Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Blood is Thicker Than Water
|11:59 pm|
'Twas a dark and gloomy night, and all throughout the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
That was, of course, until the eldest son awoke, and scrambled to put on his grey sweater, gathering all of his things. The little ones were peacefully sleeping in their beds, along with young Allison who clutched her pillow tightly, stirring uncomfortably in her bed.
The eldest Pierce boy collected all of his personal belongings, and softly trotted down the stairs in his wool socks, making sure to avoid the one step with the creaking noise. With one hand occupied with his phone, and the other laced with his car keys, he made his way to the front door, struggling to find his white sneakers.
In the midst of this rambunctious search, Jackson didn't notice a sleepy Allison walking down the stairs, still half asleep, rubbing her eyes tiredly, followed by a small yawn.
"Jackson?" She mumbled into the night air, just as the velvet curtains blew swiftly through the window left open.
"Allison," her brother replied nonchalantly, carefully setting down his things on the kitchen counter right beside him.
"Where are you going?" She wondered curiously, now able to open her eyes fully.
"Sean asked me to cover his night shift. I figured, since I didn't work today, we could use the extra money," he explained himself thoroughly, like a child to a parent.
For a moment, there was silence in the cold air, when Jackson rushed to close the rattling window that seemed to cause a bunch of noise due to the rustling leaves outside. After doing so, he turned around towards his younger sister who hugged her body, shivering at the lingering coldness of the night air.
"You should go back to sleep," he suggested softly. "I'll be back in the morning," he assured, giving her a warm expression, as she held on a conflicted look. "What's the matter?" He took notice, and further questioned, inching closer to her.
Allison opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. It was like the words that were jumbled inside her brain could not organize or vocalize themselves. Instead, she let out a deep sigh, stuttering out. "I-I don't know, I...just don't know."
Jackson furrowed his eyebrows concernedly, and urged her to explain.
"I just...keep thinking, how different-" she used that word so harshly, like it was a curse word, which concerned Jackson even more. "Each year my birthday gets. We get older, and...certain things just fade away-" she cut herself off sharply, and tried figuring out the proper words to make it intelligible. "I remember when I turned 6. Mom and dad took us out to that carnival that came every year," she reminisced, drops of pain evident in her eyes, and a sad smile placed upon her lips. "You used to stuff as many corn dogs as you could in your mouth, and I would dance around with my little stuffed unicorn, and hold dad's hand when we went on the ferris wheel. I felt so...safe, and..." she trailed off, now with glossy eyes, on the verge of a breakdown. "Why can't it be like that?" She choked out through her tears, as Jackson immediately rushed to her side, and pulled her into a warm embrace.
He held her tightly against his chest, and let her cry on his shoulder, with his right hand engulfing the back of her head protectively. He too, related to every word she said, but he could not break down. He had to hold the remainder of this family together. He could not afford to crumble down. So he held her. He held her until the pain grew numb, and the daily routine of living without parents became a manageable reality once again.
"Hey," he finally spoke up softly, gradually pulling back just a little bit from his sister who was drenched in tears due to all the emotions she held bottled up inside. "We will make a new tradition, I'll make sure of it," he promised, staring into her red, swollen eyes. "We'll make pancakes with smiley faces on them, we'll talk to the twins' nosy teacher, we'll read the twins a bedtime story, every single year, until I see that smile on your face." He recapped the day's events, and looked deep into her eyes, comforting her, and assuring her that he would always be there for her, no matter what.
She trusted him. She loved him. He was her brother. The only family she knew. So when he promised her this, she believed every single word, until the presence of sadness could no longer be recognized.
Her hope had been restored.
-
|7:30 am|
It was morning again, in the Pierce's house. Jackson lay sprawled on the couch, with a blanket draped over his body, to which Allison had so carefully placed when she awoke early this morning. Her brother had gotten home super late last night after his shift, and fell asleep on the couch. She saw his tired state, and decided to let him sleep in a little, while she got the twins ready, just like he had so considerately done yesterday morning.
While Jackson slept, Allison had been preparing coffee. The kettle was put on, as the eldest sister stared outside through the window in the kitchen, listening to the melodious birds singing happily. She imagined such a perfect world, and was gifted with a small smile; having the thought of unicorns and rainbows every morning. But it was just a daydream.
She snapped out of her purely fictitious thoughts when the kettle went off, indicating the water inside of it had been boiled, and finished to make a nice brew of hot coffee in the morning. With this loud blaring sound, awoke Jackson, who seemed dazed and confused as to where he was.
Allison smiled at her brother's bedhead hair, and approached him with a warm cup of coffee, taking in the fresh scented aroma it set in.
"Morning sunshine," she beamed, the sun rays reflecting on her brown hair.
Jackson noticed the cotton blanket placed on top of him, and sat upright, looking up at Allison who had on a big smile. "Coffee?" She so generously offered, placing it in his hand.
He accepted wholeheartedly, and took a lingering sip, breathing out in relief once the taste of vanilla had touched his tongue. After his long sip, he placed the cup down on the table in front of him, with widened eyes, finally able to process everything.
"Oh my gosh, what time is it?" He then began to panic, throwing the blanket across the couch, and searched for his phone vigorously.
Allison chuckled slightly, and reached for his phone underneath the cushion, while casually saying, "7:35."
"What?" He beamed frustratingly, almost spilling his coffee, to which Allison nonchalantly replied to.
"Relax, Jack, the twins are all dressed, their lunches have been packed, and they have eaten breakfast. They're just upstairs grabbing their school bags."
Jackson let out a huff of relief, and eased back onto the couch, before furrowing his eyebrows, and questioning. "Exactly what time did you wake up? Seems like you've done the whole morning routine."
Allison stood straight, and slipped her hands in the back pockets of her snug jeans, and wandered around the coffee table to take a quick glance outside the window.
"I...didn't actually go to sleep," she confessed, finally turning herself to face Jackson who sat on the couch a distance away.
"Why not?" He further questioned, concerned about her health.
"I just, couldn't-" she ended her sentence abruptly, and avoided his eye contact, then fixated it on the crooked picture frame that was hung up on the beige walls, showing Jocelyn and Alex playing basketball together. "Mom dropped by..." she trailed off, causing Jackson's whole facial expression to change. "And...she brought her new boyfriend."
