They Motivate Me (OT4/G!P)

-14-

Narrator

The next morning, after having a long talk about yesterday the previous night, the kids were getting dressed for school. All, but Leon, who stayed in bed.

"Leon, get up, we have to go to school," Jasmine was shaking him gently, knowing he's awake. "I don't wanna go. I don't feel good," he says sadly. His sister pouts, "Want me to tell Mammy?" He shakes his head slowly.

"What do you want me to do? Want medicine?" He shakes his head again. She rubs her chin in thought, "Want me to get Prince?" Leon pauses then nods.

The bouncy girl dashes to the bathroom where Langston and Prince were brushing their teeth. The boys see her from the corner of their eyes and turn to her. "Leon wants you," she says to his twin.

Prince finishes quickly before going to his brother's aid.

When he gets to their shared room, he hears soft noises coming from the bottom bunk.

"El?" He doesn't receive a response, but the noise got slightly louder. "Are you cryin'?" He asked while shaking his shoulder. Leon finally pulls his head from under his blanket, showing teary, red eyes and a pink face.

"Leon, what's wrong?" Prince asks while sitting on the edge of his bed. The blond sits up and wipes his eyes roughly, making his face burn.

"I don't wanna go to school," he sniffles, wiping the rest of his tears with his undershirt. "Is it 'cause of Bobby? Mammy said she's gonna talk to his parents. That's why she called the school."

"She called the school?"

"Oh, right, you weren't up," Prince says. "But don't worry. He's not gonna mess with you no more after today," he says confidently. Leon wipes his face again, "Really?"

"Aye. If he does, I'll handle him," he says while wrapping an arm around him. Leon goes quiet and plays with his fingers for a bit. "I still don't wanna go," he mumbles.

Prince didn't know what to say or do. He can feel his brother's sadness and it was starting to get to him. He felt the dam behind his eyes weaken and soon, both boys were in tears.

Langston, who was passing by to finish getting ready, sees the two huddled up, crying on Leon's bed.

"What's wrong? Why're you crying?" He asks with concerned eyebrows. Prince hugs Leon close to him, letting him cry on his shoulder while Prince composed himself.

"El doesn't wanna go to school," he said, sounding a bit stuffy. Langston looks at his youngest brother, then the other. "Is it because of-?" Prince nods and Langston sighs.

"Hold on," he runs into the kitchen where his parents, Leigh and Jesy, were cooking breakfast. Well, the latter was leaning against the island while the women engaged in conversation.

"Um, excuse me?" He calls out a bit shyly. They look over to see one of their oldest boys in only an undershirt and his uniform pants.

"Yes, what is it, Langston?" The younger woman asks. He scratches his unruly hair before speaking, "Prince and Leon are crying. It's about yesterday." Leigh gives Jesy the spatula she was using to make pancakes and hurries to their room.

When she got there, she saw Amelio wiping Leon's tears away. Prince was getting ready for school, but it was clear he's been crying as well.

"Blue?" The woman calls to him. As soon as he heard her voice, he looks at her and the waterworks came in hard. His sniffles from earlier changing drastically. Leigh approaches him and picks him up out of his bed.

He holds onto her for dear life, soaking her shoulder with his tears. She bounces him as he wails in her ear.

It made her heart break.