In The End by Black Veil Brides

Jesse sat at on his couch eating a bowl of cereal and watching mindless TV. He couldn't stop thinking about India or Kasper. His run in with them ruined his entire day, probably his entire week.

He wondered if Keenan knew that Kasper was trying to be more than just friends with her. He wondered if Keenan would care if he did know. India was his friend after all.

All thoughts were focused on the girl he had fallen for that when his phone rang he didn't bother to look at the caller ID.

"Hello," he asked tonelessly in the speaker.

"Hey little bro!" Jesse's body went frozen when he heard his brother's voice.

"Justin," he asked stunned, setting his bowl on the table in front of him. He hadn't seen his brother since he ran away two years ago after their Mom's death, but he had spoken to him on the phone every couple months. The last time he heard his voice was on Christmas Eve. He was currently at his girlfriend's family's house in Pennsylvania. A couple months before that he was living in a trailer park in North Carolina. Before that he was living in a motel in Tennessee.

He missed his brother more than anything but he knew that Justin wasn't ever coming back to Greenfield, and Jesse could never afford to go run around the country with his brother.

"Who else would call you little bro," he laughed. "I wanted to call you to see how you're doing."

Jesse laughed humorlessly and sank back into the couch. "When am I ever good?"

"Is that shit town still beating the crap outta ya?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "When is it not?"

"Well than I'm glad I called," Justin cheerily said. "I have a solution to your problem."

"No offence Justin but your solutions are never good."

He heard his brother scoff from the other end. "Just hear me out okay?"

"Fine."

"You graduate in a couple months right?"

"Maybe," he mumbled, picking at his nails.

"What do you mean maybe," his brother asked outraged. "You're not failing are you?"

Even if Justin split two years before and left Jesse alone more times than not with Wayne he was still very protective over him. Actually that's why he's protective of him. He was the only person left who cared about him and he wanted to make sure he was always doing the right thing, other than himself.

Jesse groaned. "You're worse than Aunt Stella."

"She better be fucking hounding you on graduating."

"Do you really think she gives a rats ass Justin? Her punishments include taking my car or guitar away for a day. I can think of worse things."

His older brother sighed. "I wanted to call you to tell you I have a plan for you to get out of that damn town after graduation Jesse."

Jesse's heart began to pick up at the idea of leaving the hellhole behind. "Really," he asked excited.

"Yes but you can't do it if you don't graduate."

Jesse sighed. "You're just trying to bribe me aren't you?"

"No, Jesse I'm not. Look I found a place in New York through Craigslist right? Well my roommate just so happens to have connections to a record label."

Jesse's heart stopped beating immediately. He knew where this was going. He shot up from the couch and began to pace around the room. "You're shitting me right? Don't fucking mess with me Justin."

His brother laughed. "If you want me to I'll show him one of your songs. He could get you in."

"I can't believe this."

"If he gets you in then you can come move in with us this summer. I promised my roommate that you help pay rent and you'll have to sleep on the couch but-"

"But nothing! This is amazing Justin! Thank you so much! I love you!"

His brother chuckled. "I love you too Jess. But you have to promise me that you'll graduate alright? I want a picture of you in every class you have every damn day. I don't care if you have the flu, you fucking go to school alright?"

"Alright, I promise." Jesse couldn't wipe the grin off his lips even if he tried.

"Good, now what song do you want me to show him? It's got to be good enough to makes its way to the producer. Apparently he's a hard ass."

"I actually made a new song the other day. It's pretty good. I want you to hear it."

"Do you think its good enough," his brother asked skeptical. "You have a lot of good stuff Jesse."

"Yeah but this one is different. Just trust me."

"Alright, email it to me. I'll check it out tonight and call you in the morning."

"Okay, bye Justin."

"Bye little bro!" His brother hung up leaving Jesse to pace around the house, gripping his hair in and jumping in excitement. He couldn't believe that he was on his way to being a recorded artist. This has been his dream for so long.

The doorbell suddenly rang, interrupting Jesse's bit of excitement. He rushed to open the door, not bothering to look through the peep hole.

Big mistake.

Standing on his front porch step was none other than Keenan Lockhart.