"What?-" He spoke, being cut off by the twins rushing downstairs, trying to catch their bus on time.
The eldest siblings quickly averted their eyes off of each other, and dismissed the topic completely, conjuring up a swift smile to present to them.
"Good morning Jackie!" Jocelyn beamed, going over to hug her brother.
Jackson pulled her into a warm hug, and kissed her on the head, watching her two pigtails bounce from left to right.
"Morning, princess."
His tone had completely changed, and his facial expression rapidly softened at the presence of his younger siblings.
"Nice bed hair," Alex muttered cheekily, as Jocelyn pulled away and giggled cutely, admiring her brother's messy hair that was parted in several different directions.
"Yeah, didn't you hear? This is the new style," he gloated, posing sassily, causing both of the twins to laugh in amusement. "Boy you two sure are getting old."
Right after his sarcastic comment, the bus driver honked loudly from outside, announcing his presence, as Allison scrambled to fetch the twins' lunchboxes. She handed them both their little lunchboxes equipped with her famous peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and rushed them outside.
"You two better get going, before you're late for school," she advised, bending down to kiss both of their cheeks. "Have a good day!" She exclaimed, while she watched both of them run and jump into the bus.
She observed the bus driver taking off onto his usual route, and then finally closed the front door, turning around to find Jackson standing up furiously, with his fists clenched.
"What happened? What time did she come home? And what did she say?" He bombarded her with an inordinate amount of questions, as Allison remained distant, and hesitant to spill the details.
"She came around 3 am," she stated directly. "And she was drunk...or high-'' Jackson made an annoyed face, and shook his head, as Allison explained further. "She wanted to see the twins, and I wouldn't let her, and she was getting mad-"
"What happened?" He urged impatiently, as Allison took a small moment to gather her words neatly.
"Nothing, her boyfriend Chris guided her out of the house and into his car." She made sure not to look his way, because one glance, and Jackson would know she was withholding back some truth.
"Allison," Jack warned firmly, as she bit her lip, and stared at the ground.
"That's everything that happened." Her voice came out soft, and fragile, almost like a tiny whisper, but much more scarred and damaged, as the cracks in her syllables grew more prominent in each word.
On the other hand, Jackson grew even more angrier at the bare thought of their drunken mother visiting the house in the middle of the night, and wanting to see the twins in that state, along with her new sleep buddy; Chris.
'What kind of overused name was that?' He thought to himself, already hating the guy. He knew this one would only last a few days, a couple weeks at tops. But other than that, he knew his mother's new beau was just a hit it and quit it, just like each and every one of them. But still, even though he heard the story, he had noticed Allison's discomfort and hesitancy, almost like she was scared to share one last part of the story; the crucial part.
"I can't believe her," he finally spoke, shaking his head in disgust. "Who does that? She completely blows off the twins' parent teacher interview to get wasted, and then comes home late at night to see them while she's drunk out of her mind? -And she brings a complete stranger into the house! Unbelievable."
By now he was using ardent hand gestures, expressing his immense outrage, and his blood pressure had recognizably gotten higher. Allison stayed quiet, not knowing what to say, and listened to her brother's angry remarks.
He stopped his tireless rant eventually,
and sighed, breathing heavily.
"I should get ready for school," he then muttered underneath his breath, and started heading for the stairs, when Allison finally spoke up.
"Maybe you should stay home, Jackson," she suggested softly. "Get some rest, and catch up on your homework, maybe?"
He turned to face her, a look of disagreement plastered on his face. He couldn't afford to take a day off. He had to make sure his family was okay, even if that meant to make sure Allison was in each one of her assigned classes every period, the twins were picked up from school, and all of them returned home safely.
"I can't do that," he simply stated, as Allison stepped closer towards him.
"Why not? You woke up super early yesterday morning and got everything done, and you made sure I had the best birthday, and then you were working all night, and only got 2 hours of sleep. You need rest," she argued for his health, as he shook his head softly. "Jackson, we'll be fine. I'll pick the twins up from school, and I'll be with Rebecca the whole time."
She looked up into his big brown eyes that were strained, and tired, partnered up with large bags underneath his eyes due to the lack of sleep.
"You work so hard everyday to keep us safe and happy. You deserve a day off. Please," she reasoned delicately, staring up at him. "It'll make me really happy if you stay home to rest," she coerced him in a playful tone, giving him no choice.
Jackson tried hard not to stare at the puppy dog eyes she was making, but he just couldn't resist. He finally gave in, and peered at her pleading eyes, then sighed in defeat.
"Okay, fine," he relinquished, clearly defeated, as Allison smiled cunningly in victory. "I'll stay home."
"Great!" She exclaimed in satisfaction, and picked up her schoolbag from across the floor, then swung it over her shoulders.
Jackson moved sluggishly off of the first step of the stairs, and leisurely plopped himself back on the couch, finishing his lazy look with the TV remote.
"I guess I'll see you after school then," she concluded with a final breath, a soft smile hung loosely around her lips. Then came a warning look. "And I will call you after every period to make sure you're at home."
Her brown eyes pierced into his, as he raised up two hands in surrender. Her sister could be very persistent when she wanted to be. But thankfully, a whole lifetime with her helped him figure out just how to outsmart her, or...go against her wishes with good intentions of course.
"Have a good day," he managed to boast out, giving her a vexatious smile, as she returned a vigilant one.
-
After her brisk walk, Allison had finally reached school, with a total of seven minutes to spare. She marched all the way up to the second floor, towards her locker, and started swapping out textbooks and notebooks she needed for first period.
Without noticing, Rebecca had snuck up beside her, a playful smirk plastered on her face, and screamed. "Boo!"
Allison quickly jumped up, startled, and dropped her Chemistry textbook on the ground. Rebecca hunched over with half apologetical eyes, causing Allison to sigh in relief, bending down to pick her textbook up.
"Was that really necessary?" Allison spoke softly, not wanting to draw any more attention, as Rebecca took notice of her dreadful state.
"What's the matter? Haven't had your cup of coffee yet?" She lightheartedly joked, causing Allison's mind to wander to what happened last night with her mother and her new boyfriend.
"Something like that," the brunette muttered back, shutting her locker as a way to end this conversation.
Rebecca didn't quite catch on. Instead, she strut alongside Allison, her so called best friend, even though she didn't act like it at times.
