Since they came back home, it was a couple of days until Jessie had his first family dinner with his parents.

The sounds of cutlery hitting against the plates bounced from the walls. Jessie couldn't help but think the noises were a welcome distraction from sitting with his parents.

Jessie sat across from his brother as he offered a shy smile to him. On either side of the table were their parents, observing their every move and action like usual.

Jessie was very hungry as he reached to grab some roast potatoes for his plate. His hand reached the ladle and Jessie poured himself a spoonful when Kathy smacked his hand.

"Where's your sense of respect Jessie?" Kathy snapped as her hawk eyes bared through Jessie's soul. "Have we not taught you any manners?"

Jessie bowed his head as he apologised for his actions. "It won't happen again."

Kathy stood up from the table as she began to serve the people around her - she did it from the eldest to the youngest. Her husband Jude was first, she then served herself a spoonful of potatoes, and then she added an extra serving to Cameron's plate.

She then sat back down as she adjusted the napkin on her lap, sipping her red wine as she swirled it in her glass.

Jessie took a deep breath to try and not whelm up. He had calmed down by the time he reached for the potatoes himself, but Cameron was quicker as he reached for the same dish.

Cameron made sure he got a lot on the spoon, as he then placed it above the chicken on Jessie's plate.

Cameron continued to smile at Jessie as he continued to serve his brother food, to try and make up for what their mother didn't do for her youngest son.

Cameron took away the large portion of broccoli on Jessie's plate, and then added more cauliflower, green beans, and gravy instead. It was a small token of gesture, and Jessie was appreciative of the symbolism from his brother.

Jessie tried his best to rush through the dinner as quick as possible. He wanted to return to his room so that he could actually relax, and he couldn't do that when his parents were nearby.

"Cameron, how are things going with school?" Jude asked as he looked at his children for the first time tonight.

"I'm doing better, Jessie's been helping me a lot." Cameron told them as he explained how much of a help Jessie's tutoring was. "I got a B on my last paper."

"Sounds like he's not doing a good enough job..."

Cameron tried to laugh off the awkward tension that was created by their mother. "If it wasn't for Jessie's help then I probably would have failed ages ago. I'm just glad one of us got the brains."

Jessie laughed for the first time that night as he looked at his brother with admiration in his eyes. "And the beauty too."

"Nonsense," Jude dismissed. "Cameron is the most handsome and dashing man in this room - apart from me of course."

"Oh Jude..." Kathy giggled.

Jessie began to drink his entire glass of water before serving himself another glass. He was drinking that down too so that he could ignore all of the subtext from his parents.

Kathy reached inside her purse and brought out a sheet of paper that she was keeping with her. "Cameron honey, I couldn't help but notice the card payments on your car. Did something happen sweetie?"

"Jessie borrowed my car last week, and he ended up with a flat tire," Cameron told her. "And then he found a cheap place to get it done, so it's nothing to worry about."

Kathy turned to the younger twin with an accusatory tone in her voice. "We confiscate your car, so now you damage Cameron's car?"

Jessie vigorously shook his head to try and correct his mom. "No no, it's-"

"Why am I not surprised?" Kathy laughed sadistically. "It's typical behaviour from you isn't it? Just like when you were little and you dropped Cameron's rocket model, just because that neighbour's kid broke yours..."

Jessie tried to think about that memory, but he had no recollection of such event happening. "I don't know what you're talking about, that didn't happen."

"Are you calling your mother a liar?" Jude accused as he raised his voice above everyone else's.

Jessie felt intimidated and shy as he was being attacked from both of his parents. "No sir, but I-"

Jude smacked the table with his hand, which rattled all of the plates and glasses. "Apologise to your mother, and your brother too!"

Jessie looked between his parent's harsh gaze, and tried to not feel as small as he was making them. "I'm sorry for smashing your rocket Cameron. You were right again mom, and I was just too dumb to remember."

Cameron tried to get his brother's attention by kicking his feet under the table. "Jessie, don't say-"

"That's much better Jessie." Kathy said.

The dinner was soon interrupted as they all heard the front door open and shut. They all peeked their heads out of the room, and saw Riley confidently walk into their home.

Riley let himself into their home like he has been doing for the past couple of days, under the impression that Jessie and Cameron's parents were still away.

His upbeat pace was cut off shortly as he walked into the dining room, and looked at the family eating together.

"Jessie, you alright?" Riley immediately asked.