His hands were stuffed deep into his jean pockets, his curly hair was all over the place, obviously from running his fingers through it, and his eyes were casted down.

"What the hell do you want," Jesse seethed, his good mood gone. He crossed his arms and leaned against his door jam. "Did you decorate my Jeep again?"

"I'm not here to fight with you," Keenan sighed.

"Oh really," Jesse laughed, "then why are you here?"

Keenan looked from side to side before landing his eyes on him again. "I don't really know actually. I'll just-"

Jesse's phone buzzed in his hand. He looked down to see a text from his brother.

"Does that say Justin?"

Jesse looked up stunned and angry to see Keenan's eyes on his phone screen. He shoved his phone in his back pocket.

"Mind your own damn business Lockhart."

"I didn't know you still talked to him."

Jesse rolled his eyes. "And why would you know that anyways? We don't talk either remember?"

"Justin called our house about a year ago."

"What," Jesse asked, surprised and confused. "Why would he do that?"

"He was asking my Dad for money."

Jesse sighed and closed his eyes. Sometimes his brother was an idiot.

"He didn't give any to him did he?"

Keenan laughed. "Why would he? So Justin could go shoot up or something?"

Jesse's fingers curdled into fists. "Watch what you say about my brother."

Keenan glared at him. "You haven't changed have you? You're always looking out for the wrong people."

"You don't know jack shit about what happened Keenan!"

"Like hell I don't," Keenan shouted, pushing Jesse backwards into his house. Keenan followed him until they were both standing in the small entrance hallway. "I was there with my Dad Jesse! We found her body together!"

Jesse bit his lip hard and dug his nails into his skin. He wasn't going to hit Keenan, even though he really, really wanted to.

"I saw Wayne lying on the couch beside her. I watched my Dad crying for his sister to wake up! I watched as he tried to give her CPR! I was the one to call the cops! And where were you huh," he prodded, stabbing his chest with his finger. "You were hiding in the fucking woods. You came out as the paramedics put my aunt's lifeless body in the ambulance. Your own damn mother." He laughed humorlessly, his eyes dark with anger. "You couldn't even tell anyone. You didn't try saving her! You're a fucking coward!"

That word pushed Jesse too far. After two years of keeping it all in Jesse let the flame in his ignite. With as much strength as he could muster he pushed Keenan back with two hands, sending him flying into the wall. The plaster broke behind him and Keenan hissed in pain, falling to the floor on his butt.

"Don't fucking call me that," Jesse yelled as loud as he could, taking Keenan by surprise. "You have no fucking idea what I did for her! I'm sick of you thinking I'm anything like that bastard! I tried saving her! Don't tell me I didn't!"

Without a single thought Jesse yanked his shirt off of him and spun around, letting his former best friend and cousin take a look at the array of scars covering his back.

When Jesse heard Keenan gasp and mutter, "holy shit" under his breath, he realized what he had just done. It was too late now to cover up the scars he had hidden for years.

When they played football and at sleepovers Jesse's refused to take his shirt off in front of his cousin. Their summers were spent dodging Keenan's pool. Jesse's weekends until his mother's death were spent coming up with excuses to not hang out with Keenan. That's why as the years went by Keenan gained more and more friends as Jesse lost them.

But Jesse always had Keenan, until that fateful morning.

All those years were buried with lies and excuses and suddenly it was all out.

Jesse dropped to his knees, his breath escaping him. Suddenly his vision was blurring and he couldn't stop the tremors racking his body. At first he thought he was having a seizure but then Keenan crawled to his side and said, "Don't cry. Jesse please don't cry."

Jesse looked over to see Keenan kneeling beside him, his face absolutely broken with grief and shock. Jesse didn't know if it was because his eyes were wet with tears or not but he could have sworn Keenan's were wet as well.

"Come on Jesse, I'm taking you to a hospital."

He profusely shook his head. "No, no, no, I can't."

"Jesse," Keenan scolded, grabbing his shoulders and hoisting him up. "I'm taking you to the fucking hospital. They look infected."

Jesse let him drag him out of the house and to his car in his driveway. He could barely think. He was only trying to concentrate on not crying. Keenan forced him to get into the passenger side before closing the door and rushing to the driver's side.

