A Little Bit Tougher

Chapter 2: Wesley

The door swung open in front of me and a black haired figure darted out to an 89' mustang. A really nice car, surprisingly in good condition. I almost whistled, but my father was right on the other side of the glass and if they were coming out of my fathers office, they weren't in the mood. I looked back at my father. He watched the person drive out of the parking lot with concern. I walked through the glass doors of the police station. One of his coworkers said hey and his secretary, Wanda, nodded at me, but there was a sort of tension in the air that i couldn't quite put my finger on. I knew people here. Some of them lent me markers from their desks to draw with when i was a toddler. My father had been the Chief of Police for 2 years now, but he had been a part of the squad for years. He and my mother, being a highly respectable OB GYN at the UW Medical Center in North Seattle, were very high society figures.
My father clapped a hand on my back when i walked in to his office. "How was your race?"
"Fine." I said. it wasn't often my father called me in anymore. The last time I was here, it was to give a statement, about my own brother and there is no need for those bitter memories. "Cut the bullshit dad, what am I doing here?" I asked, ready to go home, ready to have this over with.
My father cleared his throat and leaned against his desk, his signature 'life is about to get really sucky' pose. "It's your brother."
'What about him?" I glare out the window at the passing cars thinking of Wren.
"He's getting released tomorrow and..." He drifted off but I already knew where that sentence was going.
"You and mom want him to come home." I finished for him, examining his face, the way he refused to look at me, ashamed. "I'll find somewhere to stay." I said and stood up. I waved to Wanda, and exited the hell hole, almost as fast as the girl.

When I got home, Mom was in the kitchen. I looked at my watch, 7:30. She shouldn't be home. She should be at work, like she always is. I set my bag down on the table and walked into the kitchen, giving mom a light kiss on the cheek and opening the fridge, grabbing a coke. "What are you doing home?" i ask.
Mom stirs something in a pot on the stove and throws a spice in. "I wanted to make dinner for you." She said. I breathed in and out heavily and looked at her.
'You mean for my last meal with guys for a while." She swallowed and stared at the pot. "Yeah, Dad talked to me." I sat on the counter and stared at her back, willing her to tell me to stay, to send that bastard of a brother back to where he belongs - hell. She didn't. Her frail body was still.
"Dinner will be ready in 20. Go wash up." she grabbed a towel and wiped her slim, doctor hands. I slid off the counter and went up to my room, turning on some music as i lay in bed and looked up at my ceiling, praying for another life.

When Mom called down, I had showered, gotten some homework done, and looked through some stupid pictures of my life before he ruined it. When I got downstairs, Dad had sat at his spot at the head of the table and mom was putting stew on the pristine tablecloth. The chandelier was on a 'high' setting so everything glittered and shined. We weren't excessively rich but we definitely weren't poor. I took a seat to my fathers left and mom sat on his right. We started eating, the silence filling the spaces between our clinking forks.
'So Marlena," My father addressed my Mom. "That girl we found in Jetson's place was released? She came by the office to pick up her things. I didn't know they were letting her go." Mom sat up a little straighter, excited to have something to talk about, like work. I stared at my plate, shoveling food in, but remotely curious about there conversation. Mom and Dad would hardly ever working on the same case.
"Yes, we found that she would just need time and some sever pain med's" She stated simply, wiping her mouth with the cloth napkin.
"Are you sure?" He asked, putting his fork down. "She was in pretty bad shape when I found her. Hardly let me touch her."
"Well, the judge ruled her sane and healthy enough to be emancipated and to go back to school tomorrow. I was just as surprised as you." She coughed. "I mean, she doesn't really have anyone to live with at this point but still." I looked up from my plate. My mother and father hardly worked on the same case let alone agreed on it and had sympathy for the person they were working with.
"May I please be Excused?" i ask.
"Well... why?" Mom asks.
"I have to go pack and get ready for school tomorrow." I said and picked up my plate, not waiting for a response. It clanked in the sink when i shoved it in there and leaned over the basin. The tension in between my shoulders increased ever so slightly. I heaved a sigh and started rinsing my dish off, watching the water slip of my fingers. When i finished, i went upstairs and packed a bag, quickly and then finished up stupid algebra. My phone bleeped.
it was my sister from the other side of seattle.

Willow: Need a place to stay tomorrow?

Me: Yes, how'd you know?

Willow: I heard about Wren and I'm still pissed. Wanna get drunk tomorrow?

I Knew she was joking. She walked a pretty straight plank. Highest in her class. She's a Sophmore at Seattle university. Me: Sure! and then we can run through downtown in our birthday suits!

Willow: HA. HA. HA. i'll see you tomorrow, little bro.

With that, i shut the light off and tried to drift off into a blissful sleep, only to wake up to the same nightmare at two in the morning, just like every night.

Hi!!!! I have been updating quite frequently since starting this story but i dont know when i'll get a chance to update again. Really excited about this story though, so please comment, vote, like, and all that jazz!

Shanx! to all yalls.