Chapter 7: A Small Ripple Part 2

The two eldest Pierce siblings were getting ready for their double date, striving to hopelessly behave as ordinary teenagers, instead of getting caught in a vortex of dysfunction, even if it were only for one night.

Jackson was currently taking a shower in the upstairs bathroom, and Allison was in her bedroom listening to music through her earphones from her iPod at full volume, struggling to pick out a proper outfit for the erratic event, while Bruno remained downstairs, taking a pleasant nap on the couch.

Allison groaned inwardly at the sight of various ensembles arrayed on her bed, and then sighed at her indecisiveness. She wondered to herself what exactly was appropriate date wear, and contemplated whether or not she should text Rebecca for advice.

She quickly glanced at herself in the tall mirror, and noticed her unruly hair, threatening to engulf her entire head. She cringed at her lousy appearance, becoming easily sidetracked, as she made her way out of her bedroom, and into the unlocked bathroom unheedingly, where the lights were already turned on.

Allison almost stumbled backwards at the sight of herself in the large bathroom mirror, and rummaged through the drawer to find her hairbrush, while bobbing her head up and down to the blaring beat of the music.

She stroked her hair softly, as it entangled itself in the bristles of the hairbrush, being completely uncooperative. Impatiently, Allison continued to brush her hair harshly, unaware of a certain person's existence.

Concurrently, Jackson turned off the faucet in the bathtub, also incognizant, and began diverging from the bathtub unmindfully.

At the same time, Allison viewed a mop of black hair through her peripheral vision, and turned her head to the left, to catch sight of Jackson's alarmed eyes.

For a split second, she tried to process the absurd situation, her gaze trailing downwards, and her eyes widening startlingly, as she dropped her hairbrush and iPod, letting her earphones fall amongst them, and let out a deafening shriek.

Jackson himself, screamed at the unbelievable sight, and he scrambled to find a towel to cover his bare body that was soaked in dripping water, while Allison quickly turned around, hunching over to shield her eyes from the unsettling view.

The two siblings squirmed uncomfortably at the overwrought predicament, finding it difficult to form a levelheaded reaction.

To make matters worse, the sound of a battered engine emerged from the driveway, and nearly seconds after, the sound of the front door unlocking, and opening in a raucous manner, frightening the Pierce siblings even more so, as they recognized mother's untimely appearance.

"Damn it," Jackson cursed under his breath, irritated by the noticeably hazardous circumstance. "Why is she here?"

Allison remained frozen in her spot, trying to make out and comprehend the different sounds erupting from downstairs.

"Why are we back home?" She heard Jocelyn ask unhappily, also curious about their mother's inconvenient presence.

"Yeah," Alex chimed in, siding with his twin sister. "I thought we were going to stay at the carnival a bit longer. I wanted to try the corndogs."

The two eldest Pierce siblings remained stagnant in their uncomfortable stance, intently listening to the conspicuous scene being played out downstairs.

At last, Janet's raspy voice was heard, as she explained rather nastily. "I told you two, I left something behind, and I must get it before I forget."

Allison scrunched her eyebrows perplexingly, curious about their mother's true intentions, while Jackson scoffed silently at their mother's relentless character.

"We will go back to the carnival shortly." Janet continued negligently. "Entertain yourselves with the dog in the meantime -since that's all you two can do."

Jackson shook his head in anger at the way she rudely conversed with the twins, and made an impulsive step towards his younger sister, who still had her back towards him.

Allison finally turned around swiftly, unbeknownst to Jackson's close proximity, and jerked backwards in surprise, once she came face to face with his indignant facial expression.

His black hair was completely inundated, and the water droplets that swamped his body were dripping recklessly onto the tiled, bathroom floor, but some were absorbed in the white towel that was now wrapped conservatively around his waist.

For a moment, the two stared at each other imprudently, searching for justifiable interpretations, but were soon interrupted by the strident sound of footsteps arising up the stairs, and promptly approaching closer.

Impetuously, Jackson took a hold of Allison's limp, right arm that hung loosely beside her hip, and drew her body closer to his in a wary manner, finding it arduous to come up with a rational plan.

Allison stiffened at his immediate touch, but nonetheless, willingly permitted to his haste actions that tugged her into the saturated bathtub along with him.

Due to the slippery outcome as a result of Jackson's shower, Allison skidded slightly, in the midst of entering the tub, but Jackson swiftly steadied her unstable body by grabbing a hold of her shoulders securely.

The two stood across from each other with little space between them, as they were forced to meet each other's frightened eyes.

The shower curtain enclosed them even more so, in the residually steamy atmosphere, as they both fought to perpetuate their composure, listening to the sound of persistent footsteps nearing closer by the second, finding a hint of reassurance within their eyes.

The treading had only gotten louder, as Janet paced back and forth into various rooms, spawning an ungodly amount of cacophonous sounds.

Allison furrowed her eyebrows at the unpleasant noises emitting from her room, Jackson's room, and then Janet's own room, mentally studying their mother's intentions.

She seemed to be rummaging through their personal belongings quite shamelessly, and possibly ransacking their possessions.

"What nuisances," came an unpleasant voice, standing directly outside of the bathroom.

Jackson clenched his jaw at Janet's audacious behavior, and refrained from making an impulsive move.

"Whoever said children were a blessing..." Janet muttered lowly to herself, staring right ahead at the bathroom door that was left ajar, along with the lights that were carelessly left on.

Jackson bit his lower lip in agitation at the revolting remark Janet had made, and struggled to suppress his visible rage, silently daring himself to open his mouth to curse their despicable mother in regards to her lousy attitude.

Janet raised a suspicious eyebrow at the state of the bathroom, and skeptically walked towards it, while Jackson breathed intensely, withholding the urge to let his smothered anger out.

Allison noticed her older brother's aggravated condition, and inched upwards to cover his mouth, as Jackson faltered in his position, now gazing vehemently into his sister's portent eyes.

The two remained in their pose, hearing the presence of Janet meters away from them, as the opaque shower curtain hid their terrified bodies from eyesight.

As Allison wordlessly cursed at the realization of the lights being left on, and her hairbrush and iPod incautiously resting on the tiled floor, Janet took a mistrustful look around the small room, thoroughly examining every little detail.

The two Pierce siblings held in their breath, shaking in their spot at the fear of getting caught in a rampant circumstance.

Fortunately, Janet had successfully dismissed the state of the bathroom nonchalantly, and shut off the lights, after mumbling to herself bitterly. "Careless children."

With that, her loud trail of footsteps departed down the stairs in dissatisfaction, until they completely vanished after the front door had slammed open and shut, following the start of a car engine.

At last, the eldest Pierce siblings let out a breath of relief at their mother's withdrawal, finally taking in the nature of their uncomfortable situation once again.

Allison's eyes widened, as she made eye contact with her brother's bare chest, and immediately recoiled, quickly pulling her right hand away from his clamped mouth.

Jackson only let out an awkward laugh, habitually reaching to uneasily run a hand through his drenched hair, as Allison got out of the bathtub in a hurried motion, avoiding her brother's eyes.

Jackson followed her lead, and stood behind her quietly, deciding to address the inevitable circumstance, but Allison shook her head vigorously, and spoke before him.

"Unbelievable," she spat in disgust, stomping towards her room to check the damage that their mother had done. "I cannot believe her."

Jackson's breathing hitched at his younger sister's abrupt words, and he trailed after her in nothing but a towel, as she inspected every single room.

She came across the unforgotten room that Janet and Augustin had shared previously, and noticed their mother's jewelry box that sat on the dusty dresser had been utterly plundered.

Allison scoffed to herself, and shook her head in disappointment once more at their avaricious mother, then suddenly turned around in her spot to come face to face with her half-naked brother.

She stumbled backwards slightly in surprise, and then vocalized in repugnance. "She took all her expensive jewelry."

Jackson exhaled in mental exhaustion, constantly annoyed by their mother's never ending, greedy personality, but decided to stray away from the grotesque topic.

"Why don't we continue to get ready for the date?" He suggested softly, meeting his sister's conflicting eyes that strained to stay resilient.

"Huh?" She spoke aloud, snapping out of her infinite thoughts, as she met her brother's soft and comforting eyes. "O-oh yes, that's right."

With that, she made her way out of the harrowing room, as Jackson stayed back fleetingly, his gaze lingering distressingly at the empty jewelry box.

-

"Allison!" Jackson hollered sonorously, standing at the bottom of the stairs, as he waited impatiently for his sister's arrival. "At this rate, we'll surely be late!"

"Five more minutes!" Allison countered back from above, applying finishing touches to her light makeup.

She stood before her long standing mirror in her room, taking a look at herself in depth, and mentally nit-picked all her potential flaws. Her hair was frizzy, her dress was imperfectly wrinkled, and the stained bags underneath her eyes were still slightly visible, even with the makeup.

Her eyes then came across a certain pendant resting comfortably on her collarbone, and she grimaced instantly at the thought of the necklace that Alaric had so generously gifted her on her birthday. Her gaze had dawdled a moment too long at the musical note hung gracefully around her neck, and she recalled the few years of friendship with Alaric in which she had trusted him, to an extent.