Keenan started the car quickly and rushed down the street. He looked over at Jesse, and with a shaky voice he said, "I'm so sorry Jesse."

...

He hadn't spoken his uncle or aunt since his Mom's funeral. He hadn't seen them either until four months ago at the super market. As soon as he spotted them he hid behind a tower of soup cans before running out of the store.

Before his mother's death he would see them about five times a week at most, three at least. He would have family dinners with them every Monday and would usually watch Sunday and Thursday football with his uncle Ben and Keenan.

But then Ben found out his sister was at the end of a mighty fist for years, as among other things. When he confronted his nephews Justin ran away and Jesse didn't deny it. He didn't want to show them his scars. They were ugly. They were scary. And they were nothing to be proud of.

So instead of bringing Jesse into their home, the Lockhart's shut him out. They left him for Wayne's sister to take care of at the young age of twenty eight.

But now they stood behind him in the hospital room, holding back their tears as they looked at his scars covering his back.

How could they not know? How could they blame Jesse for such a horrible act when the same was being done to him? How could they, even for a second, turn their backs on him?

Keenan couldn't take his eyes off the ugly pink and purple scars covering his cousins back. Out of all people Keenan should have known. He spent the most time with Jesse. He should have noticed how often he said he was too sick to hang out or that he suddenly didn't want to swim during the summer anymore.

He should have noticed his best friend was being abused.

"Will you all stop fucking looking at them," Jesse snapped. "You've been staring at it for ten minutes. They aren't going to move."

Mrs. Lockhart/Claire/Dr. Lockhart, breathed deeply. She blinked back her tears and softly said, "Jesse, oh sweetie-"

"Don't," Jesse seethed, keeping his back on them. "Keenan dragged my ass here so you guys could do your damn job. Not so we could have a pity party."

The two doctors walked around the bed until they were facing Jesse but Keenan stayed where he was. The scars were haunting him but he couldn't look away from them.

How could he have been so stupid?

Mr. Lockhart sighed and crossed his arms.

Keenan didn't think he could get the image of his dad's face when Jesse showed him his back. It was... heartbreaking. Ben had to leave the room for five minutes to collect himself before he could manage to come back inside. Keenan noticed his eyes look dramatically red and puffy.

Now his Dad said, "Some of them do look infected. We're going to need to run some tests."

"Tests," Jesse asked. "What kind of tests?"

"Blood tests," Claire spoke up. "And X-rays, to make sure your ribs or spine wasn't hurt as well."

"And if they are infected," Jesse whispered. "What will happen?"

"Nothing we can't fix dear," Claire said with an easy smile. "We will have to perform surgery to clean out the bacteria but it won't be too bad."

"Jesse," Ben said softly. Keenan prepared himself for what his Dad was going to say next. "I know Stella is a nurse. So why hasn't she at least tried to help you with this?"

Jesse laughed. "Do you think I walk around the house naked? I've learned to cover them up. She doesn't know."

"You haven't told anyone," Ben asked.

"No one that matters," Jesse said with a monotone voice.

"Can I just say-"

"Stop right there," Jesse hissed. "I'd rather not hear your apologies and watch you cry. I know you guys aren't mind readers. I didn't tell you, I didn't tell anyone."

"But why," Claire asked, letting a couple tears escape. "Why wouldn't you let anyone know? Someone could have helped."

"And then Wayne would have killed us all," Jesse whispered. "Mom didn't want us to tell anyone. She didn't want him to push us down the stairs and him tell everyone we tripped."

"Why did he do it in the first place?"

Everyone, even Jesse, looked at Keenan, surprised by his question.

Jesse stared at him for a while in silence but Keenan didn't back down or take back his question. He wanted to know, they all needed to know why.

Finally Jesse answered.

"Because he found out I'm not his son."

...
Okay so the Jesse and India scene will come up next.

Gosh guys I'm really cracking out chapters lol as soon as I'm done writing this I will start the next chapter!

Who do you think Jesse should sound like when he's singing?
I'm thinking Andy Biersack from Black Veil Brides (not the old scremo style) but if you guys have any other suggestions please tell me! No country and no pop either... Some one who's music relates to Jesse well