Keep You

~Riley~
Later on that night, Jeff and I were sitting on the couch watching Kylie and William play video games. Kylie put her hand in front of Will’s face at one point because he was beating her.

“Kylie, no cheating,” Jeff said with a laugh.

“Sorry Dad,” She said, flashing him a quick smile that was so much like her father’s. She turned back to the game as Will blasted her character with a cannon. “Dad, you made me die!” She said as she waited for her character to revamp himself. When she was back up, Jeff nudged me to sit up. I watched as he snuck behind Will, telling him to hand him the remote. Will smirked and snuck back to sit beside me. I moved him to where he was part way on my lap. A sudden idea hit me so I moved William and indicated for Kylie to give me her remote.

She looked from her father to her brother, and smirked when she realized what was going on.

A minute after I took over Kylie’s controller, Jeff cursed as his character was ran over by a vehicle.

“You play just like…” his voice trailed when he saw me holding the remote with Kylie and William laughed behind me. “…you’re mother,” he finished, glaring at me playfully. I laughed as he launched himself at me, taking the both of us down to the floor. Will cheered for Jeff and Kylie cheered me on. I ended up getting Jeff in a headlock.

“Kylie, grab is hand and lift it three times,” I told her. She grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. He let his arm fall twice before surprising me with a gentle hip toss.

“Mom needs help!” Kylie shouted, jumping on Jeff’s back. Jeff laughed as he collapsed beside me.

“I’ll help you Dad!” William shouted, grabbing Kylie around her waist. With amazing strength he was able to haul her away from their father.

“I’ll help you Lee!” I said, picking William up and spinning him in the air.

“Tag me in buddy!” Jeff called to our son, holding out his hand. Before their hands could connect, Kylie jumped on Jeff’s back again. He looked at me with a smirk as he stood up, Kylie still on his back. She squealed with shock, then laughter as he piggy backed her around the living room.

“Do me Mom!” Will said. He jumped onto the couch and wrapped his arms around my neck. I grabbed his legs and started walking with him around the living room, passing Jeff and Kylie quite a few times.

“Well, if this isn’t a sight to see,” Matt’s voice called over the laughter. Jeff dropped Kylie from his back as I let Will down a little more gently.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Jeff asked his brother as he gave him a one armed hug.

“Nothing much, just coming to check on how things are going, looks like they’re going pretty good,” he observed with a smirk.

“I was playing a game with Will and Dad took Will’s remote, so Mom took mine and ran over Dad with a car. It was freaking hilarious,” Kylie spoke up, hugging her uncle as well.

“Sounds like it was a blast. Oh Jeff, by the way, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, let’s go outside.” I watched as they went onto the front porch, knowing my confusion was showing on my face. I turned to look at the clock to see it was already ten thirty.

“Okay you two, time for bed, you have school in the morning.” I said, shutting off the game system and putting the remotes away.

“Do we have to go?” Kylie whined, looking up at me with pleading green eyes.

“Yes you do, you’re in enough trouble in school missy. You need to bring those grades back up, and staying home won’t do anything to help.” The phone rang, cutting off any
protest Kylie was about to give me.

“Hello?” I answered it.

“Riley, it’s Gracey,” my youngest sister said.

“Hey Grace, what’s going on?” I asked her as will hugged me before going up the stairs for bed.

“I-I just wanted to apologize to Kylie,” she admitted. “I haven’t been the best relative toward her at school. No one’s really being nice to her there.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked, glancing at Kylie.

“People are starting to shut her out because of what happened with Jeff. His son was going around calling Jeff a murderer and playing the grieving son, when really he feels nothing toward what happened to his dad. He’s doing it to get back at Kylie for outing him after they tried to sneak out of school. Chris, Mitch or I haven’t been helping her much, and we’re really sorry about it.”

“You know what, she just went to bed, so I’ll pass the message to her in the morning.” I assured my sister.

“Tell her if she wants, she can hang out with us during lunch tomorrow. How’s Jeff doing?”

“I’ll pass the message, and he’s doing great. He’s talking with Matt right now, but I’ll tell him you asked. Now go get to bed so you can be ready for tomorrow. I love you sis.”

“Love you too sissy, and thank you.” Grace replied before hanging up.

“What did she want?” Kylie asked, running her hand up and down her arm.

“She wanted to apologize to you,” I said, putting the phone back on its base. “Kylie, honey why didn’t you tell us people was teasing you in school.”

“I don’t know,” Kylie muttered, staring at her shoes. I walked up to her and lifted her chin so she was looking at me.

“You know I’m here for you.” I said to her. “If you need to talk, just let me know and I’ll listen.” Kylie nodded, then sighed.

“I don’t know why people hate me,” she whispered finally. “Can we do this in my room? I don’t want Dad and Uncle Matt to hear right now.” I nodded and followed her up the stairs and into her bedroom. I sat on her bed beside her.

“People hate me, and I don’t know why. I haven’t been near Tracey in a long time, and I’m starting to be a better person.”

“Honey, I know you’re making changes, and I’m proud of you for making them, but what you have to realize it while you thought it was funny to tease people, it hurt them deeply, especially what happened between you and Mitchell. You’re cousins, he should feel like he can depend on you to have his back, not worry about you stabbing him in it.”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen, and I actually did try to stop her, but she ignored me.” Kylie said, hugging her pillow to her chest.

“I know, but he didn’t know that, did he?” I asked. The look she gave told me that I was accurate in my assumption.