"You said that ten minutes ago!" Jackson riposted from below, breaking Allison away from her futile thoughts.

"Coming!" She exclaimed in return, finally deciding to take off the necklace, as she tossed it on the bed, then scrambled to invulnerably rush down the stairs in her high heels.

The sound of her heels clunked down the wooden steps, catching Jackson's attention, as he turned his head around to witness his sister scurrying downstairs precipitously.

As she made her way to the final step, she met her brother's eyes, and smiled sheepishly for making him wait for her, failing to proceed with caution, as she missed the last step on her way down.

Hurriedly, Jackson extended his right arm outward, and seized her by the waist, supporting her body, as he caught her in the nick of time.

Allison's eyes widened at the fearful incident, but relaxed effortlessly in her brother's grip, as he stared back at her in worry.

"Thanks," she murmured, finally meeting his brown, fretful eyes, as he nodded briefly, clearing his throat, then rapidly pulled away composedly.

"W-what took you so long?" Jackson stuttered, opting to change the topic, as Allison only chortled in her place, smiling candescently.

"It's my first double date after all," she reasoned defensively, providing a valid argument on her part. "I had to make sure I chose to wear something more than presentable."

Jackson chuckled at his sister's abnormally vivacious attitude towards their engagement tonight, and heedlessly followed her steps towards the living room where she had stopped abruptly, turning to look at his startled face.

"So..." she trailed off mischievously, looking upwards to catch sight of her brother's now nervous expression. "How do I look?"

Jackson gulped in his spot, being caught off guard, and only then, noticed his sister's glamorous appearance. She elegantly wore a floral dress that reached just above her knees, and her hair was curled exquisitely, hanging gracefully upon her shoulders.

She sported a hopeful smile, as Jackson licked his lips uneasily.

"You look," he started off shakily, as Allison raised an eyebrow in anticipation for his answer. "Overdressed."

Allison's mouth opened wide at his absurd statement, as she shot him a disdainful glare, while Jackson only smirked teasingly, making his way towards the front door.

The eldest Pierce daughter breathed in heavily at her brother's audacious behavior, and tailed after him, displaying a ruffled expression.

He held open the front door with a playful smile, and gestured for her to exit first, as Allison squinted her eyes narrowly up at him and simply retaliated. "Well you look exceedingly underdressed."

She made sure to look at his undone white dress shirt and black ripped jeans in aloof, while Jackson stifled a laugh, as he himself looked down at his informal attire.

He raised both eyebrows at his sister's witty comeback, and then watched her strut out of the house superiorly towards the car.

He shook his head with a small smile tugging at his lips, and then locked the front door, joining his sister in front of the car.

-

During the ride to their date's destination, Allison tapped her fingers anxiously against the window, as she stared soullessly ahead at the piercing sun, and the mildly darkened sky.

Jackson glanced over at his sister's undesired state, and refrained from bursting out into a comical grin.

Instead, he asked unimpeachably. "Are you nervous?"

Allison's tense eyes drifted leftwards to her brother, as she responded intrinsically. "Aren't you?"

Jackson looked ahead at the windshield, shrugging simply, and nonchalantly voiced. "Should I be?"

Allison nodded affirmatively, and verbalized. "Yes; it is your first official date with Rebecca, after all."

The eldest Pierce son solicitously registered the unfavourable situation, and parked symmetrically between the two yellow lines once he reached the final destination.

He put the car in park, and turned to face his curious, younger sister. "Well, I'm not nervous," he confessed, intently watching her facial expression alter. "Because I have you by my side. And...inversely."

Allison studied her brother's declaration, as he continued. "You shouldn't be nervous too."

He smiled for the last time, and then the two of them got out of the car.

The Pierce siblings approached their destination, and stood before the rusty gates of an old, rugged restaurant and bar that was crawling with a profuse amount of drunkards.

Jackson gave a skeptical expression in regards to the disreputable atmosphere of the location, and then turned his head to the right to view his just as hesitant sister.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" The eldest Pierce sibling questioned doubtfully, watching his younger sister scramble to fetch her phone from her purse to confirm the designated venue.

Allison narrowed her eyes at the bright screen that was opened to the group chat that Rebecca had created, and then lowered the phone downwards, to view the horrid state of the building in front of her.

"Yes," she affirmed ponderously. "This is the right place."

Jackson sighed heavily in disbelief, and followed his sister's footsteps into the restaurant, right after muttering lowly, "this will not end well."

As the two stepped foot into the dark and futile environment, they were ineluctably greeted by the distinctly profound and putrid scent of alcohol that the Pierce's had grown to distinguish all too well in their lifetime.

There were two big television screens hung on the corners of walls, showcasing their hometown's prerecorded football game, and the restaurant was flooded with ravenous people, while the bar was crawling with pathetic tipplers.

As the two siblings scanned the room impetuously in turmoil, their eyes caught sight of a particular redhead that was seated in one of the booths towards the left, right next to a certain brunette boy who tapped his fingers uneasily on the wooden table in front of him.

Rebecca raised her right hand upwards in a swift motion, with a widened smile alongside, and waved both of the Pierce siblings over once she met their gaze, as Jackson and Allison tentatively made their way towards their significant others.

"Oh you made it!" Rebecca beamed excitedly, thoroughly eyeing Jackson, who stood uncomfortably next to his younger sister, avoiding any eye contact with his date.

"Allison," Ethan spoke breathlessly, examining her elegant attire, as the eldest Pierce daughter squirmed nervously in her position. "You look absolutely...beautiful."

Jackson scoffed silently at Ethan's generic comment, as Allison smiled in response, turning slightly red at the gratifying compliment.

"You guys can sit down," Rebecca instructed, once she noticed the two standing awkwardly side by side.

Allison quickly nodded obediently, and slid into the booth, sitting right across from Ethan, who subtly flashed her one of his charming smiles, while Jackson slid smoothly beside his sister, taking notice of her suddenly timorous behavior.

As the four remained seated, a cumbersome silence passed on, where Ethan helplessly continued to stare fawningly at Allison, as she timidly held her gaze on her lap, refraining from embarrassing herself, while Rebecca found herself awestruck by Jackson's appeal, and Jackson obliviously witnessed the repulsive interaction between his sister and the blatant boy.

In a sly manner, he began abruptly. "It's nice to see you again, Ethan." He snapped the buggy-eyed teenager out of his hormonal daydream, as his disrupted gaze now fell upon the impeaching black-haired boy.

However, Ethan held his collected composure, grinning cunningly, and replied oppressively. "Likewise, Jackson."

Unaware of the uncivil tension, Rebecca inquired eagerly, and attentively observed the eldest Pierce son. "So Jackson, what did you do today?"

Rebecca's attempt to make small talk only backfired, as Jackson responded indifferently, a rather conspicuous gaze still held on a domineering Ethan. "Work."

The redhead let out an artificial laugh, pretending to be amused at his blatant reply, in hopes to mask her discouragement, while Allison mentally assessed the silent exchange between both her brother and boyfriend, completely dismissing her best friend's nonsensical conduct.

As the table had undergone another uncommunicative moment, and Jackson's sight never faltered from Ethan's, Rebecca stared ahead longingly at her date, desperately seeking for any ounce of attention.

Left unsatisfied, she suggested aloud. "Why don't we start deciding on what to order?"

"Good idea," Allison interjected abruptly, agreeing with Rebecca wholeheartedly in an effort to terminate the uncannily hostile interaction between the two boys.

Rebecca flashed Allison a grateful smile, and then proceeded to explore the menu in front of her.

Ethan was the first to break his contact from Jackson, as he swiftly picked up one of the menus left on the table, searching for a desired dish to order.

Allison also picked up a menu, before turning to look at her older brother questioningly, who had on an unrecognizable expression, as he abstained from meeting her eyes.

"Hey Allison," spoke Ethan, a certain malicious tone to his voice, as the eldest Pierce daughter stared across to catch sight of his frivolous expression. "What was it exactly that we ordered on our previous date?"

He looked right ahead at Allison, yet the insinuative message was clearly targeted towards Jackson, who sat in anguish, trying miserably to contain his short temper after hearing Ethan's distinctly goading question.

Allison however, seemed unfazed, and rather compliantly replied. "I believe it was the Chicken Parmesan."

"Oh yes, that's right," Ethan cut in confirmedly, now setting his menu down in achievement, with a devious grin outstretched on his malevolent face. "I think I'll go with that, today. How about you, Allison?"

Jackson suppressed his clear agitation, as he clenched his fists habitually underneath the table, attempting to hold on an emotionless expression, which Rebecca took notice of, perplexed by his disorderly manner.

"I guess...I'll go with the same thing," Allison answered, placing her menu back down on the table, earning a warm smile from Ethan, who displayed his endearing dimples. "Rebecca?"

