George and Nicole Harper had never had an easy life. From one set of divorced parents to another, these half siblings have had it tough.
Ever since their mother, Naomi, split from George's father and forced them to move from England back to her hom...
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Nick didn't know what to do the next morning. She'd never seen George so reclusive. Even back when they lived in England, when he had no friends, he would always talk to Nick. She was all he had for a while. Now he wouldn't even speak to her.
Nick haltered in the doorway to George's bedroom, holding a plate of bacon and eggs for breakfast. She only made a cooked breakfast on special occasions. Nick figured this called for bacon.
"Hey." Nick whispered once she'd gotten board of loitering in the doorway.
A beam of light shone through the open doorway from the hall, luminating George. He was sprawled face down on his bed, one leg hanging off the side of the bed. He barely moved when Nick spoke. The only indication Nick had that George was still alive was the gentle rising and falling as he breathed.
Nick sighed and entered the room. She placed the plate on his bedside table and perched on the edge of George's bed.
"You okay?" She asked cautiously. She couldn't think of anything else to say. Of course he wasn't okay but...she didn't know what else to say.
George shook his head into his pillow.
Sigh sighed and placed a consoling hand on his back.
"I made eggs. And bacon. If you want them." She explained, rubbing small circles on his back like he was a small child. "I'm here. You know, if you want to talk. Do you want to talk?"
George shook his head into his pillow.
"Okay." Nick sighed and got up. Just as she reached the door, Nick heard the bed move and the sheets rustle as George sat bolt upright. Nick stopped and turned around to look at him. He was sat up, staring right at her, his bloodshot eyes wide and wet with tears.
"Just as I made friends and thought this move would be okay..." He sniffed, trying to continue talking without the lump in his throat making his voice break. "This happens."
*
George slumped against the car window, staring out glumly as Nick drove them both to school. It didn't seem right that after everything that had happened the day before they still had to go to school as normal. If it were up to her, Nick would turn around and let George stay at home eating ice cream in bed. But she suspected the school would phone home and ask to speak to their mother, and then where would they be?
George stayed in the car once Nick had pulled up. She unclicked his seat belt for him but he just sat there, staring out the window.
"Come on, George. You'll be late." Nick stated, although not with much enthusiasm. At least this way she could say she tried.
George didn't move. Nick glanced across to the school building. Students were walking around, arm in arm with their friends and chatting, laughing, without a care in the world. But not George. Nor would Lucas, Dustin or Mike. For them, their world would never be the same.
Nick leant over and rolled down the window, forcing George to sit up and look at her.
"Come on." She coaxed and opened the passenger side door, then her own.
George slid out of the car lifelessly like a jelly slowly being tipped off a plate. He planted his feet and hauled himself upright with such effort that Nick thought as soon as he let go of the car door he'd fall flat on the ground like a sad pancake. He stayed up, somehow, but looked physically drained. He looked as if he could do with a few more hours in bed. The dark, plum coloured circles around his eyes almost looked like he'd taken a beating. His narrow eyes and heavy eyelids said otherwise; he was just exhausted.
"Try and have a good day, yeah?" Nick coaxed, not really knowing what else to say. It wasn't everyday your brother's friend goes missing and turns up dead. She hasn't had a lot of practice in this area of conversation. Nor had she had much practice in normal conversation.
Nick watched George slump off down the path, ready to join his friends. Or at least he was pretending to be ready to face the rest of the world, so Nick would stop saying awkward things. She'd been facing the cruel stare of the world most of her life. Nick mostly ignored the harsh stares and whispers from others as she walked down the corridor. She knew first hand what George's day at school would be like. She only hoped it wouldn't break him.
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