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(Vic's POV)

I pull my office curtains open and bite the inside of my cheek, Kellin isn't out yet. He's going to miss the bus, I grimace. I frown and keep my eyes locked on his window for a while, then I move my vision down to the door. Suddenly, it swings open and he comes jogging out just as the bus turns onto his street. He doesn't notice me and it bugs me, for what reason, I'm not sure. I guess I'm so used to sending him smiles through the window or good morning texts, that it was weird when we didn't.

Kellin steps on the bus and it pauses a few seconds for him to sit, then they're gone. I frown and sigh, then make my way back to the computer to start my day. I log in and a worksheet is waiting for me. I do the biology work, going off the notes I've taken and a little help from Google. When that one is complete, I hit send and move on to math, my least favorite.

I spend an hour on this one, and I only complete ten out of thirty problems. There's a video on the side, but there's no use seeing as I'm already ten problems in. I stand up and head for the kitchen to get food. Dad isn't home, if he was, he'd be on the couch with coffee and the newspaper. But his spot was empty and so was my stomach, so I pushed the thought away.

I settle for frozen waffles and grab two, pushing the toaster down. While I wait, I glance at my phone, no new messages. I bite the inside of my cheek. Why was this morning different than others? My toaster goes off and I jump, nearly throwing my phone. I sigh and put my hand on my chest, feeling the thump against my palm. After placing the hot waffles on a plate, I drown them in syrup and head back up the steps.

Before I go back to work, I eat a few bites. Whilst eating I remember Kellin telling me he had a small appetite. I smile slightly at the thought of the kind boy and look back to my work, the foreign material making my head hurt. I finish three more problems before eating a little more. Mom starts coughing and I get up immediately, pushing all thoughts from my mind. When I reach the door, my phone buzzes on the desk. I gulp and weigh my options, but stick with the reasonable one and head to my mom's room to help her.

_______

I finish the last bit of the paper and mope to the living room to wait for dad. He usually was home by now, so I was a little anxious. Mike is in the shower, I hear the stream of water and humming. I smile slightly and pull my phone out, sighing in boredom.

Sorry my phone was dead this morning, charged it in first hour.

I let my thumbs hover for a bit before thinking of a reply. I could tell him how disappointed I was or how I wished he was homeschooled, just like he did, and how I wanted to see him. But I only replied with, Oh, okay. How's class? My stomach growls a little and I start walking back to the office. That makes me think, what would real school be like? Is it like the movies depict it? If so, no thanks. But what if it isn't? I think it would be a lot easier to understand things with an actual teacher.

Eh, boring. Ready to come home :) I smile widely and bite my lips but don't reply immediately. He can't know his messages are my main source of entertainment for the day, he can't know I wait patiently for his replies and even time my own so I don't seem needy. It's sad but it's true. Mike doesn't really leave his room except for the occasional meal and to get a phone charger or shower, so he wasn't any help.

Dad rattles his keys in the door, then it swings open slowly. He walks in and I turn my head around. "Hey," I say. "Hello." He mutters, rubbing his eyes. "Long night?" I ask. "Very." Like I said, we don't really talk. If we do, it's two to three word sentences that hardly make sense. We say what we need to and then let the silence come over us, nothing new. And that's exactly what happened, he went to the kitchen and fixed some coffee, grabbed the paper off the counter, and came to his large maroon chair without another word.

He skimmed through the pages as I stared at him, something eating my insides, I didn't know what it was though. I felt anger towards him, I think it was the mom thing. How they seemed so happy before, so caught up in one another like love should be-- then she got sick and he didn't even volunteer to help. I was left with her, to look after and to love because the other two gave up.

"Why'd you abandon Mama like that?" I ask fiercely. My tone startles us both, it causes him to snap his head up to look at me with enlarged eyes. "I did not abandon her." He says smoothly. I purse my lips, I'm getting impatient. I just wanted to know why I was the one left to do everything when there are two people capable of also helping which I do not mind, I love her, but I'm curious.

"What do you call it?" I ask with an edge in my voice I didn't know I held. Was I really this pissed over it? Well, who wouldn't be? This is my mom and I love her and he should, he did. "I call it working to pay for the--"

"Not hospital bills. She doesn't go." I correct him suddenly. "Her medicine," He says. "It's expensive." I sigh and pick at my nails as I bite my lip. "Why don't you even go see her? She's just in her room." He lifts the paper again to cover his face and leaves me hanging with no reply. It infuriates me but I'm afraid to sass him any more than already have. Dad was calm, but he had boundaries. He wouldn't take much more.

I quickly stand and go to the office without another glance at him. When I sit down at my desk for my final subject, I check the time. One o'clock exactly. I sigh and log in and head to the history tab. Once I pull the worksheet up, I pull the online textbook open and scan through he questions. This was the easy subject.

After twenty minutes, I finish the worksheet and log out, sighing in relief as I stand and stretch. Tomorrow won't be so bad, I only have math for tomorrow. I head to my room and walk into my connected bathroom to shower. I remove my clothes and cut the water on. While I wait, I check my phone. I realize I'm the one who didn't reply and I shake my head at myself. I am too. Under the tree?