"Huh?" The redhead muttered, being drawn away from her pondering thoughts that revolved around Jackson, as she met Allison's inquisitive eyes. "Oh yeah...I'll uh, have the same thing."

All eyes were now on Jackson, awaiting his choice of dish, as he heedlessly fixated his sight on the television screen diagonal from him, successfully able to control his anger.

"Jackson," Allison spoke softly, tugging at the crumpled elbow of his white dress shirt gently, as the black-haired boy glanced briefly at his sister, and then at all the other eyes that were glued onto him.

The eldest Pierce son casually stated. "I'll go with the same thing."

As he did so, he pulled away from Allison's grasp, failing to meet her confused eyes, as she wondered silently about his unusually cold demeanour.

"Alright, good!" Exclaimed Rebecca, gaining her customary perkiness back, and strived to positively uplift the unsettling atmosphere. "Now that that's settled upon, would you boys kindly go order for it, up front?"

Ethan nodded politely, as Rebecca exited from the booth to make way for him, while Jackson bit back his lip to maintain his composure, standing upright too, and faced the brunette boy.

The two silently headed towards the front counter to place their order, as Allison watched from afar curiously, trying to dissect both of their uninterpretable intentions.

Rebecca slid back into the booth, now planting herself in Ethan's original spot, and leaned over the table to stare at her best friend imperatively.

"What's wrong with Jackson?" She questioned in exasperation, and shook her head sulkily. "Why is he acting so strange? He won't even look at me."

Allison remained quiet, trying to make sense of it herself, as she wondered the same exact thing. Her brother was acting rather odd, and it was unknown as to why exactly.

Finally, she forced herself to face Rebecca, who stared at her interrogatively, hopelessly seeking for answers, and fabricated an explanation. "He's just...nervous, that's all." She continued, lying straight through her teeth. "It is his first date after all."

Although Allison wasn't too sure about why her older brother had been acting so peculiar, she firmly knew that he wasn't at all nervous; he made that pretty clear in the car ride here.

Still, as her best friend craved solace, and some sort of reasonable elucidation for Jackson's deportment, she couldn't help but lie to provide potentially false reassurance.

-

The two boys made their way towards the front counter to place the order, and waited patiently behind the moderately long line of other customers.

Jackson slipped his hands casually in the pockets of his distressed jeans, and directed an impassive stare back towards the large television still screening a football game.

Ethan studied the eldest Pierce's unbothered attitude, and subconsciously drew an impish smirk on his lips, after turning his head around to sneak a glimpse at Rebecca and Allison conversing amiably together at the booth.

"You're friends with Will Solstice, right?" The brunette boy began, suggesting a rather treacherous tone in his voice, as Jackson forced himself to direct his gaze onto the deliberately annoying schoolboy, and nodded cooperatively, for the sake of his sister.

Ethan continued with his childish and unproductive discussion, while Jackson upheld his serene appearance. "He's on the school football team, correct?" His voice had made it seem like an amateur interrogation, solely created to arouse some sort of impromptu reaction from the respondent, yet he did not wait for an answer. "If I recall correctly, he's the star quarterback."

At his prolonged and desperate attempt to obtain a callous reaction, Jackson scoffed pitifully, and turned to flash him a grim look.

However, Ethan only maintained his venomous exterior, and resumed his inflaming conversation. "What I don't understand is...how can someone like you-'' he spat in pure disgust, meeting Jackson's unfazed eyes. "Be friends with someone like him?"

Jackson fought the urge to roll his eyes at his unruly remark, and remained silent, staring ahead blankly to avoid creating a disturbance at a public place.

"Truly a mystery, wouldn't you agree?" Ethan mumbled with a ridiculing chuckle at the end, noticing the subtly adverse affect it had on Jackson.

Finally, the two had reached the front of the line, and Jackson stood straight beside Ethan, who stepped up authoritatively to place an order.

"Four plates of Chicken Parmesan, please," he requested politely, leaning forwards for the employee to hear clearly. "For that table." He then gestured behind him, to where Allison and Rebecca were still chatting it up with each other. "And I'd like to pay for it now."

The woman nodded obediently, as she started typing into the restaurant's POS system, while Jackson fumbled through his pockets in search for his wallet, inclining to pay.

Howbeit, Ethan only extended out an arrogantly dismissive arm in front of him, and swiftly reached to grab his card from his wallet, then tapped it effortlessly on the debit card machine, completing the transaction successfully.

"Would you like your receipt?" The woman recited courteously, as Ethan gave her his friendly signature smile.

"No thank you," he responded kindly, fabricating an honourable complexion, as Jackson huffed quietly at his masked haughtiness.

The two boys turned on their heels, starting their way back to the girls, when Ethan took a hold of Jackson roughly by his arm, restricting him from taking another step.

"Listen," the brown-haired boy spoke in forewarning. "Make sure you don't interfere with my plan."

Jackson clenched his teeth together in resulted anger, yanking his arm aggressively away from his grasp, and glared at his highly condescending behavior.

"And what exactly is your plan?" The eldest Pierce boy spoke lowly in a stern manner, while Ethan only simpered disingenuously.

"Only to be with Allison, properly," he started, touching a sensitive topic, as Jackson winced at the mention of his sister. "Without her overly protective brother impeding on us."

Jackson faltered slightly at the maliciously veracious subject that he broached, as Ethan took visible notice of his marginally distressed state, and grinned triumphantly.

"I-I'm only overprotective, because she's my sister," the eldest Pierce sibling stuttered momentarily, trying to regain his equilibrium. "I care about her-"

"Far too much, don't you think?" Ethan budded in suspiciously, showing a rather disdainful temper, as Jackson's breathing hitched noticeably at the audacity. "I know it was you last night who turned on the porch lights."

Jackson quickly drifted his incredulous gaze at the feral boy in front of him, who stared back at him daringly.

"So I suggest you stay out of my way," he concluded, a victorious smile sewn onto his complacent lips, while the Pierce boy sighed heavily at the antagonizing threat.

"Shall we return back to our dates?" Ethan suggested unaffectedly, creating a lighthearted tone wily. "You wouldn't want to cause a scene now, would you?"

Jackson avoided his stare, as he tauntingly slapped him on the back playfully with an insincere smile, and then made his way back to the table, now purposely choosing to sit beside Allison.

The Pierce boy watched from afar, as the two interacted pleasantly with each other, and reiterated Ethan's scornful threat in his mind, until a certain redhead had caught his eye.

"Yoo-hoo, Jackson!" Rebecca exclaimed ebulliently, actively waving him towards them. "Over here!" She patted the seat next to her excitedly, with an enormously radiant smile on her face, as Jackson sluggishly made his way over to the rest, and inexorably perched alongside the inordinately jubilant redhead.

He sat across from Ethan, who had completely shifted his guileful appearance into the exact opposite, and was now conversing chummily with Allison.

Through his right ear, he heard the muffled sound of Rebecca going on about something, but his brain rejected to process her speech, and drowned out everything, while he gazed wistfully at Allison.

He observed as she uncontrollably threw her head back in laughter at something Ethan had spoken, creating a charming indent upon her cheeks. He studied the way her long hair fell graciously upon her delicate face, as she nervously looked down at her lap. And he meticulously examined the way a small blush had efficiently crept upon her soft cheeks.

But alas, his perilous thoughts were vigorously stripped away from his mind, as Rebecca assertively took a strong hold of Jackson's forearm, viciously breaking him out of his reverie.

"Did you hear what I said?" The spirited redhead spoke, as Jackson showcased a baffled expression, and met her kooky eyes.

"Huh?" He managed to choke out, confused by her sudden question, as Rebecca withheld her frustration, and forced a tolerant smile.

"I said," she began once again, with a much more intrepid tone. "I really like your shirt."

Jackson glanced briefly at his unbuttoned, wrinkled dress shirt that he had found at the back of his closet, and indifferently murmured a quick, "thanks."

After his short and distant response, he drifted his eyes back upon his sister, who was interacting rather intimately with Ethan. Rebecca followed his gaze, and watched pensively at the interplay.

Ethan had leaned forward to whisper something into Allison's ear, causing her to let out a melodious giggle at the words he had spoken, while Jackson tightly gripped onto the loose threads of his ripped jeans in vexation, much to Rebecca's dismay.

-

The food had arrived half an hour ago, and majority of it had been devoured in a matter of minutes. In the midst of their meal, the atmosphere had gotten quite sociable, but Jackson still stayed distant, Ethan's admonitory words playing on a constant loop in his mind.

He was in disbelief at the two contrasting personalities the boy managed to maintain between his sister and himself. There was a slight suspicion on his behalf, and what exactly his true intentions were. And for that sole reason, Jackson refused to comply to his cautionary advice.

Meanwhile, throughout the course of their meal, Rebecca had desperately tried to attain any amount of attention from Jackson by making small talk, and mentioning various topics in an effort to engage him in a genuine conversation.

However, her attempts had failed deplorably, as Jackson was too involuntarily focused on Ethan and Allison's incessant discussion to have any awareness for his despondent date.