"I missed you last night, at the party," Allison had a feeling she wasn't completely done her sentence just yet. "It was really fun." She began to list. "You know, dancing, alcohol, boys; it was a total blast!"
"That's great, Rebecca," Allison politely started, making her way around the end of the hallway, towards her science class. "But I've really got to get to class."
Rebecca pouted, dismissing her best friend's boring behaviour, and slickly added in. "And you won't believe it, but a senior boy was totally checking me out."
Again, Allison conjured up a gritted smile, expressing her need to enter her classroom at this exact moment.
"Oh, and, Ethan was asking about you..." Becca trailed off, casually, twirling around abruptly, before Allison extended her right hand out as a hook, and pulled her quirky friend back by the shoulders.
"What did you say?" She questioned further, growing intrigued by her nonchalant statement.
Ethan Santiago; the guy Ally had taken a particular interest in, in grade 4. He was tall, had long brown curly hair, and his brown, mesmerizing eyes had captured her soul the day their hands touched at an attempt to grab a marker. But she was too nervous to even look at him, let alone talk to him.
When the warning bell had rung, Allison snapped out of her daze, and looked at Rebecca who had on a playful smirk.
"You're the worst," she muttered half-jokingly underneath her breath, lowering her right arm, and letting the charms on her charm bracelet dangle from left to right, clinking together to make a magical sound.
Rebecca just returned a modest smile, and took notice of the intriguing jewelry placed fragilely on Ally's arm.
"What is that hunk of junk?" She asked, her eyes widening from the amount of sparkle it was radiating.
"It's a birthday present," she just shrugged off, trying not too draw too much attention.
"Uh, from who?" Becca pried even more, wanting to know who had gotten her best friend such a beautiful gift.
"My brother," Allison replied with quick eye roll. "You happy? Now can I go to class?"
Rebecca only lifted her hands in surrender, and took a step back, allowing Allison to finally enter into her class and sit down.
At the mere mention of Jackson, Rebecca's heart had fluttered twice. She had a massive crush on him, but would never dare to tell Allison. That would completely ruin their friendship. So she took a deep breath, and strutted to her first class.
-
Back at the Pierce's house, Jackson was sprawled out on the couch, watching cartoons, and had just topped off his third cup of coffee this morning. It was nearly noon, and he still remained in his grey sweatpants with messy hair, and no shirt to add to the exhausted look.
Even though the kids were at school, and it was a peaceful environment, Jackson's mind couldn't stop wandering to what his younger sister had told him this morning. Something about the way she explained her encounter with their mother and her boyfriend seemed odd, and nonetheless, suspicious.
He knew very well Allison wouldn't intentionally keep something away from him, and was dumbfounded why she was obviously holding back some truth. Was she threatened? Was she scared?
All these questions started short-circuiting his brain, until he finally decided to take some action. With a strong pound on the power button, Jackson turned off the television, and stood up fiercely, and then started jogging upstairs into his room. He struggled to change into something appropriate for where he was heading, and then finally came across a pair of black jeans, and a black shirt to top off his intimidating aspiration.
He assessed himself in the mirror one last time, and then skipped down the stairs, rummaging through the front drawer in search for his car keys. In the midst of doing so, he came across a small portrait of himself, Allison, and Alex, that Jocelyn had drawn at the age of five, and smiled to himself. Snapping out of his thoughts, he then swooped the keys into his right hand, and headed out towards the car parked onto the driveway.
He knew where he was going wasn't exactly safe. He knew Allison said to get some rest, and to stay home. He knew all of that.
But still, as he started the engine, all he could think about was, go.
-
It was lunch at Ridge High. All the students were rushing to flood the cafeteria in attempts to socialize and gain some nutrition until the next two periods began.
Allison had just exited her English class, after asking the teacher several questions about her Shakespeare assignment essay, to which the teacher very evidently grew frustrated with. Once she was satisfied with Mr. Cane's exceptionally detailed answers she had forced him to vocalize, she headed to her locker, and packed her English textbook into her backpack.
She then took out her phone from her back pocket, and dialled Jackson's number. She wasn't kidding when she said she'd call every period to check if he was home. On the third ring, she grew extremely suspicious about his whereabouts, and mentally prepared herself to go off on him for not staying put. Finally, he picked up on the last ring, and was the first to speak.
"Hey little sis," he spoke sweetly. "How is your day going?"
"Why did you take so long to answer my phone call?" Allison made sure to ask, having on a suspicious facial expression.
"I uh, was asleep. Weren't you the one who told me to get some much needed sleep-"
"You can cut the act, I can hear a car engine in the background," she interrupted him, and slammed her locker shut, after grabbing her bag from it. "Where are you?"
"Okay you caught me," he voiced dramatically. "I decided to go for a short car ride to get some more milk from the grocery store, that's all. Is that such a crime?"
Allison stayed quiet, analyzing all of the sounds she heard from the phone call. She heard a car door shut, and then she heard a few distant voices. He was in a neighbourhood; but not just any neighbourhood.
"Jackson, please tell me you're not where I think you are," she warned in a harsh whisper, making sure not to draw any attention, her grip on the phone tightening at every word.
"Okay, gotta go, bye!" He exclaimed, and hung up the phone in her ear, as Allison silently cursed underneath her breath, and rushed out of her school, and on her way to where her brother so dumbly went.
-
Getting out of his car, Jackson stood tall against his car door, and stared at the unpleasant view in front of him. Autumn leaves rustled against the shutters of houses, and the untouched grass on their lawns stretched over the sidewalk, begging to be watered. The trees were bare naked, shivering in the cold breeze, and the sky had turned instinctively grey. It looked like a ghost town, but sure enough, there were many people who were unfortunate enough to live here.
Jackson walked along the crooked pathway, and mentally scanned the deadbeat houses to find the one he was looking for. It wasn't long until he pinpointed his desired house's location, as the house was quite different from all the others, due to an accidental fire. The number '68' hung loosely on the charcoaled brick wall, and the door was left ajar. Jackson cautiously stepped onto the porch steps, and peered inside. There was no furniture whatsoever, with four bare grey walls surrounding one small wooden table that was placed right in the middle. It was an accurate depiction of a crackhouse; his mother's, crackhouse.
"Hello?"
His voice was fierce, but with a slight touch of shakiness to describe the emotion he was feeling. It was almost like a flashback of some sort. He'd remembered he had seen this place before, when he was a child. It hadn't changed. Its gruesome memories stuck to the edges of the dirty walls, and in the creaks of the sharp wooden floor.
