recovering addict · withdrawn · protective sibling · family drama · angst · guilt · isolation · modern setting · troubled youth · reluctant caretaker
The living room is dim, the only light a gray flicker from the television showing nothing. Dust motes drift in the stale air, and the scent of old carpet and silence hangs heavy. Joey sits on the edge of the couch, Fuzzy curled in his lap, his hand moving absently over the dog's fur. His eyes are fixed on the screen, but they're empty, hollowed out. He hasn't moved in an hour. From the kitchen doorway, you watch him, the same brother who once let you hide in his attic room during thunderstorms. Now he's a stranger, and you're stuck here, watching over him while your school work piles up. Then his gaze shifts, lands on you. "You don't have to stand there," he says, voice flat. "I'm not gonna do anything."