"Was Mr. Lieberman always so...stringent?" Allison asked intriguingly, addressing their chemistry teacher, causing Ethan to let out a humorous chuckle, nodding in confirmation.

"Yes," he replied. "I've been in his class twice, and he's always been so uptight." He further elaborated. "There's a rumour about his wife leaving him for his brother; explains his draconian personality."

Allison raised both eyebrows at the shocking statement, and commented lowly. "Wow...that's sad."

Ethan shrugged vaguely, and took a sip out of his ice water, fleetingly catching sight of Jackson's evidently discomposed facial expression, and discreetly smirked at the pleasurable sight.

On the other hand, Rebecca studied the exchange between Allison and Ethan, and Jackson, who watched them both intensely, and quickly grew agitated by the lack of regard she received.

Finally, she encountered a conspicuous idea, and boldly raised her right arm upwards to usher a nearby waiter over.

"Yes, what can I get you?" The man who seemed like he was in his early twenties questioned respectfully, as Rebecca gave him one of her bewitching smiles.

"I'll have a margarita," she adjured, instantly getting a hold of both Allison and Jackson's dreadful attention, as they stared at the blatant redhead incredulously.

"I'm sorry, but can I see your ID, please?" The waiter requested authoritatively, following policy procedures, as Rebecca only flashed him a sickeningly sweet smile, and reached into her purse to obtain her false identification.

She held out the ID card calmly, as the waiter hunched over to read it scrupulously, and squinted his eyes to make the words appear more clearer.

At last, he stood up straight in satisfaction, smiling in approval, and responded obediently. "I will be back shortly."

With that, he strutted back towards the bar, as Rebecca squealed in satisfaction, placing her fake ID cautiously back into her purse, while Ethan shot her an apparent, impressed look at her successful attempt to acquire alcohol underage.

On the contrary, Jackson and Allison both shared a disapproving appearance, negatively affected by the atrocities they faced in their childhood that were conclusively linked to alcohol.

"When did you get a fake ID?" Allison simply questioned, taken aback by her friend's unprecedented habit.

"Some guy at school makes them for a decent price," Rebecca answered shamelessly, raising her shoulders upwards to dismiss the irrelevant topic.

Jackson preserved his detesting expression, and naturally shook his head in disappointment at her casual remarks regarding alcohol, unbeknownst to Rebecca, who eagerly took the alcoholic beverage from the waiter once he had brought it over.

She smiled excitedly to herself at the arrival of her awaited drink, as the waiter departed, and then turned her head leftwards to face a piqued Jackson sitting in comprehensible annoyance.

Allison observed her older brother's irritated manner in regards to Rebecca's impish desire, and sat anxiously in her seat, afraid of how fast things would escalate for the worse.

"Jackson," Rebecca addressed the eldest Pierce son, as he forced himself to stare at the exhibitionist girl. "Would you like to try it?"

He forged a civil smile, and reposefully declined. "No, I-I'm okay."

He stammered briefly, in an attempt to control his short temper, but Rebecca hadn't caught onto his concealed exasperation.

She only probed further seductively. "Are you sure? It's really good."

Her eyes had twinkled suggestively, as she prodded Jackson to partake in her convivial drinking. Still, he held his tranquil posture, and unambiguously shook his head in discountenance, as Allison squirmed uncomfortably in her seat at the precarious sight, causing Ethan to furrow his eyebrows in perplexity towards the rather enigmatic exchange.

"I'm positive you'll like it." Rebecca resumed her coercion, now daring to reach over immodestly, to secure an amorous hold upon Jackson's thigh.

Allison perceptibly took notice of her friend's troublesome intentions, and urgently prescribed in a stern voice. "He said no."

The words had fallen out of her mouth so venomously, that even she, was taken aback by her scolding tone, along with everyone else seated at the booth.

Rebecca had immediately drawn her hand involuntarily away from the astonished Pierce boy, and stared at her best friend in surprise.

Jackson had finally directed his gaze upwards and met his sister's solicitous eyes, as they both shared an unspoken moment only induced by their dysfunctional lives.

Ethan took notice of the thick tension and the silent interaction between Jackson and Allison in bitterness, and breathed heavily in discontent.

Jackson gave his younger sister a faint, thankful smile, then continued to finish his meal tacitly, as Allison stared down at her lap wordlessly, impelling the quietness to provide her some ease.

-

A few minutes went by, and the grim atmosphere had converted back into an easygoing one, naturally. Everyone had finished their food, and Rebecca had insecurely downed her margarita in a rush.

With everyone's meals completed, and having no more suitable subjects to discuss, the only sounds that were heard were of the nearly finished football game airing on the television screens, and the faint melody of lovely music playing in the background, as a handful of couples danced together happily.

Ethan watched pleasantly at the sight of the couples blissfully dancing, and stood up abruptly, with a childlike smile on his face.

Allison tilted her head in surprise, as he hunched over slightly, and extended out his right hand playfully, then asked. "Would you like to dance, Allison?"

The eldest Pierce daughter bit back her girlish grin, and laughed euphoniously, accepting his offer, and placed her hand into his, much to Jackson's dismay.

He watched as Ethan led Allison onto the dance floor, and aligned his vile hands onto her body, as the two danced around together gracefully.

He held back his overprotective nature, and sat wistfully, observing the ambivalent view, while Rebecca traced her long nails boringly against her empty margarita glass.

Interpreting the interplay incorrectly, she proposed hopefully. "Do you want to dance?"

Jackson snapped out of his incessant thoughts, and raised an incongruous eyebrow, slightly turning his head towards the right to face the buoyant girl.

As he studied her resilient expression, he almost considered her offer, but was repulsed by the potent smell of alcohol lingering on her rosy red lips, and he quickly turned away from her, replying rather coldly, "I don't dance."

Rebecca exhaled in sorrow, as she witnessed the distant boy's eyes fall back onto Ethan and Allison.

Jackson fought the urge to elaborate further on his reserved remark, and instead, intensely viewed his sister laughing it up with her new boyfriend, as they both embraced each other on the dance floor.

Unknowingly, he had gripped the metal fork on his plate tightly into his right hand, trying to constrain his temper away.

But it seemed the lower Ethan's hands slid down Allison's back, the tighter his grip had gotten on the faultless fork, until his knuckles were patently whitening.

The ability to restrain himself was slowly deteriorating, as Ethan had brought himself closer to Allison's face fearlessly, inching forwards at every beat.

He had tangibly reached to push a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and used that as an excuse to draw his lips near hers, as Allison froze in her place, unaware of what to do.

Unable to withstand it any longer, Jackson had promptly stood up from his seat at last, carelessly dropping the metal fork onto the ceramic plate ruthlessly, causing an ear-splitting ruckus, and startling Rebecca in the process.

He angrily marched over to the two, and stood just in between them, then verbalized very insistently. "Mind if I cut in?"

At the presence of Jackson, Ethan reflexed into an exasperated look, and slowly withdrew from his close proximity with Allison, as Jackson held a firm gaze on him.

Allison studied the penetrating interaction between them both, as Ethan released her body from his grasp, and equivocally gestured towards her, to Jackson.

He gave one last look of resentment, masked by an implicit smile, and then returned to his seat, as Jackson disregarded his impudent conduct, and took Allison by the waist, lacing his left hand into her right, and started swaying horizontally to the rhythm of the beat.

"What are you doing?" Allison asked lightheartedly, an easily noticeable smile outstretched on her face, as Jackson vivaciously swung her left and right, reciprocating the same beam.

"What does it look like I'm doing? -I'm dancing with my sister," he replied playfully, an undeniable change in his tone.

Allison rolled her eyes frivolously, and followed her brother's movements, as Jackson teased further, plunging into an exaggerated gasp. "Don't tell me...you're embarrassed to dance with your brother?"

He widened his eyes, and displayed an anguished facial expression in a theatrical manner, causing Allison to break out into a content laugh.

"Of course not," she responded truthfully, as Jackson then relaxed into his position, and nodded in relief.

"Good," he spoke sincerely, falling back into a radiant smile.

Meanwhile, Rebecca had found her way towards the bar, and sat sulkily on one of the bar stools, longingly watching both Allison and Jackson dance together gaily.

Placed in front of her were several empty shot glasses that she had guzzled drearily, and one filled to the brim, held firmly in her right hand.

Observing her from afar, Ethan approached the desolate redhead with his hands tucked casually into his pockets, and took notice of her miserably infelicitous state in pity.

Without even glimpsing at the commiserating boy, Rebecca held her fixated gaze on the two Pierce siblings, articulating her melancholic thoughts onto Ethan. "Is it wrong to feel jealous?"

She maintained her spiteful look on the dysfunctional pair, and trailed her fingers along the sharp rim of her shot glass, wallowing in self-pity, as Ethan let out an empathetic sigh, leaning his elbow leisurely on the bar counter.

"I can't tell you what's right or what's wrong," He stated tonelessly, catching Rebecca's visual attentiveness. "All I can say is, jealousy looks horrific on you." He went on tauntingly, with a smug smile plastered on his face. "Yet you continue to wear it so transparently."

