My Life As Sienna Brown

I nodded towards the spare bedroom and followed close behind Matt's limp frame. Closing the door as I entered, I shoved my hands in my pockets and watched as he plopped himself down on the bed. He looked as if he were being punished.

"So... What's going on," I asked.

"Nothing."

I cocked an eyebrow and took a deep breath. "Well," I started. "If nothing was wrong, you wouldn't be here. You'd be at home with your mom. But your not, and something is obviously wrong. I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but I'm not going to judge you, Matt. Just tell me what happened; let me help you. It can just be between us if you want. Whatever you say doesn't leave this room; I won't tell anyone- not even your sister. But someone has to know what happened Matt. Especially if it bothers you this much."

He wasn't looking at me, he was looking at his hands. The air was quiet and suddenly I had a slight flashback to the moment I was left to tend to Mikey's distress- I wasn't much help then...
I felt my throat uncomfortably tighten and I cleared it. I wasn't good at this...

He finally looked up. "Not even my sister," he asked.

"Not even Anna," I assured him.

He remained quiet for a while longer before he said, "I don't even know what happened. I think my mom had some kind of breakdown after Sienna moved out and it wasn't long after that when she brought him home. I knew when I saw him that he was some kind of trouble. He was one of the ones she'd met at the bars... and it was obvious. He was kind of greasy looking, and he even smelt like liquor. And he was relay dirty... always had his hands everywhere. Touching. Feeling. He's a pig...

She never listened to me when I told her he was just after her money; she never listens! Not to Sienna, not to me, not to anyone... So she let him move in, even after just a while. And he ate our food, and watched our TV, and drank our beer. And somehow he thought that that made him some kind of fatherly figure. And he thought he had the right to... punish us. Even when Emily was crying. Or when I was telling him to leave.

I didn't know what to do... I mean, I just kind of left in the heat of the moment... But, he wouldn't do anything to Emily, would he? I mean... She's usually at grandma's anyways. I couldn't take her with me. My mom's not that stupid... She knows, right? She has to know..."

I sighed and sat next to him.

"I feel so dumb because, like... I'm supposed to be the man of the family, right? I'm supposed to be the one that sticks up for everyone. And I just left..."

"First of all," I told him. "You're not dumb. You're smart for not staying there. Second of all... Your mom's a smart woman, I can't see how this happened. And lastly... I don't want to be mean, or break our little pact, but we've got to tell. I don't care who, you you have to tell someone. If you want to... I think we should tell your sister. She's smart... She knows about these sorts of things. She could help out.

But I made a pledge. I told you I wouldn't tell her. So if you decide to tell her, you've gotta do it. I'll help, but it's you..."

He nodded.

"You know... She goes through a lot, your sister," I told him. "She's here by herself a lot and she gets really stressed out. About your mom and stuff. She doest like being alone. And she's having a really hard time trying to adapt to everything. You just have to be patient with her, Matt. She worries a lot. Especially about you and your little sister."

He continued nodding as he took a heavy sigh, but didn't have much to say.

I looked at him, watching for some kind of answer.

"So," I stated. "What's the verdict?"