He actually replies quickly this time. My grin is unstoppable, it forces its way onto my face, my stomach flutters and I force the feeling away just as quick as it came. Sure, see you then. I don't know when I'll have to leave though :( hopefully not as soon. I frown and hit reply as soon as I'm finished reading it. How sweet was he, I mean really? I feel myself blush and sigh, tapping my foot subconsciously.

I hope not.. Meet you there.

After I've put my phone down, I hop in the shower. I wash my hair first, then body, as I sing Guns N Roses. I rinse and then wrap my arms around myself and let the warm water pour over me. Everything hits me but I don't get upset, I stand there and take it silently. I don't feel like I could cry even if I wanted to, and that's the worst feeling I've felt.

Okay, I think. Stop being so depressive, Kellin's coming over. I smile slightly and grab a dark towel from under the clean counters. After I've wrapped it around me, I head to my room to dress. I slide on black chino shorts that reach my knees and a light blue Key Street tee my distant cousin gave me a while back. I throw on a couple bracelets I've collected over the years and finger-comb my hair quickly.

Mom is coughing from her room so I rush along. After I've slid socks and black Vans on, I rush to her room. I pass her the bin and she pukes, sending her lunch and recent medication into the trash. After retrieving more meds from the bathroom, they're for pain, I give them to her with her cup of water from the bedside table. She gulps them down and coughs again, but it stops sooner this time. I caress her pale cheek and smile a little.

"How was your day?" She asks hoarsely. "Tiring. I did a lot of school work today," I get on my knees and lay my head on her chest and she runs her shaking fingers through my hair. Hard to believe she's only forty. Silence fills the air except for her seemingly pained breathing and my slow breaths. "I love you, Vic. I cannot thank you enough." She says in my hair. "I love you, Mama." My voice cracks even though I try to keep it steady for her.

She doesn't deserve this, I think. She's worked so hard for everything she has. I don't know why God would do this to her, to someone so caring. "I'm going to--" She coughs a few times and then wheezes before returning to normal. Or what we called normal. "I'm going to tell you something, son. There are three things you never need to give up on, understand?" She says, and her hand stops in my hair.

"Yes," I say quietly. She clears her throat loudly and continues. "Family, love, and yourself. Got it, Victor? Promise me." I look at her with my throat burning with tears, my cheeks hot with emotion and lip quivering. Not knowing if I could speak, I nod. "Say it." She says roughly. I could tell talking was hurting her, so I say it. "I promise."

She smiles slightly and I try to return it even though I have a few tears on my red cheeks. "Those three w-will always be with you, darling." She whispers. I stand and hold her hand for a while longer, then kiss her cheek and leave the room because I'm not sure I could handle that much longer. I stop outside the door and break down.

_______

(Kellin's POV)

I step off the bus and remove my headphones, pushing my phone into my pocket. I waltz into my home and put my bag on the couch, than start my way over to the Fuentes yard. Vic is there again, I know before I reach the tree. I see his silhouette through the sad branches I've come to memorize from my visits here and the way I watch them at night, just to make sure it is real. Just to make sure these visits with Vic are actually happening and aren't just my imagination forming happy things for me when none are found in real life.

They are real. When I push the leaves back, he's sitting criss-cross and had his back against the bark. His cheeks are flushed, tears dried on his face. He won't let our eyes meet. I sit before I say anything, my thigh pressed to his. "I'm here." And I pull him into another hug like last time, stroking his hair and whispering condolences in his ear. He needed to know I wanted to be here for him, that I wasn't leaving like the others.

"I want to die, it's so sad to w-watch. She's d-dying, Kellin," I rub his back. I feel him quivering against me, this time not so silent. "I can't help he-her and that's all I want to d-do." I shush him and tighten my grip around his waist. "She knows, Vic. She knows you want to help. She's grateful." I assume he means his mother. He shakes in my arms for a whole before he calms down, biting his lips and doing those quick sniffles with little gasps to follow that people do when they've been crying for a long time and wear themselves out.

His cheeks were red and his nose was as well, his small hands knotted in my shirt and hair tangled against my chest. I wish he didn't look so adorable right now. I run my fingers over his arm for comfort, goosebumps erupt on his skin. "Sorry you have to go through that, it isn't fair. I'd trade for you if I could, Vic." He doesn't respond, his breathing is slow and heavy and I assume he's asleep. I continue stroking his arm and hair, noting how silky the curls were.

I'd do anything to help him, to make his life better. To fix his mother's health and bring his brother's old spirit back. I wish I could fix all that but I cannot and it's the worst feeling I've felt in a while. Vic shudders against me and sniffs hard again, he tightens his grip on my shirt and scoots so his face was nuzzled in my neck like before. I smile slightly, blushing from the ears down. His breath fans against my skin every time he breaths, and I don't mind. His arms are snug around my middle and mine are around his waist, caressing the bit of soft, exposed skin to keep him asleep. He needs it, I know he's tired.

If only I could help Vic, make his life better. I just wish things were different.

_____

Longer chapter because I won't be one for a little while, I don't think. As you know, I'm only able to get up here on the weekends and some Wednesday nights. I'm on break so I'm able to, so I decided to write a few chapters to make up for it :) sorry for the inconvenience :( x

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