A Way Through

Chapter Six

Haisley flopped down on her bed, ready to relax for a few minutes before she finished her homework due first thing in the morning. She worked late at the grocery store last night and was relieved when she found Finn passed out on the couch as she got home. She simply threw a blanket over his lap and silently climbed the stairs to her room. 

She woke up early that morning to clean Elliot’s cleats before heading out to work for the afternoon. When she got home a few minutes ago, the house was quiet and empty. She fished her phone from her pocket and sent Elliot a quick text message asking when he would be home and if she needed to come pick him up. It was getting a bit late for a Sunday night, but she usually didn’t have to worry much about him. Elliot was respectful of the boundaries she had to set as his guardian and didn’t give her much trouble. 

Haisley closed her eyes, enjoying the silence of the house. She very much wanted just to let herself relax into the blankets and drift into darkness, but she still had an assignment to finish for the morning. The sooner she got that out of the way, the sooner she could sleep. Haisley heard the front door open and close downstairs. She sat up with a slight groan and forced herself out of her bed. Haisley sat down at her desk and pulled out one of her textbooks while waiting for her laptop to wake up. Haisley drummed her fingers on the desk while she waited for her ancient machine to get moving. 

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway, and Haisley turned her head to see Finn standing there with his hands in his pockets, looking annoyed. 

“Yea?” she asked. 

“Are you home from work then?” he asked. 

“Yea. Just have some homework to do,” she told him. Finn had a way of making her feel like a child, even if she was 20 years old now. 

“I think there are some things we need to discuss,” he said, stepping into her room all the way. “Do you even know where Elliot is right now?”

“With his friends, Finn,” Haisley said. “I just sent him a message to see if I needed to go get him, but he hasn’t replied.”

“And you just let him stay out however long he pleases?”

“No, but it’s only 8:30. I am sure he will be back soon or call me. He won’t miss school,” she stated. 

“When is his curfew?”

“He doesn’t have one. He always comes home at a decent time or tells me he is staying with a friend.”

“And you think that is good for a teenager just to have free reign?”

“What are you getting at?”

“When were you planning on cutting the grass or fixing the garden beds if you work all weekend and go to school all week?”

“It will get done,” Haisley said, feeling ashamed. 

“And the steps? Were you going to leave the broken board like that forever?”

“No,” Haisley muttered. Everything he was saying was making her feel worse. 

“The lock on the back door is broken as well. And what about the slow leak coming from the water heater?”

“The water heater is leaking?” Haisley asked. She didn’t know about that one. Finn’s face just looked angry. 

“Your job first and foremost is to take care of Elliot. You gave up the right to chase your future that night. If you can’t go to school and take care of this place properly, then one of those needs to go.”

Haisley stared at her brother, her mouth dropping open momentarily. “What?” she asked disbelievingly. 

“Were you waiting for me to come home and fix everything for you? Grow up. You made the mess, and you are responsible for cleaning it,” he said. Haisley just blinked, not sure what she was hearing from him. 

“I wasn’t waiting for anything,” she said, her tone low. 

“You let your friend buy groceries for the house all the time and neglect the basic upkeep needed,” Finn argued. “You clearly have other priorities here.”

“My priority has been Elliot and will always be Elliot. Yes, Addison has put some groceries in our fridge occasionally, but I pay her back. Finn, I am working two jobs and have never failed to keep his stomach full or the lights on.”

“You don’t even know where he is right now. He said you are only home for dinner one or two nights a week,” Finn said. 

“And who are you to say anything?” Haisley asked, standing now. Her anger was rising. “You haven’t bothered to call since February, Finn! You aren’t here! You haven’t been here, so you don’t know!”

“I don’t need to be here. I can see the proof right in front of me!” 

“And what you don’t see is the sleepless nights the first three months you left. He cried almost every night, wishing you hadn’t left and they were still here. What you don’t see is the almost perfect report card he brings out to their memorial every semester so he can show them they can be proud! What you aren’t here for are the driving lessons or when he tried to figure out how to use all the yard tools while I was at work so he could take care of it for me! You aren’t here, and you have no idea. I was just a kid, but now I’m not. I am going to make damn well sure he stays a kid as long as I can. So if that means staying with his friends on weekends, playing as many sports as he wants, and coming home a little late sometimes, so what?”

Haisley was breathing heavily now. Finn had rubbed her raw. He had no right to point out all the shortcomings she had when he left them with nothing. He stared at her, but she couldn’t quite read his expression. 

The front door opened and closed with a small slam. “Hais!” they heard Elliot’s voice traveling up the stairs, followed by the distinct pounding of heavy feet on the stairs. “Sorry, I lost track of time!”

Haisley took a deep breath before calling out, “It’s alright. Just take a shower and get ready for school tomorrow. Glad you’re home!” She tried to keep her voice as normal as possible. It was only a matter of seconds before he was standing in her doorway, though. 

“Everything alright?” Elliot asked his older siblings. 

Finn gave her one last lingering scowl before turning to his little brother. “Yea, all good. How was your friends’ house?” he asked. 

Elliot looked between his siblings once more before answering Finn, “Great.”

“Glad you had fun,” Finn said as he stepped towards him. Elliot and Finn left Haisley’s room, talking about Elliot’s weekend. Haisley let the tension fall from her shoulders and released her breath. She hoped Elliot hadn’t heard anything she and Finn were saying. He didn’t need to worry about her and Finn’s disagreement. 

Haisley slumped down in her chair and ran her hands over her face. She needed to find a way to get the housework caught up and Finn off her back. She idly wondered how long Finn was going to be home. He never told her he was coming and didn’t seem to want to say anything about being home other than point out everything she wasn’t doing. 

Haisley pulled out her phone and texted Addison. Her father was a plumber and might come to look at the water heater for free at least to tell Haisley what was wrong and what it would cost to fix. Of course, Addy replied immediately, saying she would talk to her Dad tomorrow. 

Haisley tried to push away her other worries and focus on her homework. She opened her classroom portal, accessing the assignment instructions but slammed her computer closed after just staring at it for over ten minutes. She stood up and stormed out of her room, deciding to take care of the laundry and cleaning while she was too frustrated to work.