Chapter Twenty-Five

I explained everything. Jace was driving, while my sister sat in the passenger's seat. Cousins and I were sitting beside each other in the back. I told them both that they weren't allowed to interrupt me until I finished the whole story, and to my surprise, they kept silent until I was done.   

When the car fell silent, I anticipated my sister's rage, and she certainly delivered, "So." She says at last, "You made me think you were abducted and possibly killed, all because you pitied a circus act?"

I frown, "He's not a circus act."

"He's a fucking clown, Bexley."

I wince at her use of profanity, something that I'm still not used to her doing, "He's a human being."

"Who was none of your concern."

"How could you say that?"

Jace cleared his throat, and interrupted the both of our bickering, "Bexley, I agree, what you did was reckless, and a little stupid." Katie nodded her head.

"Exactly, it was ridiculous."

"But," He went on, "It's admirable too. The guy needed help, and you made the choice to be just that."

Katie stared at her boyfriend as though he betrayed her, "You can't possibly think what she did was right?"

"Was it wrong? To want to save a guy from a lifetime of imprisonment and abuse?"

She attempted to think of an argument, but she had nothing. She threw her hands up, "Whatever, good luck explaining this to mom."

I cringe at the brought up of our mother. "How is she?"

"Why don't you ask her when you get home? There's no way she's going to allow the clown in our house."

Anger builds in my chest, "He's not a fucking clown anymore, stop calling him that." The car falls silent.

I glance over at Cousin, who surprises me by meeting my gaze. We stare at each other, and he doesn't look as angry as he did earlier when he glared at Katie like he wanted to kill her himself.

I think of my mother, and I know that Katie is right. This whole time I knew but I chose to ignore it. There was no way my mother would let Cousin in our house to live. Looking at him, having watched him grow so much in only a few weeks has connected me to him. I don't know what to do, but I do know wherever he goes, I go, no matter what.

"What should I do?" I ask Katie, honestly, and she knows exactly what I'm talking about.

She sighs, her anger evaporated to defeat, "I don't know." She admits, "We'll think of something."

That doesn't comfort me as much as it should, but I'm grateful that she is willing to help. I'm tired of figuring out what to do on my own.

Cousin leans slightly against me as he looks out the window, and I'm so caught off guard by it that I hold still, assuming he doesn't realize what he's doing.

The car ride is suffocating. It's even worse than waiting the hour and a half when Katie came to pick us up. I think of my mother, and how she'd most certainly reject Cousin, and if she rejects him, then ultimately, she's rejecting me as well.

"I have an idea." I say it loud and sudden, and Cousin moves away from me as if he did, in fact, not realize he was leaning on me.

"What is it?" Jace asks, and I begin.

"The ladder, we can use that."

Katie looks at me through the viewfinder, "What?"

"You know mom's not going to let Cousin in the house, so we sneak him in. Through my window."

"That's on the second floor."

"Hence why I mentioned the ladder."

Katie shut my plan down immediately, "You can't hide a whole person in your room, Bexley, mom will find out eventually."

"You got any better ideas?"

"Yes, actually," She says matter-of-factly, "I do."

"Well?"

"We keep him in the shed." She twirls strings of her blonde hair around her fingers, something she does when she's uncomfortable.

I don't know how to tell her that if I left him alone, he'd try to end his life, so instead I just say bluntly, "No."

"It's only until we figure out what to do with him."

"You're treating him like a dog." Cousin stiffens beside me, and I know he's thinking of exactly what I'm thinking. The circus acts. The degrading comments. The many people in the crowd referring him to nothing better than a dog.

"It's our only option."

"I said no."

"He's not your responsibility, Bexley." She sounds sad, like she's given up on lecturing me. She is wrong.

"He's is all that matters to me." I feel like crying, but I refuse to do so. There is no way I've gone through this much, come this far just to leave him in the streets.

I've slept on the streets beside him for almost three weeks, and even longer in a wooden boxcar. Wherever he sleeps, I will be there beside him.

We arrive in our neighborhood, and the familiar houses brought back a sense of nostalgia. Bad and good memories overwhelmed, me, and so I kept my eyes on Cousin, who somehow managed to ground me despite my brewing anxiety.

It will be fine. It will be fine.

In a panic, I shout for Jace to stop the car, and Cousin winces at my tone, but I don't have time to apologize. Jace immediately puts on the brakes, and I tell him that we are going through with my plan, whether it works or not.

"Katie and I will greet our mom." I'm talking so fast, and forget to breathe, "Jace I need you to get the ladder out of the shed and take Cousin up through my window. I'll try and get away to unlock the window, but I need you to help him climb up."

"Are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Have you lost your mind at the circus?" Katie looks appalled, "There is no way this is going to work."

I ignore her and get out of the car, Cousin immediately follows me, even though I don't ask him to.

Jace curses and turns the engine off. Everyone is now out of the car, and I know it's best we walk the rest of the way to the house, so our mother won't see Jace or Cousin.

"Jace, I need you and Cousin to wait until me and Katie are in the house before you move to the back yard and grab the ladder. You know which window is mine, right?"

"Uhh, yeah I think I do."

"Good," I turn to Cousin, who is staring at me so intently, that I struggle to focus on him, "I need you to stay with Jace for a few minutes."

His eyes narrow, but I see the quick look of fear that surges through his face, and I want to console him, but I know it'd do no good with both Katie and Jace here to watch.

He doesn't like an audience, for obvious reasons.

I gaze back at Jace, "You can't leave him alone. Promise me you will stay in the room with him until I get up there."

"And if your mother catches us?"

"We pray she doesn't."

Katie shakes her head, clearly wanting to be done with the conversation, "Let's just get this over with."

I take several deep breaths and give Cousin one last comforting glance before my sister and I begin to head towards the house, leaving him for the first time since we left the circus.