CHAPTER 1

"Move it twerp!" The jock pushed the small scrawny kid out of the line and moved ahead with his friends. Tired of being pushed around but not being able to do anything about, he picked up his plate and re-joined the line behind the "gang" (as they liked to called themselves). "It's okay bro, they're leaving the school anyway" A boy from behind whispered while tapping his shoulder. He just nodded. He didn't want to agree openly, lest they should come back for him and have a good "talk".

"Hey champ! How was your first week of school?" He didn't have the heart to answer his mother so he just smiled and mumbled something about being tired while heading to his room. Tricia knew that excuse all too well; she'd used it herself when she was his age. Walking into the kitchen, she took Greg's plate away from him.

"Now, what did I do?"

"Go talk to your son. He's not fine."

"Is that what he said?"

"You wont know if you don't find out"

Trudging through the corridor with his hands in his pockets to his son's room, Greg had just reached the first door when he realised he forgot to ask which son he was meant to talk to. He entered Eric's room and found him watching you-tube videos on his bed.

"Need something dad?"

"Nah, your mother wanted to check on you. Don't go beyond 11pm.".

He closed the door and decided to check on the girls as well before moving to the room he was trying to avoid. They were playing cards, or was it poker, he couldn't tell. He could never tell with those three….

"Justin?" why bother knocking when I'm the one who even bought and screwed in these damned doors myself..... why do they even lock them…... I should have these locks removed with immediate effect….. he grumbled to himself. When the boy didn't answer, he was tempted to knock the door down. What was wrong with kids these days? You do everything you can to give them the life they want and they lock you out like you weren't a part of their lives from the beginning.

He sat down at his previous spot on the dining table and removed the plate Tricia had put over his food before she made him go check on the boy who didn't want to be talked to. "She's going to get an earful from me when she gets back from wherever it is she has dragged my car to. And that boy is also going to get it from me. Let's just wait and see if he wont come down for supper, I might just break down that darn door." he was still grumbling to himself while putting away his plate when his wife entered with a few big plastic shopping bags. Just great! She can even afford to go shopping!

"well that was quick!" she exclaimed as she set the bags down, ~you won't die if you help me you know~ "What did he say? Is everything okay at the school we transferred him to? Is he having any problems we can solve? You know he cannot be stressed out with his condition. We need to handle him with care. Why aren't you replying? Didn't you two talk?"

"I shall you have know, woman" he told her as unpacked the bags and stared at the contents for a little longer than necessary with a frown she didn't see, " that your child refused to open the door when I knocked and asked him if I could come in. When you carry your children to see their grandparents for Easter, I'm removing all those locks. End of discussion. What on God's green earth do we need all this ice-cream for anyway?"

"Well I shall have you reminded, sir, that they're your children too and they need their privacy. The ice-cream is for Justin, it used to cheer him up whenever he was sad. And what do you mean he didn't open the door. Justin never locks his door, no matter how many times I tell him to do so when he's leaving for school. I always find it open….." her eyes widened in realisation as she trailed off, "oh no! What if he's done something to himself?" she ran out of the kitchen and ran towards their room to get the spare key stash she always kept with her in case the kids lost their copies. Rushing to his room, she inserted the key that had a "J" on it and rushed inside. She found him on his bed, asleep…...or was it unconscious? She sat down slowly on his bed and stroked his forehead before realising it was cold and filled with sweat. Were those eye bags under his eyes, and tear-cracks on the side of his face? Good Lord! Had he cried himself to sleep? She tapped him, trying to wake him as gently as she could because she knew how light a sleeper he was. In fact, he should've woken up the moment she sat on his bed. He hadn't even dressed into his nightwear. She called him again., noticing no reaction. Panicking, she yelled for Greg. "Come get him! I'll go get the car ready. he's not waking up. I think he's unconscious."

She ran into the girls' room and asked Mekalia to get her brother's hospital bag ready. They all sprang into action while she took the car out of the garage. Greg and Eric carried Justin into the back and sat with him to make sure he didn't bang his head on the car during the bumpy ride from their home to the main road while Mekalia sat in the front with his bag.

There were no words to describe the tension in the car during their drive to the hospital. No words were said, none were needed. A whisper and tear from the driver, an oops from the brother holding his brother's head, and a throat being cleared from Greg.

This is going to be a long weekend. Hopefully, not long enough.