There's always a reason.

Nicolas

"Because of you I want a drink but I can't cause I have to get to work! Ah!" yelling out frustration I hear him stomping off to the weight room. At least, think that's what happened, that's what he would normally do, pound out his frustration on the leather of his favorite punching bag. Knowing that he had just send away his favorite.

"You'll pay for this when I get back!" he says his voice now fading as he moves farther away. Then I hear twenty notorious poundings of his fist on leather or my heart against my rib cage, I can't really tell the difference at the moment.

I take in numerous breaths of air in failing, sudden, increments, as my lungs feel like they will break down on me at any given moment. My hands tremble ferociously. So, I focus on them instead of my breathing, in doing so my trembling begins to calm. Thankfully so does my heart just enough for me to breathe again.

I have learned this method by meticulous repetition, not exactly by choice. But I cannot afford passing out right now. I look over my shoulder and my now steady heartbeat, drops.

I will never forget the fear in her eyes. I curse under my breath. I whip myself forward breaking eye contact and take a deep breath to maintain my composure. I stand ever so slowly for fear that my legs will give out on me. Then, bit by bit, I turn to face her. Immediately I notice she has goose bumps covering her arms and she is trembling in similar fashion as I, just moments prier. But I'm not quite sure if it's from fear or the blasting AC overhead, chilling us to the bone.

A million different scenarios of how I should approach her goes reeling through my mind.

Should I even talk to her? What should I say? How would she respond? Does she want me to comfort her? Do i tell her it will be okay? I don't know what to do I've never had a sibling, let alone a sister...

Panic begins to flood throughout me, again my breath becomes short ragged gasps of air. This has happened before but never this bad. Slowly my hand creeps up to grasp the collar of my shirt. In hope that by pulling away the fabric encasing me would help me from drowning.

My thoughts continue to run a mile a minute, as wheezing takes over my ability to speak. Then my thoughts slow to a crawl and I'm hit with confusion. I look down only to see a puffy mop of chocolate hair accented with highlights now resting on the middle of my midriff. And the feeling of little but unmovable arms around my waist. I don't know how long I had spaced out for but long enough.

Her breaths are just as ragged as mine as see begins to weep in my arms.

I can't come close to imagining the kind of look I was displaying just now as I was absent, in thought, and overrun with terror. All that I'm aware of, is that it should be too much for someone of her age to even come close to comprehending.