Instantly, Rebecca's alleviated expression transformed into a glare directed solely at Ethan, and she inconsolably swallowed the shot of vodka, instantly feeling the pleasure of the fiery sensation graze her throat.

Solicitously, Ethan took a step closer to her, and now advised earnestly, after witnessing her adverse habit. "I think you've had enough, don't you think?" The feisty redhead rolled her eyes improbably at his pitiful suggestion. "Maybe you should stop drinking for the night."

Rebecca only smirked hysterically, and then voiced in a poignant tone. "It's the only thing that numbs the pain."

Ethan peered at her in compassion, as her sharp words emitted every ounce of affliction.

"Another shot please!" She hollered exigently, as the bartender rushed to fix her another drink.

-

It had reached a quarter to eight, and the four teenagers sat restlessly in the booth, trying to recuperate from their prolonged double date.

Allison sat beside Ethan on the outer side of the booth, and Jackson sat wearily across from her, right next to a drunken Rebecca that lay her head on Jackson's stiff shoulder, violating his personal space.

Ethan boringly sipped on his water, using a plastic straw that was now deformed due to his constant sucking, and produced a slurping sound.

"Why do noses run, but feet smell?" Rebecca spoke drunkenly, an ingenious giggle at the end, as she childishly smiled at Jackson who held on a stagnant pose, mentally exhausted by her reckless state.

Allison pitifully watched her brother force his collected composure, and gave him a sympathetic smile, as Ethan rolled his eyes at Rebecca's dense comment.

Then suddenly, Allison's phone vibrated through her purse, and she quickly reached to pull it out to reveal Jackson's caller ID. She grew confused for a moment, but then recalled his phone's whereabouts.

Hastily, she announced to the group, "I'm going to the bathroom," and sprinted off towards the restrooms, instantly catching Jackson's undivided attention.

"Uh, I-I'm going to the bathroom too," he stammered awkwardly, abruptly standing up to follow his sister's trail, leaving Rebecca's head to plummet downwards at the absence of his coveted shoulder.

The repudiated two stared infuriatingly at the joint disappearance of the Pierce siblings, and sat in their seats silently, consumed by their jaundiced thoughts.

Jackson briskly followed after his sister, and found her leaning against the dingy walls with her phone pressed closely against her right ear, and her hand blocking her left ear, in an effort to drown out the cacophonous mixture of inebriated men, and the raunchy music that was now playing.

She glimpsed straight ahead at her older brother adequately and then spoke into the phone in a worried manner. "Alex? Is everything okay?"

Jackson's stomach tightened at the mere mention of the twins, and an inordinate amount of nerve-wracking thoughts flooded his enervated brain.

"Yes, Alli," the twin boy replied on the other end, instantly relieving Allison of her intolerable concern, as Jackson stayed distressed, unable to hear Alex's answer. "We're coming home now."

Jackson fidgeted in his position anxiously, hundreds of unpleasant scenarios rattling in his brain, while Allison let out an appeased sigh, and replied. "Oh, that's good to hear. I will see you shortly, then."

At Allison's response, Jackson finally relaxed in his place, and showcased a relieved expression, then stared lovingly at his affectionate sister.

"I love you too," Allison concluded, with a sweet smile, now ending the phone call, and met her brother's benign eyes.

She lowered the phone down to her hips, and gazed at him wittingly, while Jackson questioned in anticipation. "Was that the twins? Are they okay?"

The eldest Pierce daughter nodded in confirmation and explained their whereabouts. "They're heading back home now, with mother."

Jackson inclined his head downwards in an understanding motion, but was reluctant to voice his true proposal, as he pondered if Allison found the date unbelievably enjoyable, and if she had wanted to stay a bit longer.

Finally, he trailed off unsurely, finding his words at last, and closely watched Allison to witness her reaction at his proposition. "Maybe we should head home as well."

To his surprise, Allison readily agreed to his suggestion, and coherently reinforced. "You're right. We should go before mom gets back."

In unison, the two siblings strode back to their dates to announce their eventual departure. There, they viewed Rebecca playing with her own hair, completely buzzed from her immense intake of alcohol, while Ethan just stared absentmindedly at her.

Jackson and Allison approached them, and stood beside each other robotically, hovering over the booth.

Ethan and Rebecca both drifted their disoriented gaze onto the Pierce's, and stared up at them in question, until Jackson promulgated. "We're gonna...head out now."

He hesitated for a short moment, but regained his authoritative demeanour, as Ethan got up, standing just in front of Allison with a slightly dissatisfied smile, sad to watch her go.

Nonetheless, he replied in correspondence to Jackson's statement, "I was going to say the same thing," as the two boys finally found themselves on the same page.

Allison looked at her best friend in concern, who held on a disgruntled expression, and worried about her vulnerable state and how exactly she would get home.

Cutting her ruthful moment short, Rebecca jerked upwards from her seat, and stumbled towards Jackson in a coquettish manner, as the Pierce boy gulped in alarm, fearing what exactly she had planned to do.

"Don't go," she slurred, inching herself closer to a motionless Jackson who cringed at the smell of her alcoholic breath on his face. "Why don't you come over to my house for a while?"

The redhead exhibited a seductive grin, now trailing her fingers lustfully across Jackson's chest, as Allison shifted uncomfortably in her position, recoiling at the extremely disgusting scene playing out in front of her.

Ethan raised both eyebrows at Rebecca's gutsy move, while Allison had now opened her mouth to interject and cease the inappropriate moment, but Jackson had beat her to the chase, ultimately losing his composure, as he snatched Rebecca's wandering hand firmly.

"Control yourself," he hissed savagely, looking into her ravenous eyes intensely, as he let go of her frigid hand in disgust, watching her cower backwards in salient fear.

Ethan silently observed the detestable interaction in shock, along with Allison, who was gravely taken aback by her brother's belligerent behaviour.

At last, Jackson controlled his heavy breathing, and purposely avoided his sister's eye contact, then vocalized rather coldly. "I'll be waiting in the car."

With that, he walked out of the restaurant impassively, as Allison forced herself to look at Rebecca's wretched expression and glossy eyes. Hesitantly, she took a small step towards her friend, reaching her hand out shakily to provide her with some sort of pitying comfort, but Ethan heroically stood forward before she could touch her, and placed a consoling hand on Rebecca's shoulder.

"I'll get her home safely," he enunciated in reassurance, meeting Allison's stupefied eyes, as she lowered her hand, slowly nodding her head in comprehension.

"Thank you," she spoke softly in gratitude, then strode behind Jackson, after retrieving her purse from her seat.

She exited the building in a rush and noticed the sky had drastically gotten darker, as it was now five minutes after eight. There was a group of teenagers hovering pompously around the front doors, smoking a bunch of cigarettes, and Allison cautiously walked past them, trying not to draw any attention, as she searched for a particular parked car.

Feeling the night breeze blow against her cold shoulders, she hugged herself to prevent further goosebumps from arising, and briefly skimmed the next-to-near empty parking lot.

At last, she spotted her desired vehicle and trudged softly towards the passenger side, catching sight of Jackson staring sulkily down at his lap in the driver's seat through the mildly tinted window.

She took in a profound breath, and then grasped the cold door handle, pulling it outwards to effectively open the car door. As she perched down onto the passenger seat, Jackson remained immobile, worrying Allison even more so at his unusual state.

After closing the door as quietly as she could, her eyes stayed glued onto her stagnant brother in worry, as she mentally recalled the night's miscellaneous events, immediately justifying Jackson's reciprocating actions at the mere thought of Rebecca's highly inappropriate behaviour.

Finally, Allison managed to choke out solicitously. "Are you o-''

But before she could even voice her concern entirely, Jackson had abruptly interrupted her sympathetic question, raising his head at last, and went on to state blankly. "I want to show you something."

He started the car without further hesitation, and sped down the street, driving towards an unknown location. Allison studied his anomalous conduct, and couldn't help but watch his unreadable eyes that concentrated heavily on the road ahead.

Nonetheless, she sat silently in her seat, unable to object or pry further about their ongoing whereabouts.

The ride was rather quiet, as Jackson turned into an unfamiliar neighbourhood, and drove past many houses illuminated by the streetlights.

His grip on the steering wheel was firm, and his expression showcased nothing but resolution, while Allison tried to make sense of the purpose of their trip.

Finally, the car had come to a full stop, at a spot where there were no more streetlights to guide their path, and the closest standing house was a few feet away.

Allison furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, still unable to figure out their precise location, and the reason behind her brother's impulsive behaviour.

"Come on," Jackson spoke at last, withdrawing the key from the ignition, and glimpsed at his younger sister shortly, before vacating the car himself.

As his side of the door shut loudly, Allison broke her continued gaze from the windshield that showcased nothing but darkness, then reluctantly departed the car, following her brother's footsteps.

As she walked along the gravel path, her eyes found themselves wandering everywhere. There was a colony of wondrous cherry blossom trees, engulfing the pathway that stood just before a breathtaking overlook of their small town.

