Belong With Me

25: Caleb and Punches

The week passes with little to no incidents. I mean beside when I ran into the wall by my locker nothing interesting happened.
But I guess since the week was just so normal, I should have expected for the weekend to hold a surprise.
Well let's just get one thing clear, God sure knows how to surprise you.
I wake up Saturday morning to Matt kneeling by my bed and poking me in the cheek.
"What the flapjacks is wrong with you!" I yell shooting straight up in bed. He laughs before sitting back onto my floor and giving me a strange look.
"What?" I'm slightly scared, his eyes which were directed downward shoot back to mine. And a smirk starts to form on his lips.
"Now where did you get that shirt Cam Bam?" I scowl at the nickname before looking down at my sleep shirt. The bright pink outline of the Barbie head greets my eyes and I groan.
"Oh... well I raided your closet the other day. And pink really isn't your color, so I decided to do you favor." The truth is it was a grift from a great aunt who obviously didn't know my interests. But I'm not one to throw out a comfy shirt I can sleep in, no matter how hideously decorated.
He sends me a scowl and I chuckle before climbing out from under the covers and swinging my legs over the side of the bed.
"Uh Cam?..........." He sends me a look. "Where are your pants?"
Well not on obviously.

An hour later, Matt had just climbed back into his room when a knock sounds on my bedroom door. I give Matt a wave before pulling my window down, but not locking it.
Opening my door, my mom is leaning against my door frame with a grim expression on her face.
"Mooommmm...." I know that look. It's the bad news for all of us look. "What's wrong?"
She straightens up before looking at me.
"We are having visitors." Why is that so bad, I don't mind when we have house guests, at least when I like them- and then my heart pinches the only person who she could mean is-
"Your brother is coming for a visit, and he is bringing everyone with him. They will be here later today " And once again she drops some bombshell news and just simply walks out the door.

I punch the wall, hard enough my knuckles turn red, but I just do it again.
Finally on my fourth punch, the skin on my knuckles split, and out of fear of getting blood on my wall I sigh and slide down to the floor.
The news if my brother brought back too many painful memories for me to even start to be happy about the visit.
A tap sounds on my window and I look out it to see Matt motioning for me to open it.
I slide it upward and wince as I strain my bloodied hand.
"God Cam! What the hell are you doing!? Your hand is bleeding!" He crawls out his window and leaps onto my ledge with such grace I'm astonished.
I barely have time to step back before he is crawling through my window and standing in front of me.
He reaches down and gently brings my hand up to his face for closer inspection.
"I'm fine you know." But my voice lacks conviction, I can't say it's not nice having Matt care to me.
He leads me to the bathroom where he washes my hand before he sits me down on the bed and begins his questioning.
"So, why did you punch a wall." I smile at the bluntness, before it slips away with the reason.
"My brother." For some reason I want Matt to know the truth, not just some stupid lie about me practicing my punches.
"I know Ty can be annoying and all, but is it really reason to punch a wall?" He gives me a strange look.
"Not Ty." I sight before closing my eyes and falling back onto my bed. I guess it's better to just get it out. "My older brother, Caleb."
"I didn't know you had another brother." I feel the bed dip slightly as Matt lays down next to me, our arms now occasionally brushing.
"I don't talk about him much, or think about him much-" I stop and sigh, I might as well start from the beginning. "I used to be really close with Caleb. Really close. He is only six years older than me, and we would talk about everything. Of course he was like any other typical big brother, protective and moody when I would hang out with guys." I feel Matt stiffen, but I hardly notice as I start recounting memories. Ones I've tried so hard to bury, it is almost painful to bring them up.
"He was the one who always warned me about drinking, and drugs, and even sex. Don't get me wrong my parents were the same way, but Caleb pretty much had the main role."
I stop and take a big breathe. "Well he had been dating this girl for a year or so when he came home and told us she was pregnant. And I mean, of course I was upset. I mean he was the one always telling me not to even have sex and here he was getting girls pregnant. I finally excepted the fact and things almost went back to normal. And then I was in the accident with my dad, and his girlfriend was about 7 months along. Him and my dad were so close that his death practically ripped Caleb to shreds. After I healed Caleb left us. He moved across town with his girlfriend and new baby and tried his best to avoid us, or more specifically me. I guess he felt it was my fault dad died, I mean I don't blame him, because in reality it kind of wa-" I'm cut off by Matt's hand being pressed over my mouth and him raising up so he is hovered partly over me. My heart jumps a little and I can't help but relax a little at his touch.

"It wasn't your fault Cameron." I think it's the first time he had ever said my full name, and it falls so sweetly from his lips I nod dazedly. He smiles softly before removing his hand and laying back down beside me, but this time much closer, our sides fitted together perfectly.
"Anyways, him and his girlfriend broke up and we started to see him more, he would come by to ask my mom to care for the baby while he was at work, but he never spoke or even looked at me." Matt's hand somehow finds its way into mine and I squeeze his tightly. "I had just lost my dad and the person I was next closest to left me. I was a mess. About two years later he had a new girlfriend and she got pregnant also. So now one of his kids has separated parents and he's putting his other kid in the same risk because he had barely known the new girl. Now my brother isn't some kind of man-whore who goes around and preys on all these girls, no. He used to be such a gentlemen, always sweet and caring and never pressuring. He was every girls dream. But then something changed. I never knew what, I just knew it had, and then dad's death sent him over the edge. He pretty much broke off contact with us after he didn't need us to help with the baby anymore. And now he's showing up here after 2 freaking years, he's just going to waltz back in like everything is fine! Well ill tell you something, it sure as hell isn't." I suddenly scramble up off the bed and start pacing my room. "And he's bringing everyone with him! He doesn't talk to me for almost three years and now he's coming to visit!" I sit up quickly before spinning towards the wall and sending my fist flying. But before it comes in contact with the wall Matt's hand shoots out and closes his fist around mine. My momentum swings me towards Matt, and before I know it I'm sprawled on top of him on my bed.
And that would be the exact moment my brother decides to walk in. And which brother would it just so happen to be, but none other than the devil himself. Caleb.