Running From Lions
021
I woke up the next morning excited to see if my brother was still at home and still in his new found good mood and to my surprise he was.
“Hey Rory!” he shouted as I walked past his room and I stopped and stood at his door.
“You want to watch some movies or something today?” he asked and I nodded.
“I need to get changed though and have a shower,” I said and he nodded.
I hurried my way through a shower and threw on whatever clothes were closest before running back to his room, I stood at his door waiting for the invite in and he smiled.
“Come in then,” he said and I stepped over the doorway and into his room and noticed he’d tidied up and moved things since he was home.
He got up to put a dvd in and sat on his bed and looked at me.
“Rory what the hell?” he asked and I looked at him worried, I knew what was right and I stayed quiet.
“Sit down your making me nervous,” he said and I went to sit on the floor.
“Not there, sit here. I don’t bite you know,” he said pointing to the space next to him on the bed.
My head fought the urge to laugh because in fact whatever he’d just said Jonah Zanda did in fact bite and he drew blood when he bit, I had been on the receiving end of his bites before and they left swollen blue marks and imprints of teeth on you that took weeks for the mark to disappear but the memory never left.
I hated it but I didn’t trust my own brother anymore but after everything he’d done maybe I shouldn’t maybe I was right to check everything for double meanings, to be cautious of his every move.
We sat watching the movie and I kept watching him out my eye corner paying more attention to him than the actual movie.
The movie finished and he turned it off before shutting his bedroom door and I felt my stomach drop and my heart freeze, why was he shutting it, what was he going to do? I panicked myself trying to appear calm.
“So Jack’s nice?” he asked and I nodded.
“What about Alex?” he asked and I shrugged.
“What?” he asked and I shook my head.
“Nothing, he’s nice,” I stated.
“Nice? I thought you were friends?” he asked and I nodded.
“So what’s with the nice?” he asked and I shrugged.
“Nothing, he’s nice and we get on,” I replied and he nodded.
“I know he was a bit of a jerk before but he seems to care,” he said.
We spent the whole day just hanging out and although I was cautious at times it was nice to just spend some time with him again, if he only stopped the drinking and drugs he’d go back to the brother I used to love, the brother that I missed.
He told me he’d agreed to meet his ex in a days time which meant it was make or break for him, seeing her could mean he went further down the path he was on or he might stop completely.
“Anyway isn’t it your bedtime,” he said and I smiled.
“You know I’m not a baby anymore,” I replied and he laughed.
“Your only 15,” he said and I shook my head.
“I’m 17 Jonah,” I stated and he shook his head and I nodded.
“I’m 17 and your 19,” I said and he looked up as if counting in his head and then he looked shocked.
“Whoa I’m old, when did this happen?” he asked and I laughed.
“January 12th every year you get 1 year older,” I informed him and he smiled.
“Well I guess I’m nearly out of being a teenager and your growing up quick, hang on can you drive?” he asked and I laughed nodding.
“Am I a jerk for not knowing this?” he asked and I shook my head.
“Did I get you anything for your birthdays?” he asked and I nodded, it was probably better to lie to him.
“You always got me something” I reassured lying.
“Well that’s good, anyway it’s still after midnight which should be your bed time at your age, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as he hugged me and I got up and left.
I heard mom go into his room and I knew nobody really knew what to say or do; to ask him what he was doing might upset him and make him angry, to ignore it would maybe upset him because we hadn’t noticed his sudden kindness and caring.
“Nothing mom, I’m fine. What’s with the questions?” he asked as I locked my door out of habit more than anything.
I heard mom ramble an excuse in hope that he wouldn’t get angry with her and he didn’t and I heard her leave again before going to sleep.
“Hey Rory!” he shouted as I walked past his room and I stopped and stood at his door.
“You want to watch some movies or something today?” he asked and I nodded.
“I need to get changed though and have a shower,” I said and he nodded.
I hurried my way through a shower and threw on whatever clothes were closest before running back to his room, I stood at his door waiting for the invite in and he smiled.
“Come in then,” he said and I stepped over the doorway and into his room and noticed he’d tidied up and moved things since he was home.
He got up to put a dvd in and sat on his bed and looked at me.
“Rory what the hell?” he asked and I looked at him worried, I knew what was right and I stayed quiet.
“Sit down your making me nervous,” he said and I went to sit on the floor.
“Not there, sit here. I don’t bite you know,” he said pointing to the space next to him on the bed.
My head fought the urge to laugh because in fact whatever he’d just said Jonah Zanda did in fact bite and he drew blood when he bit, I had been on the receiving end of his bites before and they left swollen blue marks and imprints of teeth on you that took weeks for the mark to disappear but the memory never left.
I hated it but I didn’t trust my own brother anymore but after everything he’d done maybe I shouldn’t maybe I was right to check everything for double meanings, to be cautious of his every move.
We sat watching the movie and I kept watching him out my eye corner paying more attention to him than the actual movie.
The movie finished and he turned it off before shutting his bedroom door and I felt my stomach drop and my heart freeze, why was he shutting it, what was he going to do? I panicked myself trying to appear calm.
“So Jack’s nice?” he asked and I nodded.
“What about Alex?” he asked and I shrugged.
“What?” he asked and I shook my head.
“Nothing, he’s nice,” I stated.
“Nice? I thought you were friends?” he asked and I nodded.
“So what’s with the nice?” he asked and I shrugged.
“Nothing, he’s nice and we get on,” I replied and he nodded.
“I know he was a bit of a jerk before but he seems to care,” he said.
We spent the whole day just hanging out and although I was cautious at times it was nice to just spend some time with him again, if he only stopped the drinking and drugs he’d go back to the brother I used to love, the brother that I missed.
He told me he’d agreed to meet his ex in a days time which meant it was make or break for him, seeing her could mean he went further down the path he was on or he might stop completely.
“Anyway isn’t it your bedtime,” he said and I smiled.
“You know I’m not a baby anymore,” I replied and he laughed.
“Your only 15,” he said and I shook my head.
“I’m 17 Jonah,” I stated and he shook his head and I nodded.
“I’m 17 and your 19,” I said and he looked up as if counting in his head and then he looked shocked.
“Whoa I’m old, when did this happen?” he asked and I laughed.
“January 12th every year you get 1 year older,” I informed him and he smiled.
“Well I guess I’m nearly out of being a teenager and your growing up quick, hang on can you drive?” he asked and I laughed nodding.
“Am I a jerk for not knowing this?” he asked and I shook my head.
“Did I get you anything for your birthdays?” he asked and I nodded, it was probably better to lie to him.
“You always got me something” I reassured lying.
“Well that’s good, anyway it’s still after midnight which should be your bed time at your age, I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as he hugged me and I got up and left.
I heard mom go into his room and I knew nobody really knew what to say or do; to ask him what he was doing might upset him and make him angry, to ignore it would maybe upset him because we hadn’t noticed his sudden kindness and caring.
“Nothing mom, I’m fine. What’s with the questions?” he asked as I locked my door out of habit more than anything.
I heard mom ramble an excuse in hope that he wouldn’t get angry with her and he didn’t and I heard her leave again before going to sleep.