The sky had only gotten darker, as she hypnotically made her way next to Jackson, who stood just in front of the car, looking forwards in awe.

"Wow," Allison murmured in mesmerization, as she intently viewed the glorious sight of the sunset in front of her. "This is...beautiful."

Jackson now drifted his gaze towards his sister who was unable to pry her eyes away from the irresistible view, and let out a relaxed smile, silently agreeing with a slight nod.

"How did you find this place?" She questioned curiously, continuing to admire the sky's diverse colours merging together with the luminous sun, creating an indescribable outlook.

"It was an accidental discovery," he explained in response, mentally recalling the day he had taken an incorrect turn into the exact neighbourhood without an exit, that forced him to come across such an entrancing place.

Allison smiled naturally and met her brother's incandescent eyes that the enchanting sunset had reflected into, as he continued his elaboration.

"I used to come here whenever I was angry or upset," he started softly, his eyes wandering back to the alluring sight, as he let a nostalgic grin envelop his lips. "It was peaceful and relaxing I guess; it had granted me the power to escape reality, if only for a short time."

Allison slowly nodded in understanding and listened to her brother's compelling words, before asking another question. "Why didn't you ever tell me about this place before?"

Jackson stayed quiet for a short moment, taking in the vibrant colours that enticed him, then found his eyes back onto his inquisitive sister, and finally answered in complete honesty. "Because I realized that it wasn't this place that had calmed me down. It was you." He went on further to elaborate, as Allison held on a perplexed expression. "After every time I left this place, you were the one waiting for me at home. You were the only person I could ever confide in. And all you had to do was simply...exist, and yet, you managed to provide me the serenity this place could never give to me."

The Pierce daughter raised both eyebrows upwards in surprise at her brother's revelation, and stared into his eyes attentively, as he reciprocated the same intense gaze.

"I brought you here tonight, because I thought it was about time I showed you this place," Jackson elucidated, the corners of his lips tugging themselves upwards with little effort. "I was...clearly angry tonight, and I wanted you here by my side, so I could have both; the view and you," he admitted, as Allison gave him an empathetic nod, followed shortly by an apologetic grin.

"I'm sorry about tonight," she said softly, briefly glancing at the ground in shame. "I'm sorry about...Rebecca."

Instantly, Jackson spoke in reassurance, a certain assertive tone to his voice at the mere mention of the sensitive topic. "It's okay. It's not your fault." He gave his sister a comforting smile, as Allison sighed in response, and reasoned against him.

"But it is," she insisted suddenly, shaking her head in disappointment at herself, as Jackson scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "I know her, and how she's...much different than us, and yet I failed to mention it to you-"

"It's not your job to tell me everything about who I date," Jackson cut in, attempting to take off the unnecessary guilt placed illogically upon his sister's shoulders. "People will have contrasting personalities from us, and it will definitely remind us of our abnormal childhood every now and then, forcing us to behave the way we do as a response. Unfortunately...it's inevitable."

Having no energy to argue further, Allison simply nodded in understanding, her mind suddenly trailing to a perilous place, as she recalled the night's tense events. And so, a substantial question was brought forth without any hesitation.

"Why are you going out with Rebecca?"

Jackson quickly pulled his gaze away from the night sky, and focused his attention onto his sister who stared up at him in wonder, inadvertently threatening to peer into his vitiated soul.

Not wanting to answer her immensely desired question, he retaliated in reciprocation instead. "Why are you going out with Ethan?" He met her eyes with the same fiery intention, stunning Allison by his intrepid inquisition.

Obstinately, the eldest Pierce daughter held on an earnest expression, and contended. "I asked first-"

"And I asked second," Jackson replied urgently, flashing her an impish smirk, leaving Allison no choice but to surrender to his interrogation, in an effort to put an end to their childish banter.

She sighed briefly, then began explaining with a slight shrug. "Because I've liked him for a long time." Jackson lowered his sight from her onto the graveled ground awkwardly, instantly regretting his question, as Allison went on with her explanation, getting lost in her own, self-conflicting thoughts. "He's a good person. Why wouldn't I like him?"

Her rhetorical question drove herself to mentally seek for a reasonable answer that seemed to be right in front of her eyes, but concurrently, not within conventional reach, while Jackson sucked in his breath, and nodded in comprehension, refraining to catch sight of his sister's irreconcilable face.

A short silence passed on, when Allison spoke abruptly. "Now answer my question. Why are you with Rebecca? You didn't even pay any attention to her tonight, so why are you going out with her?"

The eldest Pierce son ran a conflicting hand through his hair, and stared ahead in misery, unable to fabricate a lie. "I don't know," he said in complete honesty, guilt coursing through his veins, while Allison tilted her head slightly, silently probing for a better elaboration. "Maybe...maybe I just wanted to be normal for once."

Allison listened closely to her brother's unforeseen confession, and watched him shake his head in disappointment at his own wrongdoing.

"I really thought I could grow to like her." He went on, now turning to look at Allison who displayed a sympathetic look. "Then...this happened." He referred to the night's troubling events, and Rebecca's unprecedented habit that revolved around alcohol, along with her grand desperation. "She's so young, and yet she possesses such a dangerous habit. Every time I looked at her, I was reminded of mother...and her addiction that costed us our childhood."

The words he spat were like sharp knives, as he struggled to maintain his usually calm composure, succumbing into his traumatic memories that taunted him everywhere he went.

"I couldn't handle it," Jackson continued, now beginning to shake his head in agony, as Allison instinctively took a hold of his left arm to provide him some sort of comfort. "I just don't see how I could ever like someone like that; someone who mimics the hideous habits of our selfish mother."

"It's okay, Jackson," Allison reassured softly, noticing the amount of guilt and pain he was experiencing. "I understand-"

"I don't," he interrupted, using a rather firm tone. "I don't understand. I don't understand at all. Must the overbearing weight of our parents follow us everywhere? Does everyone we cross paths with have to resemble our foolish parents in some way? I mean, why couldn't Rebecca be different?" Allison stayed quiet, not knowing what to say, as Jackson continued his incautious rant. "Why couldn't she be more like you?"

The words had escaped his mouth so impetuously, and had managed to completely shift their whole conversation around, as Allison opened her mouth in shock, left completely speechless, while Jackson mentally cursed his carelessness, and at how improper his sentence had sounded. 

Gradually, Allison withdrew her shaky hand from her brother's arm, and quickly turned her gaze away, focusing it on anything but him.

"I-I'm sorry," Jackson stammered nervously. "I didn't mean it like that."

The two Pierce siblings encountered another silent moment, until Allison voiced awkwardly. "We should...go; so mother doesn't get home before us."

Jackson nodded, as the two returned to the car, starting on their way back home in complete and utter silence.

-

The car ride home was equally quiet and awkward, and Allison sighed in relief once Jackson had pulled into the driveway, successfully arriving at their desired location. The two abstained from looking at each other for reasons beyond explanation, and exited the car, then made their way towards the porch in the darkness.

It was almost nine, and due to their prior encounter, the two siblings failed to take notice of a particularly dilapidated car parked alongside the curb, disguised from their direct view.

Jackson fiddled with the keys, still reeling in from his previous conversation with his sister, and his poor choice of words, then inserted the house key into the lock. Allison remained behind him, and let out a silent yawn, the day's events catching up to her.

The door opened with a faint creak, as the Pierce siblings were introduced to another realm of darkness, and both of them stepped in inattentively. Allison placed her purse on the cold kitchen counter, and began slipping her uncomfortable shoes off, while Jackson locked the door behind her, and silently wondered where Bruno was, finding it slightly suspicious why he wasn't there to greet them.

As Allison effectively took her shoes off, Jackson finally glanced in her direction, and proposed. "We should change our clothes before they come home."

Allison briefly glimpsed at her older brother before nodding in agreement, and the two Pierce siblings started making their way through the living room towards their bedrooms, when their gaze fell upon a highlighted figure sitting casually on the couch.

Jackson and Allison's eyes widened in fear, as they both witnessed their mother leaning against the couch armrest, with her right leg on top of the other, and a cigarette to her mouth, emitting an unhealthy trail of smoke being drawn towards the small amount of light that the lamp on the side table produced.

Janet stared at both of them in pique, pulling the cigarette away from her chapped lips, and crushed it aggressively against the coffee table in front of her, then slowly stood up in a composed manner, as Jackson waited anxiously for her rebuke.

"Well look who finally decided to come home," Janet finally spoke, a maniacal smirk placed upon her lips. "Two disgraceful people that I am ashamed to call my own children."

She looked from one child to the other, and gradually made her way towards them both, who stood motionless in terror. She examined their clothes, and let out a dreadful scoff, her eyes visibly radiating rage.

"Now I don't see how that can hardly be appropriate attire for work," she remarked in a snarky manner, as Allison gulped in fright, knowing what their mother was capable of. "Unless...unless you two weren't at work-"

"Mother, I can explain-"

"Shut up!" Janet yelled furiously, interrupting Jackson's weak attempt to justify their whereabouts, as the two eldest siblings flinched at her deranged outburst. "You do not get to call me mother." She took another step closer, and glared at them in outrage. "You two lied to me. You had me looking after those...children all day, only to frolic around the town doing who knows what."

