Homeless Heart

Chapter one: Time to say goodbye

It was just a normal morning for me. Wake up, get ready, get Maxie up, get him ready and help Alfred with the breakfast. Maxie, my three and a quarter, as he would say, year old brother, thought it would be funny to throw his food at `mother and father’, of course it was, but they didn’t think so.

“Young man that is not the way a Taylorson acts even in the privacy of his own home!” My father shouted, which, of course, made Maxie cry. I glared at my `adoring’ father and picked him up.

“Leave him, he has to learn,” my mother snapped, her voice like nail scratching a chalkboard. Her voice grated on me, she never talked much, well at least not to me, which I was thankful for. I ignored her, and looked at Jon. Jon, my 18 year old brother, didn’t even bat an eyelid and continued eating his pancakes. I sighed. I looked at Alfred, who grimaced knowingly, and left the room.

Maxie had calmed down and was now just sucking his thumb. I could tell he was still tired because he was being very quiet and letting me carry him. Usually he would squirm until I put him down, then run a head and shout for me to try and catch him. I walked around the house, well I say house, it’s more like three houses put together, with extensions. As I walked I talked to him told him some stories, anything I thought would lull him back to sleep. I was expecting him to fall asleep or at least tell me to shut up; one thing I didn’t expect was what he asked me.

“Why do mommy and daddy hate me?” his voice laced with sleep. I stopped, looked down at him and smiled.

“They don’t hate you,” I hope. “They just get angry easily,” I assured him. He grinned up at me; I smiled and hugged him close to me. “You try and go back to sleep,” he nodded against my chest and I swear I heard him yawn.

I continued walking around until I heard Maxie snore softly. I took him back to his room and put him to bed. I moved his brownish- blonde hair, like mine, out of his eyes. I watched him sleep for a few minutes, smiling to myself, then turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind me, still smiling.

As I turned around my smile faded. Jon. He was standing behind me, unlike Maxie and me, his hair was brown with the smallest hint of blonde...

“Just like dad,” I finished my thought aloud.

“What!?” his face and his voice showing his evident shock. I sighed.

“Nothing, what do you want Jon?”

“I... I just wanted to see if you two were ok, “he said uncertainly.

“You didn’t seem to care back in the kitchen” I said nonchalantly, pushing past him and walking down a couple of steps. He followed, stopping me halfway, with his hand on my shoulder.

“Now that’s not fair, I’m-“he started, I cut him off.

“No! That is fair, Jon! You always do this and I’m sick of it! What happened to my big brother?” I finished softly. He look stunned, I took a deep breath. “Now if you don’t mind, I have work to do,” I turned and continued down the stairs.

“What work!? We have maids you know, that’s what they’re paid for, and Al-“he stopped himself. I froze, turned slowly, and glared at him.

“And Who?” I asked, gritting my teeth.

“I...uh...I didn’t-“he stuttered.

“You didn’t what? Didn’t mean to say it out loud Alfred may be our butler but he’s like a grandfather to me and Maxie, and once to you. But you don’t care anymore do you? All you care about is your future inheritance!”I didn’t shout this but I spoke each word slowly and carefully, so maybe, just maybe, it would get through his thick skull. But I don’t think it did because he just turned and stomped up the stairs.

“If you wake Maxie I’ll kill you,” I called after him, only to hear a door slam in response. I sighed and remembered the question I had asked him towards the start. What happened to my big brother?

***

As I made my way down our large staircase and remembered what Alfred had told me. `Jon feels he has look after you, and for that to happen he has to be like your parents expect him to be. Even if you don’t believe this, remember one thing, he does love you.’ I smiled. I know he loves me and Maxie; I just can’t help picking fights over how he doesn’t show it. Then I remembered that night the night I broke-up with Matt. That night I came in almost crying, I say almost because I never cry, not since I was three years old but that is a story for another time.

I slammed the door behind me, I was late. I knew I was. Jon came out of the dining room.

“You’re late, mom and dad are furious... hey what’s wrong?” he asked getting a glimpse at my face. One thing about Jon he knew me to well, he knew when I was putting on a brave face and when I was ready to cry. Like now for instance.

“Nothing, and I’m not hungry,” I said, trying to get past him and up the stairs. He stopped me.

“It must be something, ‘cause it takes a lot to make you this upset,” he said softly, I stared at the floor and took a deep shaky breath.

“It’s nothing, really,” I said shakily, still trying to get past him. He got hold of my shoulders, and made me look at him.

“Hayley, you know whatever it is you can tell me, what’s wrong?” he asked, worry plastered all over his face.

“You won’t tell mom and dad?”I asked feeling hopeless. He nodded, silently giving his word. I hugged him. When I let go I sat on the step and took a deep breath. “You know I was out with Matt,” I looked at Jon, who was now sitting beside me on the stairs, and he nodded. “We went to the cinema and it was like 5:00 so it was getting dark, we went back to his... we were kissing on the sofa and... one thing led to another... I told him to stop, but he wouldn’t... I forced him to get off me,” I frowned remembering. “And he started shouting at me, calling me a slut and all that, so I ran back here,” I finished quickly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jon stand up. I looked up at him, trying not to cry, his fist clenched.

“I’LL KILL HIM!” he shouted, which made everyone in the dining room come out to see what the commotion was. He made his way towards the door, everyone watching.

“Jon, don’t please!” I begged him.

“I’m sorry Hayley, but I’m gonna have too, I’m your big brother and I’m not going to stand by and let him get away with this!” he shouted. I smiled in spite of myself.

“Can you at least wait ‘till tomorrow,” I said, he sighed. Jon walked over and hugged me tight. The next day Matt came over, he said he was here to forgive me for the night before! And let’s just say he was quite surprised when Jon came over and asked to `talk with him privately'. I laughed at the memory, and realised I was sitting where I was that night.