1

My eyes flung open to a hand over my mouth. I couldn't see through the inky blackness of the night, but I already knew whose hand was covering my mouth. My brother, there was only one reason he'd need to wake me in the middle of the night. 

Dad's finally home and he's drunk enough that he won't see us and just see the failure of his family. It's happened a few times before but most of the time we're not around to see it. 

I slip out of my bed still longing for the warmth of my covers before stepping over the hidden piles of clothes I know scatter our room. Once we make it to the hallway it's a game of who can be quieter. Neither of us wanting to be seen. 

Now that we left my room there is enough light to see my brother's face and I'm glad for it. His long brown hair is still in his bright green eyes, his slender face slightly hollow with hunger. I frown in knowing that he hasn't really been eating much lately, but I can't really say much cause neither have I. My brother is wearing his normal shorts and a sweatshirt. I look down at my own clothes glad that I passed out before changing. I'm wearing my dark jeans, black t-shirt, and black hoodie. It's still somewhat warm outside, but it's nice to be even just slightly warmer than you need to be. 

My brother moves his hand to signal it's now or never and that snaps my focus back to the task at hand. He goes first staying as close to the ground as he can without crawling army style. I follow his lead careful not to slip on the hardwood or tile as we make our way to the back door in the kitchen. I reach up for the doorknob like I have so many different nights being as slow and cautious as I can. If I'm too fast the door will go too far and slam into the house, but if I'm too slow it will freak and draw dad's attention to us. I take in a deep breath and push the door quickly out and almost as fast I stop the door about a foot of space left for me and my brother to leave the house with.

"Sorry, I thought it would go a little farther before I stopped it." I whisper to him as softly as I opened the door. He nods and takes his own deep breath before slipping out the partially opened door only moving it slightly farther out. My turn I follow his lead sucking in my stomach for safe measure. Uncomfortable? Sure, but I make it out without making a peep. As carefully as I opened it I gently close the door with nothing more than a soft click.

The moon is full tonight acting as a spotlight in the yard. I smile brightly knowing that this is going to be a good night. Tomorrow my brother goes off to some private school for troubled youth and I won't see him until winter break. I hate it, my brother has anger issues and fights on my behalf most of the time. I can't start something and not Finnish it, and I already know that the people who pick on me can beat me in a fight no sweat. So I don't engage and as soon as my brother sees them do something he can't hold back. My brother is my best and probably only friend. It's gonna be hard to see him go. 

He returns my smile and we rush into the woods behind our house matching each other's pace jumping over logs and ducking under stray branches. I think back to the first time we came into the forest with happiness and a bit of sorrow that this will be the last time for a while.

"Oli! Slow down I can't keep up." I shout after him as he jumps over the logs with a precision that I simply don't have.

"I'm sorry Pheo, I'm just really excited I want to show you  something super cool!" His excitement was something that I shared, but I simply couldn't keep up with him. He waited for me to catch my breath and then took off again down the path. I followed behind him as he took a slower pace for me. I was panting by the time that he stopped again, but I didn't mind it much. I was glad that he even wanted to hang out with me. No one at school ever does, so I gave up trying to make friends. 

I look around at the trees looking for the thing he wanted to show me, but a wall of moss and leaves blocked my view ahead of us. It was a pretty place. 

Oliver pulled some of the moss aside to reveal a giant tree with its branches twisting and curling everywhere. About halfway up the tree was a wooden room with a rope ladder hanging down to touch the ground.

I jumped with joy and started sprinting toward the treehouse we had always wanted. Up and up the ladder I went knowing Oliver was just behind me trying to get to the top just as I was. 

Once inside I helped Oli up and wthe roomandered around committing the room to memory.

The wood that made up the room was dark, two bean bag chairs were sitting on one side of the room. A table was in the middle. There was a shelf filled with games covering one of the walls and opposite that wall was a wall of books. Then the ladder was the only thing on the last wall. I ran my fingers over the spines of the books debating on whether I could risk taking one out or not.