“Mom, how did you deal with it?” Kylie asked me suddenly, staring at the floor.

“Deal with what?” I asked her.

“Everything, the assault, the threats, everything.” she cleared up.

“Well, first and foremost, and possibly the most important was, your father and your uncle. They were there for me through everything that I went through, and their number one concern was my safety and wellbeing, while at the same time, I was more concerned over everyone else rather than myself. The main thing that got me through everything was my family though. That included Jeff and Matt because since we were seven Jeff and I considered each other family.”

“Did he ever get threatened?” Kylie asked.

“No, but he was teased for being so close with me.” I looked at the clock and realized it was already eleven. “Okay honey, time for bed. We’ll talk more when you get home tomorrow.” I said, standing up and kissing her head.

“Love you Mom,” Kylie said as I started leaving the room.

“Oh,” I said suddenly, looking back at her. “Your aunt Grace said you can join her, Mitchell and Christian during lunch tomorrow if you wanted to.” Kylie nodded and I left the room, seeing Jeff was back inside sitting on the couch and Matt was nowhere around.

“He went home,” Jeff explained as I sat next to him. I felt his hands pull me toward him, and I went willingly, letting my legs draw up beneath my body.

“Kylie’s still hiding things,” I sighed to him as he played with my hands. “Grace called to apologize because apparently everyone at school is treating our daughter badly.”

“Well, that’s something that she has to work out on her own,” Jeff replied, looking down at me.

“I know, I just hate seeing our daughter hurting,” I muttered, letting my eyes drift close.

“So do I,” Jeff agreed. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed,” he said, stretching himself out.

“So am I,” I said, sitting up. We headed into our room, changing into nightclothes and climbing into bed. When we finally got settled, I had my head on Jeff’s shoulder while his arm was around my back.

“Jeff,” I said. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“So am I,” Jeff replied as we both drifted off to sleep.

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~Kylie~
“Hey Kylie,” Mitchell said, walking up to me at my locker.

“Oh, hey Mitch,” I replied back, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. It was lunch period, and I was actually planning on just doing what I have been doing, which was skipping eating altogether and going to the restroom to sit. It felt like it was the only place I was wanted in the school anymore.

“You joining us today?” Gracie asked as she walked up to us. Christian was right beside her, his backpack slung over his shoulder.

“Uhm,” I said, looking at the three of them. “Sure,” I finally said, closing my locker and grabbing my own book bag. I followed them through line, but didn’t get anything to eat.

“Are you okay?” Mitch asked, noting my lack of appetite.

“I’m fine,” I replied with a wave of my hand. “Just not hungry is all.”

“Look Kylie,” Chris said suddenly, dropping his sandwich and looking straight at me. “We were assholes to you. We should have realized you would never intentionally hurt your own cousin, and we’re sorry about that. We heard what you did for your Dad, that took guts and a deep love for your family.”

“It really does,” Mitch spoke up. “I mean, I know we talked it out, the day Aunt Ri went into the hospital. Honestly though, I was still a little upset over it and I still blamed you. I was wrong for it, I’m sorry. I can see how much you have changed.”

“Everything Mom went through, then everything with Dad, it made me realize how I was acting, and how soon it could all be snapped away.” I said, staring at the table. I felt a hand on mine and looked up to see it was Mitch.

“You’re forgiven, I just hope you can forgive us,” he said.

“You’re my family and I was a bitch to you, there’s nothing to forgive.” I smiled, hugging him.

“Gracie, can I ask you something?” I asked my aunt suddenly. “Does it feel weird to say you have a niece your own age?”

“Honestly, not really,” she answered with a laugh. The rest of lunch went by with just us talking about the weirdness of our families. I was actually having a good time, until the seat next to me got taken.

“Hello all,” Ronny Weston Jr. said with a smile. Tracey sat down next to Christian, and flipped her hair at him.

“What do you want?” I asked, glancing at my cousin, aunt and friend. They were the three that suffered the most in the school from my time with them.

“Why are you sitting with these losers?” Tracey asked, her arm wrapping around Ronny’s larger one. “You’re way too cool for that.”

“Babe, her father murdered mine, I say that’s cause enough for revenge.” Ronny sneered.

“My father was protecting his family,” I retorted. “Maybe if your father’s head wasn’t so far up my mother’s ass, he would still be alive.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about you little bitch,” Ronny said, grabbing my hair.

“I suggest you let my cousin go,” Mitch said, standing up to face Ronny. Ronny let go of my hair and stood up to face my cousin with a smirk.

“What are you going to do about it? Call your Daddy or Uncle Jeffy? At least they know how to fight, or at least, they did when they were younger. I bet your father has a beer gut now. I don’t want to think about what happened to druggy Jeffrey Hardy. Probably gets high every night, and you’re all so stupid you don’t realize it.”

“You take that back!” I shouted, standing up as Tracey did.

“Sit your ass back down,” she snapped at me.

“You know what, NO!” I shouted in her face. She gasped and stared at me before reeling her hand back and slapping my face. My temper, the temper of my father, boiled over and soon, I was jumping on Tracey, hitting every inch I could. In my struggle with Tracey, I barely noticed that Grace was trying to pry me off of her, or the fact that my cousin was now attacking Ronny while Chris was trying to separate the two of them.

“Hey hey, stop this right now!” A teacher shouted, helping Gracie pull me off of Tracey. Another one got Mitch and Ronny separated, and we were sent to the principal’s office. This was going to be fun.