Just Kids

TWENTY THREE

I stared at the floor, depression evident in my eyes. Why did he have to come into the subject. The softest spot anyone could hit, was just brought up.

My older brother.

"How do you know about Kyle?" I asked, shaking my head to push the tears away.

He gave me a concerned look. "I'm so sorry," he said, grabbing Carl by the arm and pulling him towards the door.

"Sean!"

He turned his body around to face me. "How do you know about my brother?" I said, almost demanding that he tells me now.

"Um, I can't really tell you. I was sworn to secrecy."

"Tell me what you know, Sean."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that Luke never told you," he said, rushing out of the room, slamming it behind him.

I fell to the floor, tears streaming down my porcelain white cheeks.

I'm so sorry that Luke never told you.

Tell me what? What do I not know?

I ran down the stairs and grabbed my keys to leave, to ask Luke what the hell went on between him and my brother.

"Chris! Where are you going?!" Jake demanded from the couch.

"Thought you didn't care if I was drunk, or about me for that matter. All you fucking want me to do is choose," I snapped, almost hitting my head on the open door.

"Well, I don't want you to crash and die. You're too drunk to do whatever you're about to do. Just go back upstairs and lay down. Sort it out tomorrow."

"Jake, why do you even care? You want me to choose him or you. When honestly, I don't get why you would want me to choose you. Lately, all we do is fight, and I have a feeling that it's because of Luke."

I walked over to the living room and stood next to the couch with my hands on my hips. He stood up and towered over me.

"Because I know that he's no good for you. What happened between him and Kyle-"

"How do you know and I don't?!" I exclaimed, slamming my fists on my thighs.

"Because I was there. But it doesn't matter. If that's why you're going to talk to him, don't. It's already bad enough that Luke did that to Kyle."

My mind was numb. What in the fricken hell did Luke do to Kyle that was so bad? I thought that he didn't know who Kyle was.

"The fact that you know, and you won't tell me, defeats the purpose of you being friends with me."

"I'm not telling you because it won't do any good if he tells you, let alone me. I'm only trying to protect you from it."

"From what?!"

"From him! Do you remember a Lucas Summers when we were kids?" he asked, grabbing both of my forearms to pull me closer.

I thought back.

"Christina Kline," Mrs. Wyant called.

"Here!" I yelled, showing a toothy smile.

"Jacob Simons," she called again.

"Present!" he yelled to her.

We were the last ones on the list to take roll for recess. They wanted to make sure that we were all there, for some reason.

"Go on out, kids!" Mrs. Wyant yelled, opening the doors and stepping aside for all of us.

"Last on to the tire swing is a rotten egg!" Jake yelled, booking it to the tire swings.