Smile, Part Two.

The Next Day,

"When did you come back?"

Nora walked into the kitchen.

"I don't remember. French Toast?"

Michael was busy preparing breakfast for her.

"What did Grandma say?"

Nora was 3 years younger than him, but she could read people as well as any other adult. As of now, she could feel the dread seeping out of his brother, no matter how he tried to fake his emotions.

"Doesn't matter."

He placed the stack of bread on the plate and said,

"You didn't eat anything yesterday. There should be nothing left on this plate by the time you are done."

She took the plate.

"Hmm."

She left the kitchen. He raised his voice so that she could hear it and said,

"Wait for me. I have to talk to you about something."

The next batch was done after a few minutes. He left the kitchen along with his plate. Nora was on the sofa, and she had reserved some space for him. He placed his plate on the coffee table, and sat beside her.

She was constantly staring at him. He took note of this and said,

"Go ahead. Tell me how it tastes."

She grabbed a toast from her plate and took a small bite.

"It tastes good."

She continued to munch on it. It was soft, and the pepper as seasoning gave it a lot of flavor.

He grabbed a piece from his plate and took a bite.

"What did you want to-"

"Patience. Finish the food in your mouth first."

He was chewing the food for as long as he could. He didn't want to say it. But he had to say it.

"There. Now what do you want to talk about?"

She wanted to know.

After excessive mastication had left nothing but a liquid paste in his mouth, he gulped down his food and said,

"Grandma will be here to pick you up today. You will be staying with her for some time."

He wasn't able to look her in the eye.

"For how long?"

"I don't know. A month, a year."

'Smack.'

A tight slap on his face. He didn't look at her.

"Look me in the eyes, and tell me for how long."

She was angry. Tears started to roll down on her face.

This had never happened before. Her brother was the one person who always looked her in the eye, even if she didn't have the courage to do the same.

"I know you are angry, but-"

'Smack.'

Another slap.

"Tell me, for how long!"

They were siblings. Letting him take all the emotional burden was unacceptable. She wanted to be there for him. Just like mother had asked him to be there for her. Excluding Grandma, they only had themselves to depend on.

If she had to hurt him to show this, then so be it.

"Billy will be moving in with me. I have to start preparing for my SAT's."

"What does that have to do with me? This is my house as much as yours. Why should I leave?"

She knew that he was trying to imply that he was not going to do anything stupid to himself. But she was not going to move out. This was final.

"Frankly, you will be a distraction."

He looked into her eyes and said. Enough was enough.

"Every single time I see you, I feel that I have failed you. I could have saved mom. I could have saved dad. I could have prevented their deaths. I failed. I can handle the guilt of being an orphan. But every F*cking Time I see you, I feel like I am responsible for orphaning you!"

He banged his hands on the coffee table. A crack appeared on the thick glass.

She looked at him.

"You never listened to me. No matter how many times I told you to stay out of that mess, you kept hoping that they would come to their senses! Look what they have done to you now! Go and see yourself in the mirror, and tell me whether you are the same person or not!"

Her brother had tried his level best to bring their parents back to their senses. That might have been the biggest mistake of his life.

"Do I need to remind you? None of this is your fault!"

He clenched his fists.

"Leave, Nora. Don't do this to me."

"I WILL NOT LEAVE THIS PLACE!"

Slap.

A loud noise, followed by a ringing sound.

Her face felt a stinging pain, followed by a constant ringing sound inside her ear.

She placed her right hand on her face. It felt warm.

Michael looked at his hand. His vision remained glued to his palm.

He had just slapped his sister for being right.