CHAPTER FIVE
Dalton
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After I brushed Mom’s hair and put her back into the bed, I told her about my day at school. I know she wasn’t listening, because she never does, but I wanted to make sure she also knew that Kalen had aced his exam and I wanted her to be proud of him for it.
But it’s the same thing with her each and every time I try to talk about anything to do with us.
A dismissive look, and a vague wish behind those sleepy, caramel-colored eyes of hers.
Probably hoping he’d appear and that we would vanish at the same time.
After I get to my feet, I lean down and give her a kiss on the forehead, then shove my hands into my pockets as I walk out of her room and down the hallway, then make my way down the stairs to the main floor.
Kalen is probably still in his room, so it gives me time to think about things.
How they are, how they should be, and how they could be if she just paid us any mind.
I chew the inside of my mouth thoughtfully as I head toward the dining room. I’ll set the table tonight and give him a little break, I decide. But when I walk into the room, I’m surprised to see the table already laid and my little brother sitting at one end of the table, hunched over with a notebook to one side and a textbook in front of him.
“Well, damn. You beat me to it,” I say with a chuckle.
Kalen glances up at me briefly before he flips the page in his textbook and begins to write in the notebook again.
“How’s her majesty?” he asks in an even tone.
“Same as always,” I respond, doing the best to keep the dejection in my tone to a bare minimum. “Did you figure out what you wanted for dinner, yet?” I ask, desperate to change the subject.
“Not really,” Kalen replies without looking up at me. I watch as he hesitates over something he’s written down, then quickly begins to erase his note before writing a different answer. “I’m not opposed to pizza, though.”
I nod before I turn around and leave Kalen to his schoolwork to go place our dinner order. Once I’m in the kitchen, I walk over to the fridge and reach for the can on top to see how much money we have left for the week.
Ever since Mom decided to go catatonic, she’s been receiving benefits to help with the bills since we’re still in school, and that’s what we use to get takeout once in a while.
Kalen is in charge of going to get the money out of her account when it hits, and I’m the one in charge of making sure we don’t spend more than we need to.
I guess we’re both the man of the house in our own ways.
Both of us are equally responsible for the bills, the chores, maintaining the house and our grades without anyone else’s help.
Though sometimes I find myself wishing that the legendary Luke Greene would fucking pop in once in a while.
Partly because I want to see what the big deal really is, but mostly because it would be nice to have some kind of parental figure in the damn house.
Maybe someday.