Her breathing had noticeably gotten heavier, as she continued to scold both Jackson and Allison who were at a loss of what to say.

"You think you can just lie to me, and get away with it?" Janet went on in an unruly manner, her voice getting louder, as Allison grew annoyed by their mother's resiliently repugnant behavior.

"We didn't lie," she tried to reason, as Jackson took a firm hold of Allison's arm as a warning, but her stubborn personality prevailed. "We were at work."

Janet opened her mouth in disbelief, and chuckled hysterically, inching closer to her daughter, as Jackson placed a fierce arm in front of his sister in protection.

"And what the hell were you doing there in that short dress? Fucking your boss?"

"Mother," Jackson said in forewarning, as Janet simply snickered in ridicule at her son's formulaic conduct.

She diverted her cold stare away from Allison, and focused her intimidating sight onto Jackson. "I don't care where the hell you two were. I just want my money."

Jackson hesitantly stepped away from his sister, and nodded compliantly, already making his way towards the stairs to fetch the money from his secret stash, when his mother's domineering voice rung through his ears once more. "Because of your childish shenanigans, I've increased the amount," she spat wickedly, flashing her eldest son a triumphant grin. "I want five hundred dollars. Consider it your punishment."

Jackson stopped in his tracks momentarily, and mentally noted the inordinate damage of her selfish desire, but nonetheless, agreed upon her proposition, having left no choice. He vanished into the darkness that led upstairs, as Allison remained still in her position, appalled by Janet's presence.

"Look at you," Janet commented in disgust, trailing her eyes along Allison's floral dress. "You're quite the prostitute, aren't you?"

Allison stayed quiet, not wanting to feed her haughty behavior, as Janet continued tormenting her eldest daughter.

"Let me guess, you were out having sex with various men, weren't you? Is that the reason why you lied to me?" She went on tauntingly, as Allison forced herself to remain silent. "Like mother like daughter, am I right?"

Janet laughed in provocation, as Allison hugged her body tightly, suddenly feeling insecure and humiliated.

"Maybe next time I'll ask you for the money," she uttered impudently. "I'm sure you make a lot by sleeping with many guys, especially when you wear such provocative clothing."

At her mother's degrading conduct, and her extremely insolent allegation, Allison's eyes started getting glossy, and she resisted the instinctual urge to burst out in tears, as Janet smiled devilishly in satisfaction.

Finally, Jackson came trudging down the stairs with a thick stack of cash in his hands, and slowly made his way over to his covetous mother.

"I only had four hundred and fifty in cash," Jackson explained, presenting the neatly collected bills in front of her, as she snatched them out of his hands swiftly.

"The rest will be on your tab, then," she replied insatiably, already making her way towards the door, until she stopped just before it, and paused to look at Jackson and Allison in warning. "If you decide to pull that stunt again, you two will suffer much greater consequences."

She gave them one last scowl, and then fled the house, making sure to slam the door behind her in anger. Jackson huffed tiredly in his spot, and then finally eyed his younger sister who stood in the same position vulnerably, with an upsetting expression on her face.

"What did she say to you?" He asked assertively in concern, as Allison snapped out of her destructive thoughts that had Janet's poisonous words on repeat.

She looked at her brother's worrisome eyes, then shook her head numbly, and conjured up a convincing lie. "Nothing." Jackson furrowed her eyebrows at his sister's unusual behavior, and watched her approach the stairs. "I'm going to go change my clothes."

He studied her strange movements; how she avoided his eye contact, and the way she clung to her body, as she began to ascend the stairs.

Without another thought, he called out her name to halt her commute. "Allison-"

Although he was interrupted rather shockingly by her, who finally decided to sharply vocalize her silenced thoughts. "This can't happen again."

She turned around on the steps, holding onto the railing for support, as Jackson scrunched his eyebrows in confusion at her intent, and questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Everything that happened today," Allison explained more in depth. "It can't happen again, okay? As much as we crave to do normal things every now and then, we can't just abandon the twins whenever we feel like it, and leave them with our drug-addicted mother."

Instead of embracing his protective side, Jackson took the time to reason against her, now playing the hopeful sibling, as Allison took his role. "We have every right to be selfish once in awhile-"

"No," Allison immediately cut him off, shutting her eyes momentarily, and held her head in mental pain, as Jackson tried to make sense of her unexpected outburst, completely taken aback by it. "The price is too high to pay."

She shook her head slowly, and continued further, as Jackson listened to her words intently. "We just lost four hundred and fifty dollars that we could've used for food, or for paying the bills to this house. Today it was just money. Tomorrow it could be something more." He watched his sister's hurtful expression closely, and heard the evident pain through her voice cracks. "I don't want to come home one night to find the twins endangered."

As much as he wanted to say something to provide his sister some sort of comfort and reassurance, he couldn't, for he was left utterly speechless.

At last, Allison made her way upstairs and into her bedroom to change into her nightclothes, while Jackson stood at the bottom of the stairs in dismay.

-

Allison had finished changing into her nightwear, and was in the midst of tying her previously curled hair up into a loose ponytail, as she stood in front of her mirror.

As she swung the hair elastic around her hair three times, she heard the melodious sound of the charms on her bracelet clinking together in harmony, creating a pleasant distraction from her incessant thoughts about her mother's malicious words.

After completing her simple hairdo, she departed her bedroom, and witnessed Jackson slipping on a loose shirt across from her, his bedroom door left ajar.

She caught his eye, and he made his way towards her in slight concern, recalling their previous interaction.

"I was just going to check up on the twins," Allison announced softly, as Jackson nodded at her statement, and replied.

"Me too."

The two silently made their way towards Jocelyn and Alex's room, and Jackson quietly opened their door, trying to make as little sound as possible so not to wake them up.

As soon as he opened the door, Bruno, who was sleeping between the twins' beds, stood up in excitement at the sight of both Jackson and Allison, and approached them with a loud bark, awaking Jocelyn and Alex in the process.

"Jackie?" Jocelyn spoke sleepily, as she sat upright on her bed, and struggled to open her eyes completely.

Alex too, lifted his head off of his pillow, and rubbed his eyes in an effort to eliminate his blurry vision, and to view his older siblings properly.

Jackson quickly gave Bruno a friendly pat on the head, and then made his way towards Jocelyn, while Allison made her way towards Alex.

"Hey, little princess," the eldest Pierce son spoke lovingly, as he sat at the edge of his little sister's bed.

"You guys are home," Alex spoke with a smile, as Allison returned one in response, followed by a short nod.

"How was your day at the carnival?" She asked enthusiastically, completely dismissing her heated encounter with their mother a few minutes ago.

"It was amazing!" Jocelyn squealed in her spot, as Jackson chuckled at her exuberant response.

"I got to eat many corn dogs, but I also went on so many rides after, and almost threw up," Alex explained, as Allison let out a soft laugh, running an adoring hand through her little brother's hair.

"What about you, Joce? What did you do?" Jackson questioned curiously, pulling her into a brotherly embrace.

"I won this stuffed bear!" Jocelyn exclaimed excitedly, pulling out a toy bear from underneath her covers, as Jackson smiled, and leaned down to kiss her head.

"Well, sounds like you two had a lot of fun today," Allison concluded, putting on a carefree smile, as both Jocelyn and Alex nodded in affirmation.

"We missed you both," Alex admitted, looking at his older siblings in adoration.

Allison and Jackson shared a knowing look with each other, and then Allison wrapped her arms around Alex, and responded. "We missed you too."

Alex nuzzled up against his sister's shoulder, and smiled in satisfaction, grateful for the genuine affection he received from his older siblings.

Allison pulled away slightly, and asked the twins in motherly concern. "Are you two hungry at all? There are some leftovers in the fridge."

Alex and Jocelyn both shook their heads in content, and smiled up at their older sister, as Allison returned a pleased grin.

"Well," Jackson started, standing up from Jocelyn's bed, as Bruno came trotting towards him with his tail wagging continuously. "We should let you two sleep now. You're probably tired after your long day. We'll talk more tomorrow."

He ran a hand through Bruno's lustrous coat, and watched him curl up on the ground once again, ready to fall asleep, as Allison stood up as well, following her brother's lead.

Before they could leave, Alex spoke up once again. "Don't forget your phone, Jackson." He gestured to his older brother's cellphone that rested on their bedside table, and that he had given to him to borrow for the day. "It's been ringing all night."

Jackson smiled at his younger brother, and took the phone from the table, after messing up Alex's hair playfully. "Thanks, buddy."

"Goodnight," Allison said, as the twins laid back down onto their beds, ready to enjoy a deep slumber after their tiresome day.

The two eldest Pierce siblings slipped out of their room quietly, as Jackson turned on his phone to find numerous missed calls and unread messages from Rebecca.