Walking into the room his gaze instantly landed on Jessie, and Riley was getting the vibe that Jessie was upset. Jessie's head was facing down, his back was slightly hunched over, and he was nervously shaking his legs.

Riley's vision then moved over to Cameron who offered a weak smile. And then it landed on their parent's, who were viciously glaring at the intruder in their home.

"Who told you that you can step inside our house!?" Jude complained.

"Get out of our house Riley, now!" Kathy screeched.

Riley was speechless as he didn't expect the hellish reaction from the adults in the room. He was like a deer caught in headlights, as Riley then tried to apologise for upsetting them.

Kathy quickly cut him off before he could utter a word out. "You, of all people, aren't welcomed into our home Riley. Now get out before we call the police."

"I'm already dialling them now." Jude added as he pulled his phone out.

"Geez, you guys are batshit crazy..." Riley whispered to himself. "Call me later Jessie, alright?"

Jessie nodded his head just so that Riley could quickly leave. Dragging him to the front door, Jessie opened it as he ushered Riley to quickly leave before things escalated further.

Riley saw the hurt expression in Jessie's eyes, and the door closed before he could get Jessie to open up to him.

Once Riley left, Jessie returned to the dining room and received angry looks from his vindictive parents. 

"Jessie, we told you ages ago that you're not allowed to be friends with that boy..." Jude warned.

"Are you disrespecting us by denying our demands?!" Kathy shouted.

Cameron tried to step in and ease the tension and verbal lashing away from his brother. "I told Riley that he was welcome here. He's my roommate, remember? Plus he's still my friend too."

Jude turned to Cameron and spoke to him with an unnerving voice. "Cameron that boy is no good around Jessie. He is a horrible influence on Jessie, and we cannot let him corrupt our youngest son."

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked, with an equally confused Jessie looking for the same response.

"That's enough!" Kathy shrieked once again. "Both of you go to your rooms. You children are so disrespectful, and I certainly didn't expect this from you Cameron..."

Kathy and Jude left the room together as they escorted each other out of the room. Jessie quickly sprinted up the stairs so that he could hide away from everyone, and Cameron soon followed him up as there was no one else around him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Riley joined his own family in the living room after just being threatened with the police by his friend's parents.

"Back so soon?" Zoe asked as she continued to flick through the book she was reading with Lucy.

Riley sank down on the couch with them, and Lucy immediately carried the book over to her big brother.

Riley kissed his sister on the head as he turned to his step mother. "Jessie's parents kicked me out. Were they always crazy?"

Zoe accidentally snickered while Natasha grew uncomfortably in her seat. "Why were you round there?"

"Because they're my friends?"

Riley was unsure about why his mom was still so cold whenever he brought them two up. She should have known by now that they were all friends again, and this distancing act she was putting up kept getting more frustrating to deal with.

"I just think it's best you avoid that house and all those people whilst you're still here."

Riley defied his parent's wishes as he tried to stick up for his friends. "Why should I?"

"Riley, do you not remember the way Jessie treated you all those years ago? You were always so sad whenever you got into a fight with him, and they became a lot more frequent as you grew older."

Riley acknowledged what his mother said was the truth. Riley always thought that they were glued to the hip, and then Jessie began to push him away - and that was hurting him constantly.

"The entire family is trouble, and no doubt that Mr and Mrs Summers have poisoned their children with the same kind of venomous and closed minded thinking they spout out."

Zoe joined her wife's side of the argument as she added, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree - and that tree next door is toxic."

It didn't seem completely unreasonable to Riley as he had just experienced snippets of the way their parents behave.

Lucy looked up to her brother and asked him if it was true. "Did my friend be mean to you?" 

Riley facepalmed himself as all of the parents around him tonight were acting ridiculous, cryptic, and insane. "I don't know what problem you have with them exactly, but Jessie and Cameron are some of my closest friends."

Riley got up from couch and left the room so that the conversation could end. "I will see them as much as I like, and I'm annoyed that you treat Jessie and Cameron this way - after all these years."

When Lucy followed her brother upstairs, Zoe sat down next to her wife and held her gently. "Maybe Riley's right? Those boys aren't their parents, and we shouldn't judge them based on their past actions."

Natasha looked at her wife with a sad look in her eyes. "We both know how Riley was when we had to separate our family from them. Ever since the day on the pier, I promised myself that I won't let anyone hurt my son like that - and that means being away from that two faced snake of a family."

