A Way Through

Chapter Four

“I do not care about his stupid going away party, Mom!” Haisley stomped her foot. 

“Sweetheart, I know you want to go out with your friends, but we aren’t going to see your brother for a whole year,” her mother tried to reason. 

“Things won’t be that different then, will they?” Haisley argued. 

“Haisley, there will be time to spend with your friends later. Your brother is only here for a few more days. We’re lucky he got to come home at all before deploying,” her mother pressed on. 

Haisley didn’t care about what her mother was saying. Finn wasn’t around anymore, and him going off somewhere else wouldn’t be that different. He rarely called anymore, and every time he did, he was always rushing to get off the phone. 

“He can’t keep his word, so I don’t know why I have to go,” Haisley said, turning on her heel and heading towards her room. 

“You’re upset now, but I promise you will regret it if you don’t go,” her mother called after her. Haisley marched to her room and slammed the door, too mad to care about her attitude. She wanted to go to a party with her friends. Haisley had spent four years getting immaculate grades and putting everything she had into getting into a good college. She was graduating third in her class of 350, but Finn wasn’t even going to be there like he promised. 

Haisley threw herself down on her bed, staring up at her ceiling. Finn left her almost two years ago to join the Marines. He called Haisley and Elliot a lot at first, wanting to know everything that he was missing. But it wasn’t long before the calls came further and further apart and lasted only minutes. Haisley didn’t understand how Kai would make time to call or text her, but her own brother couldn’t. 

When Finn called home to tell his parents that he would be deploying, their mother and father decided to wait to tell Haisley and Elliot. When Haisley finally found out, she decided she didn’t care about keeping her promise to Finn anymore. She started caring way less about high school and way more about having the fun she always denied herself in order to stay out of trouble. 

There was a knock at her door before it opened. Haisley’s father stood in the doorway. “What?” she asked indignantly. 

“Do you really think the way you are behaving is okay?” her father asked. Haisley rolled her eyes. “This isn’t you, Haisley.”

“And who told you that?”

“I know my daughter. You never acted like this before. You would have never treated a party with your friends as more important than a celebration for your brother. Finn is your best friend. You have always been so close,” he said. 

“Was, Dad. Finn was my best friend. He gave up that job when he signed his life over to the US government,” she shot at him. Haisley ignored the hurt that threatened to crumble her every time she thought about Finn joining the Marines after he graduated.

“Haisley, you’re just being unreasonable. You don’t graduate for another month; you have plenty of time to spend with your friends.” Haisley stewed silently, not wanting to argue about this anymore. “You’re 18 now. You need to evaluate your priorities. God forbid something happens to him over there; you would never forgive yourself for not spending this time with him. Your mother is having a hard enough time with this, and you don’t need to make it harder on her.” With that, Haisley’s father shut her door, leaving her alone. Haisley let out a frustrated sigh. Her phone rang in her pocket with a text message. 

ADDY

| u gettin out ?

ME

| pick me up down the rd xo

-

“Are you sure you’re gonna be alright?” Addison asked as she pulled up in front of the Roberts’ house. 

“Yea, I’m good,” Haisley sighed. “I can’t avoid him forever, right? He sort of owns my house.” Haisley gave a shallow laugh, trying to hide the anxiety twisting her stomach. Finn was sure to have something to say when he got inside tonight. There were dishes in the sink, unwashed. There was laundry piled next to the washer, waiting for her to tackle it tomorrow. One of the footboards on the stairs was loose, but she hadn’t had a moment to fix it. The grass desperately needed trimming and the garden beds circuiting the house were full of weeds. 

“Just don’t let him get to you, okay?” Addison said, concern lacing her words. She reached over and squeezed Haisley’s hand. “You are a great sister, and there is no one that could take care of Elliot better, including Finn.” Haisley told Addison everything, including the opinions of her older brother. Addison had been her closest friend since elementary school and had stuck by her through thick and thin.

A car pulled past them and into the driveway. Haisley recognized the vehicle, and excitement blossomed inside her. “Is that Kai’s car?” Addison asked. Before Haisley could confirm, Finn and his best friend Kai exited the front of the car while Elliot climbed out of the backseat. 

