Your brother is mean

Norah had to stay in the hospital for two more days. Now, she could finally go home. She was waiting for her brother to come pick her up.

“Hey Norah.” She heard a voice say, but it wasn’t the one she was expecting. It was Nick.

“Nick? What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Eli had to work. He found out at the last minute, so I came to pick you up.” He said, smiling.

“Awesome.” She replied.

Nick picked up her stuff and they started walking to the exit, until Norah suddenly stopped.

“Um, Nick?” she said. “You don’t drive. How are we supposed to get home?”

“Well.. Joe drove.” He said.

Norah hadn’t seen Joe after he left her room three days ago. She had asked Nick and Kevin to tell him she wanted to see him, and she had called him. But he never picked up the phone, and he never came to visit.

They arrived at Joe’s car, and Nick opened the door for Norah to get in. She looked over at Joe. He didn’t look back.

“Um, hi Joe.” She said. He didn’t reply.

“So, um, thanks for picking me up.” Still no answer.

They drove home in silence. Nick occasionally tried to make conversation, but it never worked.

They finally pulled up to the Jonas house. Norah decided to give it one last try.

“Joe, I just wanted to thank you.” She said. “For finding me that day. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”

Joe didn’t answer. He just got out of the car, and when inside without looking back.

--

“Joe, what the hell is wrong with you?” Nick asked his brother, angrily.

“What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong with me.” He answered.

“Why are you acting like this towards Norah?” Nick wanted to know.

“Did I ever act any different?” Joe asked.

“No. But this isn’t a normal situation, Joe. She’s been through a lot.” Nick replied.

“Yeah, well. It’s her fault.”

Nick’s eyes widened in shock. “How can you say that?” he asked. “It wasn’t her fault! Did you think she wanted to get beat up? I can’t believe you.” Nick said before storming out.

--

That night, after dinner, Norah came over for the weekly movie-night at the Jonas’. This week, it was Frankie’s turn to choose the movies. He had decided he wanted to see ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘High School Musical’.

Everyone, meaning the entire Jonas family and Norah and her brothers, was gathered in the living room.

“So, Norah, honey. How are you feeling?” Denise asked her, worried.

“I’m doing great.” Norah replied, smiling. “Thanks for asking.”

“Can we start the movie, mommy?” Frankie asked.

“Of course, honey.” She replied.

About halfway through the movie, Joe got up and went to the kitchen. Norah followed him.

“Joe, please.” She said. “Why are you ignoring me? I just wanted to say thank you. Why are you acting like this?”

Joe just looked at her.

“Look, I know we don’t get along that well, but I’ve had a hard week.” She said.

“Yeah, you brought it at yourself.” Joe said.

Norah was shocked. She felt tears come into her eyes.

“Joe! What the hell!?” Kevin said, walking into the kitchen. “It wasn’t her fault!”

“Sure it was.” Joe replied. “If she hadn’t been so stupid to get back together with him, none of this would have happened. If she had told someone what he did last time they were dating, but she didn’t.”

Norah looked at Joe, although she couldn’t see him well through the tears. “I didn’t want to get back together with him.” She whispered. “He said.. he said he was going to hurt Nick.”

“Oh, Norah.” Kevin said. He took her in a hug. Joe hadn’t said anything. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“You should have told someone.” Joe said. “They would have helped you. You should have told your brother or Nick or even me! How can you just let him do that to you?”

“Joseph Adam Jonas. Go to your room right now.” Denise said, coming into the kitchen. “This poor girl has gone through enough this past week. And you’re here telling her it was all her fault? You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Joe went upstairs without saying another word.

Norah walked into the living room.

“I want to go home.” She said softly.

“Why? What happened?” Nick asked, seeing the look on her face.

“I just want to go home.” She said.

Eli got up. “Okay, we’ll go home.” He said. “Are you coming, Jay?”

“Yeah. I’ll be right there.”

“Norah, what happened?” Nick asked again.

“I JUST WANT TO GO HOME! Okay? Do I have to explain everything? I want to go home.”

Nick was shocked. Norah had never yelled at him before. “Okay.” He said, softly.

--

Norah got home, and went straight to her room. She laid herself down on the bed, and started crying.

Five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Eli and Jay came in. They came to sit on Norah’s bed.

“Norah, what happened at the Jonas house?” Eli asked, careful not to upset his sister again.

“Joe said it was my fault.” She said.

“What was your fault?” Eli asked, confused.

“That Ryan hit me.”

“HE SAID WHAT?” Jay shouted.

“Jay, calm down.” Eli said. “Norah, what exactly did he say?”

“He said that I brought it on myself. That I shouldn’t have gotten back together with him and that I should have told you or Nick or him..” Norah sniffled.

“Norah, sweetie..” Eli said. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”

“Of course he meant it.” She said. “And he’s right. It was my fault.”

“Don’t say that Norah. It was not your fault, it was Ryan’s fault, okay. No one else.” Eli told her.

Jay was glaring at the wall. “I can’t believe he would say that to you.” He said. “I’m going to kill him!” He said, before walking out of the room. Eli got up after him.

“Jay, get back here!” he yelled, but Norah heard the front door open and close.

--

Joe was lying on his bed, staring at his ceiling, when Jay suddenly burst into his room.

“How could you say that stuff to my sister?” he asked. “She has gone through hell. And you tell her it was her fault? You don’t know what it was like to be in her position. Maybe she should have told someone, but she was scared. Don’t you get that? He said he would hurt your brother! Her best friend.. She was scared, Joe. And now she’s at home, crying, because she’s convinced it was her fault. But it wasn’t!”

“No! You’re right! It wasn’t her fault.” Joe said. “It was mine.”

“What are you talking about? How could this be your fault?”

Joe took a deep breath. “When.. after she broke up with Ryan the first time they were dating, I came over to your house to hang out with Eli.. I walked past her room, and her door was open a bit.. She was looking in the mirror, staring at a bruise on her stomach…” Joe sniffled. “I should have known. I should have done something. But I didn’t. All I ever did was make her life a living hell, all because she ran into me once years ago.”

Joe noticed Nick standing at his doorway, listening. “Joe, it wasn’t your fault.” He said. “We all saw the bruise. She said it was from falling on the coffee table. We all believed her. We couldn’t have known, Joe. You couldn’t have known.”

“I should go apologize.” Joe said.

--

When Norah woke up, she was surprised to find Joe asleep in the chair next to her bed.

“Joe?” she said.

He slowly opened his eyes. “Oh, hey. Good morning.” He said.

“It’s 2 o’clock at night, Joe.” She replied. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to tell you I’m sorry. I know it wasn’t your fault.” He said. “I just said that, ‘cause I was feeling guilty.”

“Guilty about what?” Norah asked.

“Because I saw that bruise on your stomach, the one you said was from the coffee table.” He said, softly. “And I didn’t figure it out.”

“I didn’t want anyone to figure it out.” She said. “I had broken up with him, it didn’t matter anymore.”

“Norah, I really am sorry. It wasn’t your fault and I should never have said that stuff. The only one to blame is that sick bastard who hurt you, okay?”

Norah nodded. Joe smiled at her.

“Do you think we’ll ever be friends?” she asked Joe.

“I don’t know.” He replied, but he hoped they would be.