"We don't do in-house business," came a heavy voice, approaching Jackson with harsh footsteps.
Standing a metre away from him, stood a tall white man holding a half empty beer bottle. His black hair was silky, and laid neatly behind his ears, while his black leather jacket hung tightly around his torso. There was a packet of marijuana overflowing from his right jean pocket, and he smelt like tobacco mixed with possibly every other drug.
He was young, around 20, Jackson guessed, and his straight teeth shone underneath the dim light above them both. Once the young man noticed Jackson's unwanted presence, he gritted his teeth together, and coughed out. "Kids are not welcomed here."
"Where is she?" Jackson ignored his plead, and started peering around in search for his irresponsible mother. "Where's Janet?"
"And who is asking?" His crumbling voice seemed to overtake Jackson's, and he inched closer to the eldest Pierce sibling, threatening him.
"Her son," Jackson returned furiously, firing daggers at the inebriated man in front of him.
"If she don't talk to you, she don't want you, kid. Now get lost," he replied harshly, his thick boots smashing against the hardwood floor, and his grip around the beer bottle tightened.
Jackson grew even more furious, no longer afraid of this man, but now annoyed. He stood tall, and puffed his chest out.
"You must be her new fuck-buddy," The eldest Pierce relayed, angering the man so much, that he clenched up his fists. "Tell me, what was your drunk-ass doing at my house last night, and what did you say to my sister?"
The man laughed in his face, and threw his now empty beer bottle on the ground, shattering it into many different pieces from the strength of his throw.
But still, now with his two hands not occupied, Jackson inched closer, claiming dominance. He was angry, but he was foolishly angry.
"What, happened?!-" Jackson then shouted, triggering the man's last nerve, but before he could act upon his anger, Allison stood at the doorstep, her schoolbag around her shoulders, and her heart racing, an outcome of running all the way over here.
"Jackson!" She yelled sternly, causing both of their heads to swing her way.
Allison avoided the man's eye contact, and looked at Jackson with a mixture of anger and disappointment. She marched up towards him, and grabbed a hold of him by the arm roughly, and started pulling him out of the house.
"If I catch you back here again, I will kill you," the man warned with a stern voice. "And your sister won't be here to save your ass."
He growled after his threat, and then smirked cunningly, watching Allison pull Jackson out of the house.
Once the burnt house was out of eyesight, Allison smacked her brother's arm, causing Jackson to yelp in pain.
"Ow! What the hell, Allison?" He cried, rubbing his bicep that stung from Allison's surprisingly strong slap.
"What the hell were you thinking?" She screamed in his face. "You could've gotten yourself killed, you idiot. What would I have done then, huh? You always preach about us separating if people found out, and yet here you are, willingly walking into a freaking death trap!"
She was angry. Hell, she was furious at him. How could he put himself in danger like that?
Wanting to fire back a stupid remark, Jackson opened his mouth to talk, but stopped, once he noticed his sister's distressed face.
Immediately, his face softened, and he let go of his arm, feeling the pain fade away in his guilt.
"Look I'm sorry that I worried you, but I needed to know what the hell happened last night-"
"I told you everything this morning! Don't you trust me?" She interrupted his unjustified explanation, as he sighed impatiently.
"Of course I do, but I know you're holding something back. What happened? What did mom do? What did her dumb boyfriend do?" He continued to stubbornly bombard her with several questions.
"I told you everything that happened, Jackson. Can you just leave it at that?" Her eyes grew tired, as Jackson got out his car keys, and unlocked the doors.
He stayed quiet, and watched his sister enter the passenger seat with an irritated look plastered on her face. He stood there for a minute, watching her, and reviewed the points that she used to argue, and then he sat down in the driver's seat, about to put the key in the ignition, when he asked a question. "Did you really just ditch school and run all the way here?"
Allison let out a huff, and turned her head towards him. "What the hell do you think?"
A small smile grew on his lips, radiating into a complete laugh.
"Why are you laughing? This is not a laughing matter, you jack-" she started rambling, as he cut her off with his obnoxious laughs.
"I think that's the only way to get you to run," he chuckled, causing Allison to break out into a laugh herself.
"Shut up," she then muttered playfully, staring ahead at the windshield, at the dodgy neighbourhood. "Can we get out of here?"
"Way ahead of you," Jackson replied instantly, jamming the key into the ignition, and slamming his foot on the gas pedal.
-
A few minutes later, the two eldest Pierce siblings arrived back to their bricked home, where burnt daisies were now rotting away on the front porch.
Allison stepped out of the car, and cursed. "Damn it! I forgot to water the daisies."
She sighed miserably, and started walking towards the porch steps, whilst Jackson shut the car door and locked the car with his keys.
"Or what's left of them," he muttered, now unlocking the house door.
It was currently 12:30; everyone was at school, and the Pierce's house was finally silent, and peaceful. Allison locked the door behind her, and instantly plopped down on the couch after throwing her school bag on the ground, exhausted from her stressful day.
"Have you eaten lunch yet?" With a slight horizontal shake of her head, Jackson tossed his car keys on the kitchen counter, and began preparing a meal for both of them. "I'll make us some sandwiches, then."
He reached for the bread on top of the microwave, and placed four pieces on two plates, noticing his sister's tired state. He then opened the fridge to investigate where Alex had hidden his favourite peanut butter, and observed that they really were out of milk. Proceeding with his meal, he grabbed a jar of jelly and peanut butter, and began constructing two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
While spreading the jelly on the bread using a butter knife, he began making conversation with a now distraught Allison, who held her phone in her hand.
"So, how was your day?" He questioned, looking her way, as she sighed, and ran a hand through her luscious brunette hair.
"Unsettling," she explained generically, resting her head on a cushion. "I promised Rebecca I'd help her study for her physics test during lunch, and she's totally pissed at me for ditching."
"Well, can't you just tell her the truth? I'm sure she'll understand," Jackson suggested reassuringly, finally completing his masterpiece.
"Sure, I'd love to tell her my dumb ass of a brother decided to visit our mother's crackhouse and almost got beat up by her inebriated boyfriend." Every ounce of sarcasm dripped in her voice, as Jackson made his way to the living room, placing two plates on the coffee table in front of Allison.
