Forever - Johnny Cade

Chapter 2:

*Warning, blood, and self harm*

I quickly enter the house and make a silent run to my room praying that I don't run into them on my way to stash my snacks.

My mission is successful when I reach my room with out being chased after.

I hide the snacks under my dirty old mattress and was about to leave when I stopped in my tracks.

Joey.

He likes fuzzy peaches too.

Walking back to my bed, I lift up the mattress again and grab the pack of fuzzy peaches from underneath it.

I'll be fine with just skittles.

I hide the crinkly pack of peaches under my shirt, so that if they come they won't be able to see. I can never be too safe.

I walk across the hall and into Joey's room, but when I don't see him there I begin to worry.

"Joey!" I call out in a panic, and when I don't hear an answer I walk around the house looking for him, not caring if I run into them.

"Joey!" I call out again, more worried than the last, "in here" his deep voice speaks up causing my heart to calm down, and for my breathing to return to a normal rate.

I walk towards where his voice came from; the bathroom and open the door.

My heart aches at the sight of my older brother patching his cuts up with a little bit of thread and an old needle.

His shirt was off, his bruises and cuts exposed, fresh ones on his shoulder, chest, and ribs.

"Do you need help?" I ask as I notice his pale hands shake as he tries to poke the needle through his skin to stitch up his wound.

He nods his head yes, his black hair falling in front of his forehead from how long it's been growing out for.

"I'll give you a hair cut after" I tell him because I can tell it's bothering him, his dark pink cracked lips curve into a smile, "thanks" he says and I nod my head as I grab the needle from his callused hands.

Before I put the needle in the first cut, I reach in my shirt and pull out the fuzzy peaches and hand them to him.

His eyes light up at the delicious rare snack being handed to him.

"You didn't" he said in disbelief as he grabs them in a childlike manor.

I laugh and focus back on the wound and stick the needle through the skin while he's distracted with the candy.

He hisses in pain as I begin to stitch him up.

After I'm done stitching him up I move on to get the scissors and begin to cut his long shaggy jet black hair.

"Where did they go?" I ask confused as to where they were. 

They usually aren't here at night because they're out clubbing, but the sun is just starting to set.

"They went to the club early, something about not wanting to see my face" he says sadly as I snip off his hair.

"Let's go see a movie" I tell him and he looks up in the mirror to meet my eyes through the reflection.

"Why?" he asks confused, "just to get out of here, plus it's going to be a nice night" I tell him as I finish with the back of his head, and move on to the front.

"Okay" he says as he places a fuzzy peach in his mouth.

I smile.

At least I'm going to be spending some more time with you before I go.