Ok I'm late it's like after new years by time this is uploaded because it is the 30th rn
(Welp now its the fifth I really need to remember to post)

Ethan

The plane landed and I got off and had my parents pick me up. But before they get here I grabbed my bag and text Mark.

'E: just got off the plane safely.'

'M: good job on not dying!'

'E: welp...'

'M: at least you didn't crash and die.'

'M: or have the person next to you make a PB and J.'

'E: are you trying to scare me into staying?'

'M: whhhhaaaaat? No?'

'E: wow thanks Mark you crack head.'

'M: welp, at least santa didn't break in.'

'E: their is no Santa'

'M: °O° non-believer!'

'M: you shall be on the naughty list!'

'E: wtf'

'M: hmph!'

'E: ok well bye Mark my rides here.'

'M: oooooohhh, you doing uber.'

'E: if my mom's an Uber than sure.'

'M: well Tyler said hi btw.'

'E: tell him I said hi back, now I really have to go.'

'M: bye.'

"Hey Ethan!" My mom says smiling.

I wave and go with her into the car. There was my dad and brother. They were all happy that we were all together.

~~Time skippero~~

It was a few days later. Everyone woke up early and opened presents. We had fun. Everyone talked. Well other than me. I never made an effort to although I sometimes do by my family. (As in a little bit each visit)

Although I get extremely nervous. I don't with my parents and brother. As usual I just get used to not talking. Just like I did around my friends... Well I'm kinda nervous around my friends because I don't want to say something wrong. I can easily lose them... But I can't lose my family... They can lose me...

Suddenly Dexter comes rushing to me licking my face. Following him not to far behind was Max. Max was quite a bit older than Dexter. He came in and laid down next to my brother.

"You're just to adorable... You know that Dex..." I whisper to him.

Dogs were probably the only way to get me to talk. I mean who doesn't love dogs.

"Ethan! Are you only gonna talk to the dogs, were special to!" My brother yells.

I chuckle and look at Dexter.

"Should I talk to those crazy people?" I whisper to him.

Dexter just licks my hand and wags his tail. I sigh and look at my brother.

"I guess I'll talk for once." I say.

"Yay! Mom! Ethans deciding to talk!"

"God Andrew don't you dare." I say.

My mom comes in. I'm guessing she was down for me to talk. My dad follows not long after.

"You did this to me ANDREW." I say staring at my brother.

"No I did this for you." He says.

"It's a Christmas miracle! Ethan's really talking." My mom says.

"God mom you're and embarrassing." I say. It was quite enough for her to hear but still quiet.

"Not like it hasn't been the first time. This happened last year, and the year before, and the year before that." My dad says, "It shouldn't be to big of a deal."

"See dad's right." I say.

"Well it's never been like this, he isn't mumbling as much, he's really coming out of his shell." My mom says.

"Anne, he doesn't even talk to anyone other than us..." My dad says.

My mom turns to me...

"Ethan, I thought you were trying to work on it but appar-"

"I try! I really do try! It's just hard... I just don't know why I can't..." I yell.

"Then why can't you d-"

"Anne, he's trying to get better..." My dad says, "I know it."

"How hard does this really have to be! It's simple! Why can't he go to thera-"

I cut my mom off. She really pushed my buttons.

"Mom! You've really said enough! I'm not a fucking FREAK!"

"That's not what I- I didn't mean it."

"Look, I'm done..." I say going downstairs into the basement...

It was where I spent all my time. I have my old computer down here I used. A small desk I never kept tidy. Nothing special really.

I sat down at the desk and put my head down thinking...

Can I even text Mark or Tyler about the argument? I don't know...

I decided against it and just sat there thinking about what my mom said... Well what she was trying to say.

She pretty much said I wasnt trying, that it isn't hard, I needed to go to therapy.

She doesn't get it... It's not like she's been bullied her whole life. Not like she's been controlled by another person. Not like she's locked herself away. Not like she has trouble socializing with others. Not like she has been hurt in way to many ways to count.

I hear a knock on the basement door. I raise my head.

"W-who is it?" I say.

"It's Andrew." My brother says.

"Come in..."

My brother comes in and closes the door behind him. He comes down and sits next to me.

"You know mom didn't mean it right?"

"B-bullshit." I mumble.

"Look, she just was stressed out about the holidays that she just got upset. She didn't mean it." My brother says.

"Yo-you sure... Because last time I k-knew she wasn't stressed until she knew I couldn't talk to people, still... She probably thinks I'm a failure now..." I sigh.

"Please don't talk about yourself like that..." My brother said.

"But you know it's t-true."

"It's not, okay... you're the opposite... You're an amazing brother Ethan..."

"H-how? I've done absolutely n-nothing for you and our fa-family after I moved. I don-don't talk to you a lot. I've never done much... I iso-isolated myself most times. So what makes you think I'm a good brother."

"But that's why... You're amazing because you don't bother me or get into my personal life. I shared with you what I wanted to and you respected that... And that's all you needed to do for me." My brother

Well I guess he was right about that... But it wasn't something I thought was that big of a deal...

"It wasn't th-that big of a de-"

"Ethan, remember when I got my first girlfriend... And I told you about how I snuck out and went to the board walk around the corner with her. And how me and her climbed on top of the ferris wheel. And remember what happened next?"

"Y-yeah, her parents were f-following you guys and then scared the shit out of you two, then took you back home and woke our parents up and had them talk to you, I could hear them from my bedroom." I say quietly laughing.

I wipe my eyes and sigh.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah... Thanks Andrew..."

Andrew gives me a small hug then gets up and goes upstairs...

Should I text Mark or Tyler or someone? Probably not... Maybe tomorrow... I'm feeling a little better now at least...

I go back upstairs and ignore my mom and go straight to my old bedroom. I sat on my old bed. I remembered when I used to talk all the time. My mom would always talk about me. But now she doesn't even want to talk to me. I'm sure since we argued she won't talk to me... Or insincerely apologize.

I don't know... I grab my phone and go to text Tyler since he's not going to be as busy...

'E: Hey Ty... Me and my mom sorta had an argument... I don't know what to do? I didn't want to bother you but I don't have anyone to talk to... I don't how to talk to her...'

I go into my bag and grab something out of it. I squeeze it in my hand the blade going in my palm and fingers cutting open my skin...

I look at my hand the crimson dripping off... My hand throbbing and hurting. My stomach twisting and aching...

I rushed into the bathroom making sure no blood got anywhere. I cleaned my hand and went back into my room...

When I got back in my phone went off. I got onto my bed and read the text...

'T: Try talking to her first and if that doesn't work then I'm going to leave tomorrow morning and you can come with me... But at least try.'

'E: thanks Tyler I'll try to do that.'

I sigh... With what she said I almost don't want to talk to her... But I will anyways...

(I was laughing at people (not in a mean way) when in a post they commented about how they burnt pasta or rice because they forgot to add water. I thought how could they have forgotten the water or not known to add it... Welp, karma hit hard about fifteen minutes later, I was going to cook something in the oven. I put the timer on but never turned it on or preheated it 😂.)