He scrunched his face, and bent down to her height. "Yeah, maybe leave out the dumb ass part."
Allison shook her head and laughed slightly, then dug into her delicious sandwich, moaning in satisfaction. She loved Jackson's cooking, even though it were as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She didn't care, she admired her brother's resilience, even though he wasn't exactly the best cook.
Jackson too, began to devour his sandwich, and rested on the couch beside Allison. The atmosphere was filled with silence. Only the sound of strong winds outside rustling the trees were heard, but oddly enough, it created the perfect balance to tranquility.
"Wow," Jackson breathed out, after finishing his lunch. "I don't think this place has ever been this quiet before."
Allison wiped her sticky hands on the napkin beside her plate, and nodded her head, quirkily adding in. "Yeah, it almost feels like a whole different place, without all the fighting and yelling."
Jackson flashed her a sympathetic smile, and leaned his head back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling peacefully. He stared deeply into the white paint, trying to picture something. A world where his siblings and him were at peace, taken care of, and most of all, happy. Unfortunately, his mind couldn't wander that far, and he gave up trying to imagine it. Instead, he focused his energy on the words his mother's boyfriend had said to him.
If she don't talk to you, she don't want you.
He couldn't help it. Those exact words replayed through his mind on a constant loop ever since he heard them. Those exact words pierced through his penal gland and threatened to take his sanity. Of course those words were no surprise to him. He knew it were true before he even had to hear them. But thinking about reality was way different than actually hearing and now seeing it.
His mother didn't want him. His mother didn't want any of her children, and the mere thought of that frightened him. How could a mother not love a child? Someone she carried for nine months and nursed herself? How could she just leave? How could she just leave us?
His hazardous thoughts were interrupted by a delicate hand touching his. It was like the stars themselves had reached down to embrace him, and save him from all these treacherous thoughts. It was Allison. She held his hand firmly, examining his distraught state.
"Are you okay?" She asked in concern, noticing her brother's heartbeat increase rapidly.
Jackson glanced down at their hands, and then towards Allison who held on a worried look, and gave her a comforting smile.
"I'm fine, thanks."
Relieved, Allison pulled her hand back, leaving Jackson's to rot away in the cold air. Her warm touch had faded all too quickly, and he didn't like that. He loved all his siblings equally, but with Allison, he had a much different connection. He wasn't superior, he wasn't inferior to her, they were both equals. They were in the same predicament, and they had the same responsibilities, and they shared the same burden. They were in this together.
"Jackson?" Came out a soft, fragile voice from his sister, as his eyes averted from the material on the couch, to his sister. "Do you think we'll ever be happy?"
It was a very simple and innocent question. One that could not be answered accurately, yet one that had to be answered from a place filled with hope.
Jackson made sure to watch the way he worded things. He didn't want to bring her hopes up, or put them down. So he simply replied, "I believe one day, we all can grow to be happy, in our own ways."
Allison looked up at him, and sighed.
"What if I can never find happiness?"
He inched closer, reassuringly, and spoke, "I will make sure you find your happiness." He repositioned himself and softly said, "come here."
Allison nodded slowly, and placed her head on his chest, while he swung his left arm around her protectively. He then leaned down towards her ear, and whispered, "because as long as you're happy, I will be happy."
-
Two hours had flown by like nothing, and the two siblings were fast asleep in each other's arms, where no one could hurt them. The continuously strong wind outside caused many leaves to rustle against the window, leading Jackson to awake.
He took aware of his surroundings, and found Allison sleeping tranquilly on his broad chest, her long hair brushed to her back, while his arm hung tightly around her, pulling her closer. For a minute, he admired her beauty, and examined her face closely, making sure to look at every detail. Her short nose, her slightly parted soft lips, her strongly arched eyebrows that seemed to frame her diamond face perfectly, and the faint circles underneath her droopy eyes due to the lack of sleep she got.
"Allison," he murmured softly, almost debating whether or not he should wake her up.
She stirred in her sleep, and inched closer to his body. Jackson smiled to himself, and ran his right hand down her silky hair, and leaned down to her ear.
"Wake up, Allison," he sang into her eardrum, causing her eyes to flicker open.
She groaned groggily, and noticed their close proximity.
"What happened?" She wondered, moving away from Jackson, and stretched her arms wide.
Jackson scrambled to find his phone, and came up with an assumption. "I guess we both just fell asleep." He finally found his phone, and checked the time that read 2:30. "For two hours!"
Immediately, Jackson rushed to his car keys, as Allison herself jolted upwards from the couch, and they both began racing to the front door, when they heard a knock. Protectively, Jackson stood in front of his sister, and slowly reached for the doorknob, clutching his car keys tightly in his left hand, fearing the worst possible outcome.
Cautiously, he opened the door to reveal Rebecca standing beside the twins who were grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh thank goodness," Jackson let out underneath his breath, as the twins both ran into his arms. "Oh my gosh, are you two munchkins okay?" He began kissing them all over, thankful they were home safe and sound.
"Rebecca?" Allison spoke, relieved to see her beloved best friend. "How did you-''
"Well you had mentioned previously you wanted me to come with you to pick up your brother and sister, and then you just disappeared at lunch -not cool," she started to explain sassily, her ginger hair swaying from left to right. "And I waited at your locker for about fifteen minutes, and I even gave you multiple phone calls." Allison turned around to look at her phone which laid beneath the cushions on the couch, and sighed. "So I just assumed you went MIA, or decided to pick the twins up without me. Either way, I had to make sure those two hooligans were safe."
She smiled cheekily, her eyes drifting towards a bed headed Jackson who stood up after hugging both Jocelyn and Alex.
"Rebecca," he spoke appreciatively. "Thank you so much." He looked into her eyes sincerely, as she blushed, and laughed brightly.
"Oh it was nothing!" Becca exclaimed, tucking a strand of hair behind her back, as Jackson flashed her one last grateful smile, and then led Alex and Jocelyn inside the house.
Allison stood at the doorstep, and looked at her best friend lovingly.
"Thank you," she softly spoke, as Rebecca smiled in return. "You're welcome to come in-"
"Oh no, girl, I better get going!" She replied, pulling Allison in for a quick hug. "My dad wants me home. My mom just returned from her business trip, and he wants a family dinner for some quality bonding." She pulled away with a playful eye roll. "You know how families are."
