goin' to the store. Don't leave the house and don't open the door for nobody; I got a key." I listened to my mother tell me the rules she would always recite when she left the house.
"I already know ma, but Christian upstairs, can't he take care of stuff anyway?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows as I tossed my basketball between my hands.
Christian is my older brother by 4 years. Ever since our "father" walked out on us about a month ago, Christian's been worse than usual. I don't know if he feels anger towards him for treating us and our mother how he did and then just walking out like a pussy, or if he's sad that he left, because at the end of the day he was still our father.
"Yes, but he in one of his moods again so he may not even come out that room, and stop with that ball in my house Christopher before you break something!" she said as she headed towards the door.
I kissed my teeth, "Ight ma." After she left I made my way upstairs to go to my room.
As I passed by Christian's room I heard loud sobbing and sniffling. He already had been diagnosed with shit like depression and bipolar disorder. Hell, doctors even say it's a few loose screws in my head and that I have Borderline Personality Disorder. .. guess the only thing our father ever gave us was his fucked up mind...
When I knocked on the door it got quiet. After a few seconds I spoke;
"You good, C?" I asked through the door. I heard shuffling and then the door swung open.
"Uh yeah... y-yeah, I'm good man." he said as he wiped his bloodshot red eyes. It was clear that he had been crying for a while.
He stared at me for a second then he smiled lightly and motioned for me to enter his room and I didn't hesitate to follow. No matter what condition my brother was in, he always tried his best to maintain his cool when I was around, so I didn't have a fear that he would do anything crazy.
I sat on his bed and picked up the football that was beside me. He closed his bedroom door and sat in the computer chair that was directly in front of me.
After a moment of silence he spoke, "Chris... I need you to do me a favor." he looked at me through low eyes.
"Ight man, wassup?" I asked.
"You old enough to know that I have problems... problems that ion think nobody will ever understand. I try to take my meds and cope, but it just don't work no more. No matter what I do I'm always sad." he shook his head.
"Aye C, what you gettin' at man?"
"I know this gon sound crazy Chris..." he paused and reached into the drawer of the night stand that sat beside his bed. He pulled out an object I couldn't see since it was covered by a towel.
"I need you to take this... and shoot me."
My eyes widened in disbelief of what my brother had just told me. He wanted me to shoot him? My own flesh and blood? Just kill him?
"W-what? Why? Man you ain't gotta do this, we can just tell mama and she can take you to the doctor so they can--"
"Them doctors stuffin' pills and shit down my damn throat ain't doin' shit but killin' me slowly.. I'm tired of living with the burdens of the world on my shoulders. If you love me..." he paused as he swallowed hard, "if you love me Chris, then you'll do this for your big brother." he said.