Haisley couldn’t believe it as she hopped out of Addison’s car. “I’ll message you later,” she said as she shut the door. Elliot and Finn were walking in the house, Elliot talking to Finn animatedly. Kai’s attention turned to Haisley as she closed the car door. A broad smile stretched across his tanned features. He came around his car and opened his arms wide for her. Haisley squealed and ran at Kai, jumping into his crushing hug. 

“Hae Bae!” he said into her hair. 

“Kai Guy!” she cried into his neck. All of the anxiety of seeing her brother was swept away with Kai’s comforting hug.

“Did you miss me?” he asked. He pulled away from her, setting her down on her feet. Haisley didn’t need to answer his question; Kai knew how much she wished he were around.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?” Haisley asked. 

“Didn’t really know we were,” he said, his smile faltering. 

“I don’t care. I am just happy to see you,” she said, her eyes watering a bit. 

“Hey now, what did I tell you? No crying over me, alright?” he teased before pulling her in for another tight hug. Haisley held him tight, having missed the boy that had been like another brother to her for so much of her life. They stood there holding each other for a few minutes. 

“Were you at the game?” she finally asked without letting go. 

“Yea,” he said sadly. Haisley was quiet. “He just needs more time, Hae Bae. He will come around.”

Haisley shook her head as she pulled away from Kai finally. “All that matters is that he treats Elliot well. I’m a big girl; I’ll be alright,” she told him. 

Kai pursed his lips but nodded at her. His eyes searched her face for a minute, reading her like a book. “Still got a bed for me around here? Mom turned my room into a sewing room,” he said, changing the subject. Haisley smiled. 

“Always,” she said. Kai wrapped his arm around Haisley’s shoulder, and they headed inside the house. 

“So how’s school, bookworm?” he asked her. 

“It’s school,” she said. 

“Oh, come on, now. You gotta give me more than ‘it’s school.’ What about the last frat party you went to?” he joked. 

Haisley scowled as they stepped into the living room. “You know I don’t go to parties.”

“Didn’t I tell you to cut loose sometimes?” he chided. 

“Hais is too busy being superwoman to have fun,” Elliot interrupted them. He came out of the kitchen with a bottle of water in his hand. 

“You have superpowers now?” Kai teased Haisley. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“Maybe she should spend less time talking to you,” Finn’s voice cut in as he exited the kitchen behind Elliot. He gave Haisley a withering look, and she tried not to let herself shrink. 

“I’ll go get some sheets on the bed in the guest room,” she said, turning to Kai. “You guys should all catch up and stuff. I am sure Elliot has lots to tell you about football, and I know I am not the best one to talk about sports with him.” Haisley left the room before things could get more awkward between her and Finn. 

Haisley let out a sigh of relief as she entered the guest bedroom and got into the closet. She found some clean sheets and began making the bed for Kai. She opened the window and flipped the ceiling fan on to pull some fresh air through the room when she finished. Haisley reminded herself to come in here with the duster tomorrow. After the room was ready, she went to the hall closet to put fresh towels in the bathroom. She mentally groaned, realizing the four of them would now be sharing the one bathroom upstairs and the half bathroom off the kitchen. 

Elliot came up the stairs as she was replacing the used towels in the bathroom with clean ones. He leaned on the door frame. “Hey,” he said carefully. 

“Hey. Did you shower after the game?” Haisley asked; Elliot shook his head. “Let me get out of your way then.”

“Hais, you shouldn’t let Finn be mean to you,” Elliot stopped her. Haisley was stunned for a second but recovered quickly. 

“He’s not. Don’t worry about it, E,” she said with feigned ignorance. Elliot stepped forward and grabbed his sister into a hug. 

“Hais, you’re the best sister in the world, okay?” Elliot said. 

Haisley hugged him back. “You smell, E. Take a shower.” Elliot sighed but released her, letting her move past him. He watched as she dropped the towels into the hamper at the end of the hall by her bedroom door before going inside and closing her door. Elliot scowled with worry; he wanted his siblings to get along and knew they would forever pretend for his sake.