Allison conjured up a fake smile, pretending to relate, and then nodded in understanding.
"I'll see you tomorrow at school?" She asked, as Rebecca nodded, and then walked away after waving to her.
Allison watched as she trudged down the porch steps, and skipped along the sidewalk, on her way to her house. Once she was out of sight, she closed the door, and looked at the twins apologetically.
"You guys I am so sorry," she immediately apologized, approaching the two kids who were already watching television in the living room.
"It's fine, we had a lot of fun with Rebecca," Alex admitted with an innocent shrug.
"Yeah she's really nice, and pretty," Jocelyn chimed in adoration, while Allison smiled, and then fixiated her eyes onto Jackson, who leaned his body against the kitchen counter, staring at the twins in sheer panic.
"I am never letting them out of my sight again," he told Allison, who only rolled her eyes playfully, and walked towards him. "Anything could've happened if Rebecca wasn't there; anything. I can't risk their safety."
"It isn't your fault, Jackson," she reasoned. "It's no one's. We fell asleep -for far too long, but it won't happen again."
She remained optimistic, but Jackson feared the potential possibilities of what could've been.
"It better not."
-
Then came the time when Jackson had to leave for work, leaving Allison to take care of the two children running frantically around the house, in search for a missing gameboy.
"Will you be okay?" Jackson asked, both feet on the doorstep, standing in front of Allison who leaned against the front door.
"I'll manage," she wholeheartedly replied with a slight grin, as Jackson returned a confident smile.
He knew everything would be okay. Allison was an amazing babysitter, hell, she would be a great mother one day -unlike their sadist of a mother now.
A mother, he thought worriedly, fearing the day she'd grow up, and finally leave this haunted house filled with many upsetting memories that seemed to cling onto the hems of his shirt. She would eventually, at some point, find someone and decide to grow a family -away from all this mayhem. She would no longer need us. She would no longer need him.
Dismissing his realistic thoughts, he stared ahead at a smiling Allison, who now had placed a sassy hand on her hip, glancing at his wristwatch.
"You're gonna be late," she teased. "Don't worry about me, I know just how to herd the sheep," she joked, a playful smirk nearing her lips, as Jackson nodded, fully convinced, then hopped down the porch steps, and into his car.
Allison watched as he drove off, not before waving to her one last time through the car window, and then she closed the door to turn around and find the twins messing up the house.
"Hey! You two get your butts over here!" She exclaimed half-jokingly, as Alex and Jocelyn raced to stand in front of her, acting as two saluting soldiers. "First one to finish their homework gets the gameboy," she sing-songed, pulling the electronic device out from her well thought out hiding spot; a cabinet in the kitchen.
"That's not fair!" Alex pouted, crossing his arms in a huff. "Jocelyn finished most of her homework at school, there's no way I'll beat her."
"Well then you better get started," Allison replied with a playful smile, as Alex longingly made eye contact with the game boy, then raced upstairs into his room to do homework.
Jocelyn stared up at Ally with a mischievous grin. "There's no way he'll finish before me."
Allison patted her on the back, and then watched her trudge up the stairs with a conniving smirk.
The eldest Pierce daughter held on a soft smile, and then placed the gameboy on the kitchen counter gently, and managed to grab her schoolbag from the ground, while plopping down on the couch.
"Now to start my homework," she uttered in annoyance, and began utilizing her quiet time.
-
Jackson had begun work more than an hour ago, and had finally caught a breath when his boss had said to take a break at the back room.
He worked at a small cafe just a few blocks down his house, that was impressively open 24-hours a day, and was a barista. It was called the Red Rose Café, and he was a long time customer before he even started working there.
He recalled the days when Allison, the twins and him would meet up after school to grab a quick bite and a coffee. The twins would do their homework, along with him and Allison. It was a peaceful place to hangout, and refresh.
A few years ago he had noticed a now hiring sign hung through the window, and gave it a shot. Sure enough, his current boss Henry hired him, and from then, he had been working there.
After entering the back room, where a few chairs were folded out, and a lunch table was present, he squirmed out of his green apron, and sat down in a seat across from his co-worker, Sean.
"Hey, thanks for taking my shift again the other night," Sean said, brushing his long slick hair backwards. "I got stuck babysitting my sister last minute."
"No problem at all," Jackson smiled in return, folding his hands neatly on the wooden table in front of him.
Sean was a year older than Jackson. He had just finished high school, and decided to take a year off of education before applying to colleges. He was tall, muscular, and had a sharp cut face equipped with a strong jawline.
He lived with his single mother and his 12 year old sister Isabelle a few blocks down. His mother worked at a hospital nonstop, and he worked here full time to earn a few bucks.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jackson noticed a few papers stacked upon Henry's desk. They were scattered messily across the counter, and big bolded names were printed out, along with detailed experiences and various skill sets.
"Are those, job applications?" He questioned to an occupied Sean, now vigorously tapping on his phone screen. "I didn't know Henry was looking to hire."
"Yeah, well I cornered him with a resignation letter," Sean revealed, peeking out to witness Henry dealing with customers. "I only have a few more shifts left, and then I'm off to college."
"That's exciting," Jackson commented sincerely. "Means you'll be moving onto something better; other than coffee machines and mocha shots."
They both chuckled at his mild joke, as Sean nudged him playfully with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
"I bet'll it'll be exciting for you too," he winked, as Jackson scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, a grin still hung around his pale lips.
"How's that?"
"Well, I overheard Henry choosing this girl for the position." Sean stood up, and skidded over to the pile of resumes, and presented Jackson with a one page resume with black bolded letters that spelled out, Allison Pierce. "I bet she's hot."
Jackson sat there, speechless, those bolded letters burning a hole through his skull, and a frightened expression held on his face.
"What's the matter? You know her?" Sean inquired, curious about his co-worker's reaction.
Jackson took a deep breath, and made a fist out of his right hand resting on the table, staring up at a confused Sean, and lousily replied. "That's my sister."
-
Back at the Pierce's house, Allison was preparing dinner. The fresh aroma of tomato sauce filled the atmosphere, as Alex whined like a little kid, demanding to be fed immediately.
Allison tried her best to speed up the preparation. After all, Alex did help Jocelyn set up the dinner table. In the midst of her conclusion, she glanced at the clock hung across the kitchen, and worried Jackson would be running late.