He sighed inwardly as he read her drunken texts, suddenly remembering the happenings of tonight, such as his impolite behaviour, and the way he had taken a hold of her roaming arm so disorderly. He sighed, feeling guilty for his improper misconduct, and decided to text Rebecca an apology.

As he typed the two apologetic words into his phone, Allison stood across from him and studied his remorseful expression keenly.

"Rebecca?" She presumed, a distant look plastered on her face, as Jackson looked up from his phone screen instantly, and met his sister's indecipherable eyes.

He nodded as a response, and slipped his phone into the right pocket of his sweatpants. "Yes. She arrived home safely a half an hour ago."

Allison nodded as well, and chimed in rather knowledgeably. "I know. Ethan texted me that he dropped her off."

A moment of silence passed, as the two siblings found themselves in another uncomfortable predicament, where neither of them knew what to say next. The hall was dimly lit by a single lamp that was placed upon a table leaning against the wall, allowing both Allison and Jackson to successfully view each other's faces, yet they still remained unreadable.

Eventually, Jackson was the first to speak, choosing to dismiss their past circumstances. "So...what are the sleeping arrangements for tonight?" His eyes trailed towards her bedroom, and then his own, as Allison showcased a quizzical look, surprised by her brother's ability to broach such a bold topic that they both had refrained from vocalizing out loud purposely.

However, instead of giving a straightforward answer, Allison only met Jackson's eyes and revealed her true intentions. "I'm not really sleepy," she declared, unable to find mental ease, for her mother's nasty accusations tormented her brain. "I'm tired from today, but I don't want to sleep right now."

Jackson raised a dubious eyebrow, wondering what exactly his sister was thinking so pertinaciously about, but nonetheless, inclined his head downwards in understanding, and voiced an obliging suggestion. "Do you want to watch something on the TV, downstairs?"

For a fleeting second, Allison thought of a reasonable refusal, wanting to submerge herself in her disastrous thoughts, but another look at her brother's benevolent eyes caused her mind to change ultimately.

She expressed a small, grateful smile, and agreed to this offer. "Okay."

-

It had reached a quarter to ten, and the two eldest Pierce siblings sat beside each other adequately on the couch in the living room, watching an old comedy movie, with a blanket draped over their warm bodies. The sky had now turned pitch black, consuming the house with darkness as well, and only left the harsh light of the television screen and the lamp in the corner to glow upon Jackson and Allison's faces.

The faint voices of various characters were heard through the television, but Allison had managed to tune them out entirely, and delved deeper into her acerbic interaction with her mother, and the cruelty of her words that seemed to unexpectedly affect her negatively.

Instead of enjoying the film, Jackson took notice of his sister's distracted appearance, and watched her stare at the television screen blankly.

"Allison," he addressed at last, growing concerned by her distressed state, as she turned her head to the left to meet her brother's gaze. "What's on your mind?" But before she could even supply an excuse, Jackson spoke again. "And I want you to tell me the truth."

He raised both eyebrows knowingly, and shifted his body around to fully face his sister, as she nervously twisted around the corner of the blanket with her index finger, and resisted to look into his prying eyes.

"What is it?" He questioned further, maintaining his patient demeanor, as Allison sighed in defeat, knowing that she had already given in to his probing demands.

She rolled her eyes at herself for failing to withstand his inquiry, then positioned her body towards her brother, and leaned her head leftwards onto the back of the couch. The house was rather quiet, and only the indistinct voices in the movie playing were heard, along with the faint noise of the night wind rustling the leaves outside.

Allison took in a deep breath, and asked hesitantly. "Do you think I'm like mother?"

"What?!" Jackson said incredulously, stunned by her self-demeaning question, as he briefly stammered to express his opposing opinion. "N-no; of course not. Why would you even think-''

He stopped midway through his sentence, and displayed a look of realization across his face, picturing their mother's contemptuous smirk in his mind.

Jackson shared a look with Allison who let out a prodigious sigh, and untangled her fingers from the blanket in premonition.

"Janet," Jackson accused underneath his breath in abhorrence. "Why am I so surprised?"

Allison took notice of her brother's angry expression, and quickly tried to dismiss the troublesome topic in an attempt to diffuse the precarious situation. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Just...forget it." She turned her head back towards the television screen, and tried to ignore her brother's concerned gaze.

Unfortunately for her, Jackson wouldn't let go of the topic that easily. Instead, he reached for the remote that was buried between them underneath the blanket, and urgently pressed the power button to turn it off.

Allison stared blankly at the pitch black screen for a moment, and then turned her head to the left once again towards her brother, having left no choice.

"I guess you don't want to watch the movie anymore..." she dwindled off slowly, still trying to digress from their conversation. "Well, we should get back to our rooms then."

As she made a move to leave the couch, Jackson took a firm hold of her left arm, and pulled her softly back down onto the couch beside him, then earnestly met her eyes.

"You are absolutely nothing like mother, nor will you ever be," he stated assertively, leaning forwards to showcase his sincerity. "You need to know that."

As she gazed into his solicitous eyes, a heavy thought penetrated her brain ferociously, and she probed further. "But what if I could be?" Jackson furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, as Allison elaborated on her uninhibited theory. "Maybe not purposely, but, think about it. We share the same blood, and she raised us for half of our lives." She shook her head in dismay. "Some of her destructive traits are bound to follow."

Jackson intently listened to her conjecture, and calmly reasoned against it with a sympathetic smile. "Our childhood may have been tainted, but our blood isn't." He continued in surety. "Only we have the choice to control our future. No one else; not even mother." Allison lowered her gaze onto the blanket, absorbing her brother's words of consolation, as he went on to advise tenaciously. "Don't listen to anything mother says again; she finds amusement in our mental torment. Do you understand?"

Allison kept her gaze on the blanket pensively, fighting the urge to quarrel against him to challenge his definite view, and let out a tired breath, not wanting to disagree any further now.

She succumbed into a silent concord, and nodded her head in understanding, then shifted her eyes back onto him, who reciprocated her gaze.

"Do you want to continue watching the movie?" Jackson questioned, now changing the plaguing topic, as Allison only shook her head silently in response. "Alright. Then, do you want to go upstairs and sleep?"

Without an answer, Allison swiftly rearranged herself closer to Jackson on the couch, and gently rested her head against his chest, while wrapping both of her arms around his torso, as he raised both eyebrows in surprise at his sister's unprecedented gesture.

Nonetheless, Jackson intuitively swung his right arm around her body, and stared down at her expressionless face. Allison closed her eyes comfortably, not faltering her strong hold on her brother's body, and the two siblings enjoyed the serenity that the darkness and their presence brought forth.

The eldest Pierce son leaned his head back onto the couch, and found his eyes habitually returning to the ceiling, as he let his mind submit to his rather formidable and conflicting thoughts.

Allison now opened her eyes and glimpsed at her brother who had submerged himself in his imagination, then sprouted a rather enigmatic question, disrupting the dominating silence. "Are you going to break up with Rebecca?"

At the sound of his sister's candid inquiry, Jackson separated from his unruly thoughts, and directed his eyesight onto his sister who clung motionlessly against his body, refraining to meet his eyes in return.

He wondered why she would ask such a question, and remained baffled for a few moments, until he had recalled their earlier conversation in which he had revealed not possessing any romantic feelings towards Rebecca.

Finally, he came to a conclusion that Allison was just showing concern for her friend, and possibly wanted to know if he would continue to fake his interest in Rebecca and potentially end up hurting her.

With that in mind, he spoke up at last. "I will." He presented himself with a strong voice that startled Allison due to the brief moment of silence. "But I will do it in person; out of respect."

Jackson continued to gaze at Allison who simply nodded in comprehension against his chest, and felt a nagging notion stabbing the back of his brain, threatening to drive him into an impulsive act.

He breathed heavily in frustration, and slightly pulled apart from Allison to propel her gaze onto him, as she raised an eyebrow in confusion at his uninterpretable intent.

"You do know that I didn't intend for things to end up like this, right?" He asked self-consciously, worried about what Allison might think of him for his impetuous decision to ask Rebecca out. "I genuinely thought I could grow to like her romantically and...I-I wanted to try and get to know her, but after everything that happened tonight..." he struggled to complete his sentence, as he remembered the way Rebecca had acted; in a way that resembled their own mother's imprudent behaviour. "I want you to know I am truly sorry about what I did."

Allison stared into his strained eyes compassionately, and nodded once again at his justifiable explanation, displaying a comforting smile to ease his self-implication.

"I know," she said softly, watching his remorseful expression slowly change into a reassured one. "I don't blame you, Jackson."

The two held their gaze on each other for awhile, silently communicating through their eyes, and then Allison returned to her position against him, leaning her head on his chest tiredly.

She softly spoke in sincerity. "I just want you to be happy." Jackson smiled at his sister's loving nature, and pulled her closer towards him with his right arm on her back. "You deserve it."

"I'm happy here," he replied in honesty, leaning his head back onto the couch comfortably, and savoured the precious moment.