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was late at night when Jessie got himself ready for bed. He had finished his routine when he climbed under the covers, and Jessie was about to sleep when his phone suddenly rang.

Jessie saw Riley's name on the phone, and he had no doubt that this was Riley checking in on him, after he didn't complete his promise to call Riley back after dinner.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jessie, it's Riley - the guy you promised you would call back."

Jessie deliberately yawned into the phone as he thought of a lousy excuse for why he didn't contact Riley. "I was sleeping and you just woke me up, idiot."

Riley laughed into the phone after hearing Jessie's excuse. "The light's been on in your room for over an hour now."

Jessie looked at the bright lamp placed next to him, and he then casted his glance at the neighbouring house. He peeked out the window and saw Riley smirking at him in his own room.

So Jessie hid away from Riley by turning off the light.

"And now you're invisible..."

Caught in his lie, Jessie quickly apologised as he climbed back into bed. "I didn't think you would want to speak to me after my parents talked to you like that."

"It's not everyday someone threatens to arrest me," Riley joked. "We're still friends though, aren't we?"

Jessie thought about the warnings his parents gave him about Riley, and those warnings mirrored the ones that they gave him when they were younger.

"I wouldn't want to be my friend at this point..." Jessie whispered with the self-deprecating attitude.

Riley wanted to climb through Jessie's window and shake some sense into him. He had to settle for berating him over the phone, as he wasn't going to let Jessie go so easily.

"You're stuck with me Jessie."

"Great, it's not like I already have difficult people that I deal with constantly."

Riley knew that Jessie was just joshing with him. And his heart always fluttered when Jessie would treat him as a friend again.

But Riley didn't miss the subtle quip underneath what Jessie had just said. "You want to talk about it?"

Jessie knew that Riley was trying to pry information about his evening with his parents, but Jessie wasn't in the mood to go through another emotional rollercoaster of a journey. "Not tonight."

Riley laid off the interrogation as he respected Jessie's choice. He just wanted Jessie to know that he was here for him, if ever he needed an outlet to talk to.

"Whenever you're ready."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessie was woken up in the middle of the night when he saw a light shine through his door. The creaking sound of the door opening alerted Jessie, and he sat up as he watched the person walk in.

"Cameron? What are you doing here?"

Cameron quietly closed the door behind him, as he tiptoed to Jessie as if he was a cat burglar. He surprised his brother by placing his own pillow besides Jessie's head.

"You've got your own room Cameron, stop being an idiot and go back there." Jessie cursed as he rolled over to try and go back to sleep.

Cameron chuckled as he dived under the covers with Jessie. "I wanted a sleepover with my brother."

"Why?"

"Because our parents suck for how they treated you earlier. And so I want to try and look after my little brother because they did a piss poor job at it." Cameron explained as he cuddled Jessie.

Jessie squirmed in Cameron's embrace as he felt shy and embarrassed. The last time they slept in a bed together was when they shared a room when they were little, and Jessie thought they were both too old to sleep like this.

"I'm sorry... For everything you experience with them."

"You're being crazy Cameron."

Cameron decided to break Riley's trust by admitting to Jessie what he told him privately. "Riley recently told me more about the way you feel about them, and I'm crazy for not seeing it clearly."

Jessie began to choke up as he felt his voice was going to come out unstable. He didn't want his brother to see or hear how he was feeling, and Jessie was at least glad that the room was too dark to see either of their expressions.

"I'm your twin... And we should be able to feel what the other is feeling." Cameron whispered emotionally.

He felt guilty about the way they were both treated differently, and it dawned on Cameron that his little brother had been experiencing this for as long as they could remember.

"I need to step up for you more, because that's the big brother you deserve."

The way Cameron was talking, with heavy emotions in his voice, warmed Jessie's heart. He knew that Cameron was always legitimate whenever he brought up the big brother card, and Jessie knew that he did this often.

"I'm going to kill Riley for blabbing..."

Cameron chuckled as he punched Jessie in the arm. "I've just been ignorant for too long, and I've been rolling over when they treat you like dirt. But no more, okay?"

Jessie knew that Cameron was always trying his best to be the supportive family member that he always needed. They had an inseparable bond that Jessie was glad existed. And this was shown as Jessie relied on Cameron the most when growing up together.

"Thanks Cam." Jessie whispered, "I love you."

"Love you too Jessie. We'll be okay, baby bro..."

===========