"Alli," Jocelyn cried, tugging on her jeans from below, causing Allison to stare down at her.
"Joce, dinner will be ready in a few minutes," she explained, stirring her spoon in the pan, shifting the pasta and the sauce together.
"No, not that," Jocelyn pried, still holding a tight grasp on the fabric of her dark blue jeans. "When is Jackie coming home?"
She sighed in return, and gave a sweet caress to her head, and replied. "Soon, Joce, I promise."
Jocelyn nodded obediently, and left to plop down on a chair at the table, anxiously awaiting for her older brother to return home for dinner. Alex on the other hand, was busy with his turn on the gameboy in his hands to even acknowledge Jackson not being there, causing Jocelyn to get frustrated even more.
Finally, Allison had finished cooking her delicious pasta, and rushed over to place the bowl on the dining table, looking at Alex disappointedly.
"Alex," she scolded tiredly. "How many times do I have to tell you? No electronics at the dinner table."
Alex rolled his eyes and placed his gameboy to the side, now focusing on the dish in front of him. Allison carefully placed a portion of pasta on both of their plates, and stood against the dining table.
"Well aren't you going to dig in?" Shelaughed, as Alex picked up his fork in a swift motion.
"You don't have to tell me twice."
He started devouring his food, whilst Jocelyn stared at her plate wistfully.
"Joce, you can eat now," Allison encouraged, watching her little sister cross her arms and shake her head.
"I won't eat until Jackson gets home," her bottom lip grew into a pout, as Allison checked her phone to see if Jackson had replied to her text.
But no such luck. Her phone was blank.
In a moment's notice, the front door flung open, revealing a breathless Jackson holding a white grocery bag in his right hand, and his car keys in his left hand, soaking wet from the unforeseen downpour erupting outside.
"Jackie!" Jocelyn exclaimed happily, bouncing off of her chair to run to a soggy Jackson who held on a small smile, embracing her with enthusiasm.
Jocelyn pulled away in satisfaction, and watched as Jackson placed the bag on the kitchen counter, making sure to take the item out of it.
"Sorry I was late; I had to grab some more milk," he explained reasonably, placing the milk in its designated spot inside the fridge.
His drenched black hair was stuck on his forehead, and his white shirt clung to his cold skin. He took off his shoes, and guided Jocelyn back to his seat, and sat down himself, avoiding Allison's gaze purposely.
"Dinner looks great," he stated, rubbing his arms together to warm up from the thunderstorm outside.
Allison tilted her head slightly at his odd behaviour, but then eventually sat down in the chair beside him. The two chairs on the opposite sides were still empty, no one to occupy them for ages.
At last, the Pierce household began supper, after their repetitive, routinely day.
-
After dinner, Jackson instructed the twins to start getting ready for bed, and after putting up a fight, and reasoning against their unreasonable bed time, they finally agreed to change into their pyjamas and brush their teeth.
The house grew dark, and quiet, as the two eldest siblings stood on the main level, awkward glances being exchanged between them. Jackson was mad. Allison was confused.
While doing the dishes, Jackson approached her, and stood beside her, authoritatively.
"You can go rest. I can do this," he volunteered himself, but Allison didn't let him grasp the dirty plate she was holding.
"It's fine," she rejected, swaying herself away from him. "I got this."
He watched as she rinsed the plate off, and stuck it inside the dishwasher, beginning her next plate. He backed away, and walked around the counter, to face the right side of her, his elbow propped on the counter with his chin resting on his palm.
He studied her for a bit. She seemed tired, but also keen on getting the job done. Determined, with a hint of ambition and selflessness.
"Were you ever going to tell me?" He finally broke the silence that seemed to go on for far too long, causing Allison's grip to loosen on the slippery crockery, almost letting it fall in the sink, to its demise.
"Tell you what?" Shr urged further, completely confused about what her brother was trying to figure out.
"About you applying to work at the Red Rose Café," he replied with a firm voice, letting his anger show.
Immediately, Allison froze in her place, afraid to meet her brother's eyes.
"Allison," he spoke again, once she kept quiet suddenly. "I'm talking to you-"
Immediately, she burst into a frantic question, accidentally splashing puddles of water on the kitchen floor with her sponge, "what's so wrong about it?"
He was quick to pounce at her. "The fact that only you and I are present to watch the twins. We can't both be at work; and secondly, I told you I wanted you to pursue what you're passionate about and leave me to do the finances. I want someone to at least have a normal life," he explained further, rambling on and on, as Allison quickly grew agitated, by his dominant behaviour.
She clashed the plates back into the sink, and now stood across her older brother, an island separating them from their raging selves.
"Whether you want to believe it or not, we're in this together, Jack," her voice had gotten seemingly softer at every word. "I can't watch you do so many night shifts tirelessly, and then come back home early morning, then proceed to go to school."
"It's not your burden to share," he muttered emotionlessly, but Allison intervened.
"Yes, it is." Her voice had progressively gotten louder, but she had monitored it enough so the twins couldn't hear. "We're a family, and if we both have jobs, we can make this work better."
Jackson was still unconvinced, but seeing the persistent look on his sister's face, he knew she was going to have it her way whether he liked it or not.
"One concern. How exactly are you going to make this work? Who's going to pick up the twins when I have longer shifts? Who's going to make dinner? Who's going to be here when the twins are?"
"I dropped music class-"
"You did what?" He shrieked, causing a scene, as Allison repeated herself.
"I dropped out of my music classes. I have two free periods -three, if you count lunch," she went on, using various hand gestures. "I can go to work straight from school, and finish in time to pick the twins up from school. And I can also do late nights with you when the twins are asleep."
She was determined. She wanted this. She wanted to help. She no longer wanted to be a piece of wall art, just hanging on a dull wall, crookedly. She wanted to contribute, and help raise this family, or what was left of it. She wanted in. And Jackson had hesitantly agreed to it.
"Okay," he sighed in conclusion, dropping his arms to his side in defeat, as Allison smiled in satisfaction. "But if this schedule doesn't work out, you have to quit."
The eldest sister bounced on her heels back and forth, and nodded excitedly. "Deal."
-
The clock read 8:45, as the twins prepared for bed. The two eldest siblings were also preparing for bed. The bedroom hallway remain lit with a yellow light, along with three brightly gleaming rooms.
