SPONTANEOUS

00.10

LUST- LIL SKIES

it's a lot of lust,
not a lot of love.

⋆.*✰༄
JOEY BIRLEM

"I'm home." his voice traced angst and strained tones, the footsteps being carried up the steps lazily.

Not your happy go lucky type of boy, may i presume? not the sweetest, either. Joseph birlem, also known as joey around his school and family. although the name sounded quite friendly, that's never what you would explain him as to a friend.

Sophia walked happily down the stairs, so happening to brush shoulders with her older brother as he sent her a glare. she deadpanned at his glare, hoping one day he'd maybe warm up to her. "mom! can you help me with my math!" she shouted from the staircase. her mother could be heard downstairs, the clambering of pots and pans, added by her little brothers whines.

"sorry sophia!— yes, i understand." her mother spoke soothingly. sophia watched as her distressed mother slammed the house phone into its system and shut her eyes. "i'm sorry, sweetheart." she mumbled out as she reached for the applesauce and handed it to the smaller child. "joey sent a substitute home crying, again" her mother rolled her eyes and placed both hands onto the counter.

sophia huffed, she too, with the rest of her family wondered. where did her brother go? to be quite honest, he never left— in person. ever since the start of high school she's lived with this dark figure who she's forced to call her brother. of course she loved him before you ask, she just didn't love the person he became. she stopped trying to have conversations with him, let alone simple questions because all she'd get back was a hurtful remark or a dreadful gaze. sophia decided it was best to draw herself from her brother, not speak to him, not fight back, not even speak about him at school with friends who asked. obliviously, girls did ask about joseph. which shocked sophia since she just couldn't see him with a girl, in a relationship. he could barely start a sentence with his mother for goodness sakes.

"Dinner!" jen, the mother of five kids shouted from the kitchen island. she watched as only sophia stood before her, while silence engulfed them. She didn't want to send sophia to get joey, quite frankly, jen had become a bit frightened of him herself. being the caring mother she is, she always asked him if everything was okay— but never got an answer. joseph normally just sent her a harsh glare, or said something to send her away in defeat. she pondered on many countless nights on where her son went, although he was right in front of her. believe it or not, he was a momma's boy. he stuck by her side always, even before sophia was born. once he hit high school, he changed.

Jen, trudged up the staircase with a rag from the kitchen draped over her left shoulder— sophia watching silently from downstairs. as jen approached her sons room, the sinking feeling in her stomach bellowed. she carefully pushed the door open, seeing her son sprawled out on the bed. he stared at the ceiling, emotionless. "dinners ready sweetheart, i can bring it up if you'd like." she said, with her kindest tone. and for a second, joey looked up at his mom. his eyes went soft, as did his expression which only could be seen in the dim lighting. jen felt the maternal spark in her chest, just before joey shrugged his shoulder and smacked his head back into the mattress.
this was the most Jen had gotten from him in months. she knew she couldn't get her hopes up for getting her son back, since it had been three years since his outlook on life had done an one eighty.

Jen trotted downstairs, giving sophia a look. sophia hadn't seen this look from her mother in months— a hint of hopeful founded by happiness, yet calm. sophia breathed out, sliding into her couch while her mother packed a plate of food, then headed back upstairs. jen again, pushed the door open. this time, joey had his legs on the edge of the bed and his elbows on his knees, his hands on his face. "what mom." joeys voice rasped. A small smile could be tucked away on Jens face before she sat down besides him, nudging the plate into his lap. Jen held it well, but she was ecstatic: he hadn't called her mom in a year. she's counted. joey sighed, pulling the plate into his lap and taking the fork to prod at the food. Jen watched in awe as he finally didn't look as angered. she placed her palm to his back, giving him a remorseful tone. "there's seconds downstairs, i love you." Jen said. She then got up, and left.

"love you too." joey mutters. At this moment, jens body almost went into shock. she wasn't expecting that, she never did. but she knew, she couldn't get her hopes up.

as sophia stood in the kitchen, making herself a plate of the chicken fettuccine her mom had made, Jen came racing down the steps. "slow down mom." sophia chuckled. Jen gleamed with the widest smile and brought sophia into her embrace, "sissy, he said i love you" She said in a hushed tone. Sophia blinked and looked at her mother, a questioning look on her face. "are you sure?" she asks, searching every trace of hallucination from her mom.
Jen nodded excitedly while smiling. "oh my gosh what if he's our joey again soon!" sophia watched as her mom excitedly raced around the kitchen, rambling on and on about joey.

sophia knew how badly her mom wanted her own brother back, and she too wanted him back. she missed the inside jokes, the car rides home, fighting over the aux cord. sophia hoped maybe one day she would understand, she too hit high school. this year in fact, and she didn't plummet like joey did. which her mother feared horribly in-fact. she knew she wouldn't understand her brother. not until he came out of whatever type of trance it was that he was in. then maybe, he would explain what went through his mind those past few years.

Not only was sophia living in the dark. but so was her whole family.

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