Running From Lions

We sat and ate dinner and then my aunt started with the questions.

“So do you all go to school together then?” she asked and Xavier shook his head.

“I’m 19 so I’ve finished school now, I live in the next town. These 3 do though,” he answered and she nodded.

“Have you lived here your whole life?” she asked Alex.

“Yeah but we never really spoke before, we only started to talk because Jack moved opposite and we both got on with him,” Alex said and she smiled.

“Look at you bringing people together,” she said and Jack smiled.

“It’s a talent,” he joked and she laughed.

“So Xavier what do you do?” she asked and he sighed.

“I work in an office, it pays the bills,” he stated and she nodded.

“So do you know her brother?” Iona asked and mom tensed at the question, nobody else knew about Jonah’s problems but the family always tried to find out.

“Yeah he went to school with me although he was older, but we all see him when he’s not busy,” Alex said and mom relaxed.

“Yeah he’s really nice once you get to know him,” Jack said and Iona jumped on it.

“What do you mean ‘once you get to know him’?” she asked and dad went to talk but Jack got there first.

“Well he’s my girlfriends brother, I was bound to be scared to meet him. I thought he might hate me for dating her but he’s a nice guy,” Jack said and dad smiled at him.

She asked loads of questions about how Jack and I met and when we started dating and his family and where he came from.

“So 2 young men like yourself must have girls all over town chasing after you,” she stated and I smiled.

“Not really, Rory’s the only girl I really talk to,” Alex said and she nodded.

“So neither of you have girlfriends?” she asked and both my cousins looked at them for answers.

Typical aunt Iona, any young man was a prime opportunity to play cupid to her daughters regardless of the fact Geneva was 5 years younger than Xavier.

“Nope,” Alex stated looking at me and I nodded, I guessed he was checking whether it was okay to out himself to my family.

“Xavier?” she asked and he shook his head.

“No thank you,” he said and I rolled my eyes.

“They’re dating,” I stated and she looked at me and then back at them, I saw Jayne and Geneva faces fall and I smiled to myself, sorry girls no match making going on today.

“Really?” Iona asked and Alex nodded.

“Yeah, longer than them 2. We met at Jack’s party a few days after he moved in,” Xavier explained and she nodded.

Aunt Iona wasn’t really sure of this news. Everyone sat talking and then Alex and Xavier had to leave because they were going to Xavier’s.

“Are they really dating?” Iona asked and I nodded.

“Yeah they are, it’s not that shocking,” I said and she shrugged.

“I just never saw it coming,” she said and I laughed.

“Neither did his family but it did. They’re nice guys,” I said and she nodded.

“I’ve got to go home but I’ll talk to you later okay?” Jack said and I nodded.

“It was nice to meet you all,” Jack said.

I walked with him to the door and he kissed me before going home.

We all sat talking and then Iona said they best go home so I said bye to them all before helping mom tidy up.

“Have you seen your brother?” she asked and I nodded.

“A few days ago, the day he was last here,” I said and she nodded.

“Not since?” she asked and I shook my head.

“He’s not contacted you?” she asked and I shook my head.

“When does he ever do that?” I asked and she shrugged.

“Don’t days like this make you miss him?” I asked and she just looked at me.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Well days when it feels like he’s not even around anymore, he’s a mess mom,” I stated and she just glared at me.

“He’s your brother Rory,” she snapped.

“Nobody is more aware of that than me, everyone knows me because of him. I just wish he’d decide whether he’s being a nice guy or a drug addict,” I stated and she slammed her hand on the counter.

“He’s a nice person regardless of what he does or doesn’t do,” she shouted.

“Mom you have no clue what he’s really like. He admits he’s a jerk but you lot think he’s something special and that’s why he still does all this!” I shouted at her.

Yes he was an adult and he could make his own decisions and he was doing everyday but if they treated him differently he might just realize what he’s doing.

“How dare you?” she shouted.

“Mom see this?” I shouted pulling my top up.

“I got that because of him! One guy grabbed Alex and the other beat me up, Jonah isn’t always this great guy mom. He stopped being that guy years ago!” I shouted at her.

“Rory! How dare you talk about your brother that way? He’s always looked out for you and nobody is perfect!” she shouted.

”She’s right,” dad said from behind me and I let my top fall back down.

“This is as much our fault as his,” dad said and I turned to face him.

“If we were stricter on him or if we forced him to stay home, we could send him to rehab or something,” dad said and mom shook her head.

“He’s not your little 5 year old anymore, he does things we never wanted for him. We just spent all day with them friends of hers and I wish our own son could be more like them. It’s obvious they know about Jonah and they all protect him. Why should they? If we let everyone know what he was they’d maybe make him feel ashamed of himself. The Gaskarth’s think Alex is a problem because he likes guys, I’d rather have him than Jonah some days,” dad said and mom cried.

I walked off upstairs out the way while they argued over Jonah, I rang Alex and he said he was coming home anytime so I decided to walk to meet him.

It was dark out but after the other night I was pretty sure nobody would try that again, I’d seen one of the guys the next day and he had black eyes and a cut lip that screamed Jonah Zanda.