Sitting infront of your childhood home is always a weird feeling, just sitting staring at it. You may have moved away from home, you may go there everyday, but sitting and staring at something so familiar while not going inside can always resurface old underlying memories. You remember how the kitchens formatted, how you and your siblings chased eachother with knives down the hallways and the stairs. You remember childhood christmases, maybe you remember your loving family, or remember a family that hurt you with their words and or actions and could've been the reason you moved away. Bittersweet memories always occur when visiting your childhood home. Now, imagine it's ruined. Imagine the house is burned down to a crisp, imagine that it's no more. Imagine how the memories would be presented to you then.
The reason i say this, is because that is exactly what freshman Arlo is doing right now, with his entire family, his two uncles and his teen-parent dad. It's been hours since the fire happened, two members of their family were not lucky enough to escape. He was staring at the police and the fire brigade inspecting the home he grew up in like they were all criminals. They had said it didn't look like an accident. There had been many fires in the neighbourhood as of recently. This was just another on the list.
Everyone is a suspect.
"Shit then" Arlo spoke for the first time in hours, the ash from the fire made the blonde boys hair slightly more muted and more of a dirty blonde now, his hair was messier than usual cause of the chaos, which isn't that surprising because as a teenage boy he always leaves the house with his slightly curly, mostly wavy hair appearing a mess. The boys father scolded him gently and wiped soot off of his face, it was a stressful situation. Arlo wondered if the police could find his grandparents, both of his grandmothers. he hoped that Jen and Heidi hadn't been in the house, he hoped that they left during the night.
However, he knew that was unlikely. since Heidi's car was still pristine in the driveway, she would've been at work by now, she's very punctual and never late. The whole family was aware of that, so that's that.
Jake lost respect for his half brother a long time ago, possibly around the same time that he had to become responsible for another living breathing human child and his brother, Robin, couldn't even be responsible for himself. It wasn't an instant thing mind you, several instances of the younger being generally incompetent had chipped away at Jake's patience but none more bothersome than this.
"Do you mind not doing that?" Jake snapped at the man that decided that this was the perfect opportunity to smoke weed.
"Dude the police don't even give a sh*t, they can't even smell it cause of all the fire" Robin watson everyone. Jakes slightly unhinged younger brother, the designated family stoner and for now, the disappointment. He has a job atleast, barely though. He's working at Jd and trying to be an owner right now but nobody's convinced he can do it. He spoke again "Count this as a spark up for mom dude. we ain't finding them in that."
Arlo glared at his uncle, he knew he was right. but he thought he was cruel to say it "They're alive. And fine."
"Yeah kid. they're on the same farm that toby's on" Toby was their old family dog, he was one of those dogs with long dreadlock like hair. He was a white dog and a good boy
"TOBY DIED?!?!"
That's all it took, that one comment, some would call it a spark that lit Jake up like the very fire they'd watched. People think that the Jake Watson wasn't violent maybe that's because they were sold by the caring father act, maybe it's because they knew he was bi and he was a victim of standard white girl infantilisation or maybe they were charmed by his golden retriever disposition but first impressions are often wrong and all dogs can bite no matter the breed.
"What is wrong with you?!" He yelled as he pushed his brother against the short wall in their front garden, that used to work when they were kids, it was high enough and they were small enough that it would keep someone there stably it was well….a brick wall but now they were both taller and Robin became dangerously close to falling back and over that wall, not so stable now but, was anything?
Robin drops the joint while stumbling back.
"what the f*ck dude?! it's a joke, can't you take a joke?! we both lost people bro" He stumps out the joint and rolls his eyes
"if i was smoking a cig you would NOT have gave a sh*t my guy!! don't be a piece of sh*t!"
Robin was much shorter than jake, standing at 5'6, but. That doesn't mean he was scared. They have had their fair share of sibling fights over the years, hospitals have been visited, people were grounded. But mommy's not here to tell them off now. Who's job is it?
"HEY!! Y'all!! cut it out!!! sit down!! don't you dare do anything stupid!!!" It's Arlo's job apparently.
It's a humbling feeling being told off by your own son but Jake knew he was right, he'd taught him to be right. "Look," he started rigidly taking his hand off his brothers shoulder, "I know caring other people's feelings isn't something you've had to do a lot I'm asking you - no actually I'm telling, stop being an arsehole for a minute and remember that it's not just you that's lost someone here. I don't give a shit if you want to smoke weed in your own- in our mothers house but I've already told you before not in front of my kid and I would have thought not in front of the fucking police would have gone without saying"
His eyes were constantly met with his brothers, giving constant nods and showing apologetic gestures. He was right. Their moms had just died. He needed to read the room. Robin was scared, he hasn't been this scared in a while. There was comfort in being alone for him, Jake was the golden retriever with everyone petting him and showing him love while he was the lone wolf, in the woods, wondering, looking for a home. This is the first time he's felt truly alone, no Jen to turn to to ask for help, no Heidi to make sure he remembers to take his medication. He was just looking up in the eyes of his big brother, the next of kin in his eyes of who he has to listen to.
"I got it. Quigley you good?" he casually turned to check on his other brother, he didn't want to think about his emotions too much right now or he would break down crying.
"That's a stupid question" the older one answered not looking up from his feet, "so i'm not going to answer it." Quigley was like that and in a way Robin always favoured him for it, he was always real and governed by logic over heart in a way that Jake wasn't.
Despite being twins Jake and Quigley hadn't been mixed up since about the age of 5, they were just too different. Jake was always lively with a magnetic personality that lit up whatever room he was in, Quigley didn't need to light up rooms he was content with the knowledge that that's what they had light switches for thank you very much. As for Robin, Jake lit up the room, but his shadow was still dark.
"fair enough mate, fair enough" Robin laughed, it was true. He loved the raw and honest emotion Quigley never failed to show. He practically wore his heart on his sleeve constantly. Robin could never do that, he admired that. He looks up to his big brothers in a way that a child is influenced by a cool babysitter, or a cool airport crush. People never really grow out of that, it's sweet. He just wanted to be liked how they both were, but he struggles with that in every instance of his life.
The man looked at Arlo, he could tell he was and is the same as his dad. Such a bright young boy that can light up a room, ever since he was a baby. People knew the tragic story about how his mother raped his dad and now he was stuck with this family. Yet, when Jake bought Arlo to his school prom the entire auditorium loved him. He was giggling and dancing with teenage girls with baby fever when he was just over one years old. it was the same for Jakes graduation when arlo was around a toddler at this point.
The two boys had grown up together. Arlo sees his dad as more of a smart friend than someone to fear, Robin noticed that. He was thankful that Arlo ended up with a better dad than he had himself.