Us Against the World

By Brittany Wagner

It was pouring outside. The strong wind caused tree branches to crash against my window. I was curled up in a ball under my blankets, covering my ears to drown out the noise. My eyes were shut tight.

Shaking under my covers was no way to stop my parents or to help them, but what was I supposed to do? A kid like me wouldn’t be able to change their minds. I wished their yelling would stop.

The door to my room creaked open and I squinted to see my brother Jacob walk in. I pushed my hands harder against my ears.

“No matter how hard you try not to hear them, you’re going to hear anyway,” said Jacob.

“At least I’m trying,” I snapped. “You should by trying not to listen too. Do you like it when mom and dad fight?”

Jacob walked over to the bed and sat down. “No, I don’t like it.”

I took my hands off my ears. If I could hear him even if I did plug my ears, there was no use trying anymore. Lifting up my arms, I opened them wide to him. Jacob looked at me like I was stupid.

“Do you want a hug or not?” I asked.

“You’re dumb,” he said. “Why would I want a hug from you?”

I lowered my arms. Looking down to my knees, I picked at the stitches on my pajamas. “Just thought you might need one.”

I could clearly hear mom and dad fighting now. Mom was screaming at the top of her lungs while dad just yelled frantically. I slapped my palms to my ears.

“Quit doing that!” Jacob shouted. He grabbed my arms and tried ripping them away from my head.

“Stop it!” I cried. He didn’t let go. I struggled to keep my hands at my ears, but Jacob finally got them down.

“You can’t not listen to their screams, Jenna! So there’s no use trying to drown them out!” he yelled.

My eyes started watering and then the tears poured out. Jacob looked away and stared at the wall. His body was tense.

“I don’t like it either,” I cried. “I hate hearing them fight. Why don’t they laugh with each other anymore?”

Jacob glanced back at me. His face was soft.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said gently.

I wiped away some of my tears. “Yes, it does. I want us to be a happy family, not a yelling one.”

He got up from the bed and stood next to me. His eyes revealed that he was upset and his body was shaking. Deep inside I knew he wanted to cry, but why he didn’t, I have no idea.

I looked up at him with puffy eyes. Slowly, he lifted his arms toward me. I looked at him in shock.

“Do you want a hug or not?” he asked. I smiled and opened my arms. He embraced me just as mom and dad used to do before bedtime. I wrapped my arms around him. Tears fell down his cheeks.

“I’ll laugh with you, Jenna,” he told me. “We’ll be a laughing family, just you and me. I promise.”

I squeezed him tighter. My eyes poured out until morning.

Wagner is a Grade 11 student at Holy Rosary High School in Lloydminster, SK.