"You know you want to. Go ahead, this place was abandoned when I found it." Oli was smiling like a madman and I knew that I was too. My eyes instantly went to scan the covers and I knew that my brother would always be my best friend.

When we reach the moss covered leaves of the old willow tree we're both laughing and joking with each other. I give him a light shove and a bittersweet smile. We both climb up the ladder like old times and once we get inside I know he can sense that something's wrong.

"What happened?" His voice is flat but filled with concern nonetheless.

"It's just," I choke on the words. "I don't want you to leave. You're my best friend and I don't want to lose you like we lost mom."

"Pheo, you'll never lose me like that. Cause you're my best friend too. I'll always come back to you and even though we may be far apart, you'll always be in my heart."

"Promise?"

"I promise." I bury my face into his stomach and wrap my arms around him tightly. At least for tonight I won't let him go. I relax as he hugs me with one arm and strokes my hair with the other. Some people might feel like a pet if someone were to do this to them, but to me it feels like love. When I finally let go I walk over to the book wall for something to read. I fairly enjoyed One Of Us Is Lying but now that it's finished I need something new to quench my thirst for reading.

"What about this one Pheo? In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young. There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your 15th birthday, you disappear just like everyone else."

"Ooo. That one sounds interesting." I take a second to mull over my decision. Choose this book or keep looking. "Yeah I'll start with this one. I can always come back on my own to find another one." 

"I love you Pheo and you know that I will always be here for you when you need it right? Just promise me you won't pin this on you, it's my fault I'm leaving you. I wouldn't go back and fix what I've done, but it was a conscious decision that I made, not you." I could almost see the tears in his eyes. "Promise me?"

"Promise, but you can't pin it all on you either. You were just sticking up for me."

"Ok I won't. We should probably head back though. Dad's most likely passed out by now and we don't want him to wake up to us being gone."

"Yeah good idea. We should get some rest before you have to leave tomorrow." I stare into his green eyes looking for something different, but all I could see was pain and worry. I don't want him to worry about me. I know that I have issues at school, but he doesn't need to worry. Tonight is definitely bittersweet, I love that I got to spend one last night with him before he goes, but I wish it didn't have to be this way. I never wanted him to leave like this.

We walk back to the house in silence and enter as quietly as we left. Careful to crouch down and sneak off to our room. I step over the piles of clothes carefully as I make my way through the pitch black room to my bed. I gently cover up and whisper to the darkness.

"You promise to wake me and tell me goodbye?"

"Yeah, I couldn't leave without telling you goodbye, but in case I get rushed out I love you and I want you to try and make some friends while I'm gone. Or maybe join a team. Something to get you out of the house. Please?"

"Ok Oli, see you in the morning."

"See you in the morning Pheo."

I wake to a soft shake and open my eyes to see my brother's green ones. I smile at him and yawn, but I sit up right after.

"Dad's just about ready to go so I only have a few minutes before we leave, but I had to say goodbye first. I love you." He opens his arms up for a hug which I gladly accept.

"Love you too. Come back for winter break that way we can build snowmen like normal and have hot coco and well, just hangout even if it's just for a little while."

"Yeah sounds nice." I could still see the pain behind his smile even without looking at him and I knew he saw mine. This hurt us both and we know it was going to be hard without the other. 7 solid weeks without him. 

We pull apart and I look at him with tears glassing over my eyes.

"Come back soon ya dork." I tell him as I lightly punch his shoulder. He chuckles and kisses my forehead.

"Always." I could hear my dad shuffling around the house and then the thought of me being here alone with him caught up to me. "I gotta go, but please take care of yourself."

I nod even though I can feel the fear setting in. My brother grabs the few bags he packed the other day and walked out of our room. I miss him the instant he walked through the door, but I ignore the urge to run and hug him one last time and go back to sleep. Softly crying for the brother who I know will come back, but still miss all the same.