True Deceptions

Junkhead

A short bit of writing tonight (because I'm sleepy), but some interesting exposition...

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When Ellie woke from her fitful nap, the sun had set, and she experienced the bleary confusion that often comes after midday sleeping. When the world had righted itself and she remembered what decade she was in, the urge to drag her hand down her face and roll over to go back to sleep was overwhelming. With a sigh, she reached out to her phone on the bedside table. Julie, her therapist, had booked her in for a session the following evening – after her first day back at school. The urge to roll over and sleep came up once again. Instead, she threw back the blankets and went downstairs to soothe the sleep-blurry hunger pangs.

No one was in the kitchen, at 8pm she wasn't actually sure if anyone was home, even with it being a school night. Seb and Brayden were often out late these days, and her dad... no one could really keep track. Scouring the cupboards Ellie came up with a pack of instant noodles and settled on the couch in the living room to eat, using the light of the moon through the window to eat by. Listening to the crickets outside, in no time at all she'd slipped down the pillows and fallen back asleep.

It could've been minutes or hours when she woke to the front door banging shut. Male voices hushed each other and two pairs of footsteps stumbled through the hallway. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Ellie got to her feet and peeked out the archway. She recognised the backs of her brother's heads as Seb dragged Brayden into the kitchen, arms slung over shoulders and feet dragging loosely across the floor. Light blared into the hallway as Seb switched on the light and Ellie hesitated a long moment, glancing up to the stairs that lead to the safety of her bedroom, before following them into the kitchen. Brayden was sitting haphazardly on a barstool at the kitchen counter and Ellie took in the dilated pupils, the slack-jawed smile, the scrape on his cheek. Seb was trying to get him to drink a glass of water, and he ignored Ellie as she came in. She watched Brayden's attention slowly focus on the glass, before snatching it and gulping it down with excessive enthusiasm – water sloshing down his chin and onto his already filthy shirt.

"What's going on?" Ellie asked, tone accusatory. Seb tugged to take the glass back, and was fought for a moment, before the glass was relinquished and he set it down near the sink. Brayden's eyes went glassy once again, and the lopsided smile returned to his face.
"None of your business,"
"Bullshit," she snapped, folding her arms over her chest. Seb met her stare at last, his face cold and unflinching.
"Ellie, it's better for everyone if you keep your nose out of it,"
"Is it better for him? What the fuck is he on?"
Seb said nothing. He didn't back down, didn't even break eye contact when Brayden swayed on the stool and he reached out a hand to steady him. Ellie shook her head, turned on her heel, and went to bed.