Oh Brother

Change in behaviour

As eight year old Bailey Dolans door creaked open, the young girl was unprotected from her parents arguing downstairs. Disoriented from only just having woke up she try's to listen in on what there saying to figure out what's going on.

"I can't believe you!" what sounded like her mother yelled

Although she didn't understand why these words were being said, what they meant or why they were fighting, she knew that it wasn't good solely by the yelling followed.

"Bailey! what are you doing?" A familiar voice the girl, hisses lowly.

Her head flicks to the right in shock. standing 2 feet above her was a face she was happy to see, her older brother ethan's. she knew that he would know what's going on.

More yelling erupts from downstairs, Bailey turned her head to look down at her parents in the kitchen.

"Hey, how about we go into Ethan's room for the night? grab one of your pillows. let's go." he whispers.

The girl quickly headed into her room and grabbed a pillow from her bed like her older brother had said to do. Once she walked from her room to the hall ethan was standing in the middle of the hallway waiting for her.

He outstretches his arm for a hand to hold which Bailey doesn't waste a second to wrap her hand around his larger hand.

"Cmon, let's go."

She loved her brothers room, it was big but very cozy. It was just Ethan tonight as Grayson was at a friends house and cameron was asleep.

"W-why are they yelling?" she asks, rubbing her eyes.

"I don't know." he responds truthfully.

"Let's go to sleep and in the morning i can make pancakes." he smiles, trying to distract his sister from there parents arguing.

This made Bailey lie down very quickly as Ethan pulled the blanket over the two of them.

Both lying on there side, for a split second silence fills the room like water and the only noise to be heard was Ethan's breathing.

He closes his eyes to the peace at last, only for it to begin again.

He gently placed his hands over his younger sisters ears. But with his hands over his sisters he had none left to shield himself from the yelling.

Don't cry Ethan. Don't cry. Please don't cry.
Boy's don't cry. Boy's don't cry. He repeated until he felt the tears go away.

After a while a door slams, and it stops.

Relief fills over the boy. He gently removes his hands from his sisters ears and rubs his eyes.

Lying together, they both fall asleep.
10:32pm

A month later

"Boys i need you to look after your sister for. I won't be home until later tonight." Lisa Dolan said as she grabbed her handbag and slipped into her shoes.

"And Ethan... please be good." she says looking at him sympathetically, through Ethan's eyes he saw his mother look at him with disappointment, he tried to brush this off.

"Why wouldn't I be good?" He mumbles with the slightest smirk.

The boy who was merely a teenager watches his mom leave throughout the front door, this was becoming a common occurrence. Since their dad left Lisa was never home.

Once the door is shut behind her, that officially leaves the 3 of them alone.

He turns on his chair to see his sister, Bailey; he lightly slaps the back of her head. She looks at him with a frown. They both look at each other for a while.