Jackson stood at the doorway of his room and stared across at Allison's room to find her swinging her hair up into a loose ponytail for bed. Her eyes seemed tired, and she wore bright pink shorts equipped with a black t-shirt. Her socks matched her shorts, and she trudged along her bed frame, fetching a picture book, followed by a yawn.
"I can read to them tonight," Jackson volunteered wholeheartedly, noticing the easily noticeable bags underneath his sister's eyes enlarging by the minute.
Allison shook her head, and refused. "No way. You read to them last night," she protested, clutching the book tightly against her chest.
"Well then, I will help," he mumbled smartly, while Allison rolled her eyes, and they both marched over to the twins' bedroom to see Alex under the covers, a bunch of video game sounds emerging from his blanket, while Jocelyn sat there, anxiously waiting for her bedtime story.
"Wait, I got this," Jackson whispered to Allison, tiptoeing over to Alex's bed where he remained stagnant, unaware of his surroundings. "Oh I wonder where Alex could be..." he trailed off, pretending to search high and low, catching a hitched breath from Alex himself, now remaining absolute still underneath his comforter. "Maybe he's hiding in the closet, or underneath the bed." Jackson faked a gasp, gaining stifled laughs from Jocelyn. "Or maybe, he's not even-" with a slight pull, Jackson swiped the blanket off, revealing Alex on his gameboy, "here."
Allison watched as her little brother shared a defeated look, watching Jackson confiscate his gameboy.
"It's bedtime," he instructed simply, making Alex grumpy.
"And Jackson and I have come to read you a story," Allison announced, plopping down on the side of Alex's bed, while Jackson sat at the edge of Jocelyn's.
She pulled out the picture book from behind her back, and sat it on her lap.
"I don't want to read this book," Jocelyn cried, crossing her arms with a huff. "I want to hear another story!"
Allison glanced at Jackson quickly, telepathically communicating about what she should do next. Like usual, Jackson was quick to think of an idea, and he began constructing his own story.
"Alright, you asked for it," he sang, beginning his improvised story, with Alex sulkily listening. "Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess named Jocelyn," he began, causing Alex to make fake barf noises.
Allison glared at him in warning, as he rolled his eyes and sunk down on his pillow. But Jocelyn grew intrigued by Jackson's tale.
He continued. "She lived in a grand castle on a far away island where many magical dolphins and mermaids were present. "Alex scoffed, and laughed in ridicule.
"Everyone knows mermaids aren't real," he budded in rudely, making Jocelyn confused, as the result of her tilting her head sideways.
"Jackie, is that true?" Her fragile voice radiated with disappointment.
Jackson directed his eyes to Alex now, a sly question on his mind. "How can you say they aren't real when you just haven't looked in the right place?"
He stayed quiet now, patiently listening to Jackson's continued story.
"Anyways, alongside princess Jocelyn, there also lived her annoying brother, prince Alex," He eyed his little brother teasingly. "As annoying as he was, he was also very smart. So smart, that he had managed to catch the last living breathing dragon, and had trained it to obey his commands." Now, Alex was listening intently at the mere mention of dragons." The two lived in peace and harmony-"
"Wait," Jocelyn stopped him. "What about the king?"
Jackson, surprised by her sudden question, tried thinking of an appropriate name for the king, but Allison had beaten him to the chase.
"Of course there was a king!" She beamed, catching everyone's attention. "His name was King Jack."
Jackson eyed Allison with a small smile, as he went on with his story. "But of course, what's a king without a queen? The elegant, and passionate Queen Allison was always by his side, throughout everything," he shared a knowing look with his sister, as she returned him a cheeky smile. "They all lived happily together-''
"Until," Allison began dramatically. "One day, an evil witch by the name of...Janice, visited their castle and placed a curse upon them."
Hand in hand, the eldest Pierce's told their fictional story, with a little bit of truth to it. Jackson knew the witch that Allison had made up was actually a symbolization of their own wicked mother, Janet.
"She cursed them so they could never find happiness again, so that they could never find peace," Jackson chimed in, as the twins now settled into their bed. "And at last, she left."
"The royal family grew depressed over time. They didn't know what to do, or how to become happy again, but as a few days passed, they realized their happiness came from each other."
Jackson added on after Allison. "The witch thought she tricked them into a life of misery, but what she didn't know was that, they were much stronger than her together. They were a family, and no matter what she did, whatever curse she placed upon them, they would always remain a family." He smiled, watching Jocelyn's eyes close peacefully.
"And they all lived happily ever after," Allison concluded in a whisper, now seeing Alex fall into a deep slumber.
Seconds of silence passed, as the two twins were sound asleep; so vulnerable, so innocent.
The two eldest siblings gathered themselves up, and quietly walked out of their room, making sure to close the door softly behind them.
The hallway was now dimly lit by a small lamp placed nearby on a table in the corner. The hardwood felt cold against their bare feet, as the moonlight outside seeped through the edges of the glass window.
"We should write a book," Jackson joked, making sure not to go over a harsh whisper.
Allison looked at him tactically, a raised left eyebrow. "About our lives?"
"Yes," he replied with a nod, and a shrug of his shoulders. "With an obvious sugar coating of course."
The eldest Pierce sister shook her head with a hushed laugh, and recited. "The Royal Family." She gave him a knowing look. "It's an evasive title-"
"But has a certain ring of familiarity to it," he chimed in almost precariously, the normality of the situation coming to life within their own home.
The two siblings shared an eloquent look, as the words that slipped off of their tongues slithered in the night air.
"The witch was a good touch," Jackson spoke lightheartedly, squashing the fearful silence, as Allison smiled proudly at herself.
"There must always be a villain in our lives, whether it be in reality, or a story," she simply relayed, a smug look on her face.
"And you managed to describe the perfect description of one -figuratively of course," he teased, with a playful smirk, now noticing the yawn that escaped his sister's lips. "You should head to bed now. You're tired."
Allison nodded mechanically, and flashed her brother one last dolled-up smile after she murmured a soft, "goodnight," and then departed towards her room in a zombified motion.
Jackson too, made his way towards his room right across Allison's, but first shut off the corner lamp, the darkness consuming the hallway. He felt his way inside his room, closing his door on the way in, and made sure to slip off his white shirt, leaving him in his grey sweatpants.
With ease, he dived onto his mattress, and stared up at the ceiling before he could doze off.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone