chapter three: jc pov

                                    

                                          
"So you think I should call her?" I ask my mom after listening to her explain to me every reason she couldn't call Dani more than twice a month, but also all the reasons Dani needs help and all the signs she's seen, "Or what, because obviously she needs someone checking in on her at the least, right?" my mom stays silent for a few seconds and I clear my throat but she still doesn't answer, "Mom?" I lean forward, "Are you still there?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm here, um, Justin, I just actually think that she needs more than calls," I press my lips together, realizing that she has something in mind,
"Well mom, what exactly do you think she does need?" I wait, feeling Chelsea's small hands rest on my shoulders as my mom responds,
"I think she needs someone to go out there, really help her, I really do, and I wish I had the time, but I'm so busy Justin, and your sisters and brother are too, and you know she never was really all that close with your father. She needs to not be at that college all alone. She always seemed to feel safe with you Justin. So, well... maybe if you went out there, you could find out what is happening, help her, even if that means no more college. She would tell you," My eyes widen and I sit for a second, thinking what my mom said through, but then Chelsea speaks,
"We can do that, JC and the rest of us will do whatever Dani needs us to do, don't you worry alright?" I hear my mom let out a sigh of relief but I twist in my chair, knowing a confused expression is written across my face but Chelsea just shushes me as my mom speaks,
"Oh dear, thank you. Okay, Justin, keep me updated, and just know you're an amazing brother and I am so proud of you, always. I miss you both, love you!" I hear my mom hang up, almost like she couldn't wait to, but I just sit and stare forward,
"JC, are you okay?" I hear Crawford call from behind me, and I just shake my head. I look up at Chelsea and speak, knowing she's expecting me to get mad for speaking for me but I just say,
"She's her mom, and she hasn't figured out how to help her. The doctors didn't either, clearly. We don't even really know what's wrong," I lean my head forward to rest it on Chelsea's stomach, "And to make matters worse, me, her dumbass big brother hasn't even spoken to her hardly in who knows how long until I'm wasted on Valentine's Day Eve." She sighs, stroking my hair as I think, 
"I'm sorry I spoke for you but she just, she was calling with a goal, you know," Chelsea speaks and I just nod, knowing what she meant. Our parents are wonderful people, just Dani has always been different, the odd one out. My mom loves her, she just gets lost when it comes to how to help Dani most of the time. Hence how Dani goes to school in a school in the Midwest, far as hell from the rest of us, and ends up completely alone with nearly no one checking in on her, and multiple mental health diagnoses with no one who would check on her appropriately having any sort of knowledge about them. I don't know why I just let myself think she was just fine. I'm her older brother, and she didn't tell me she was struggling because someone who we were both friends with passed away, and she was worried about me. 
"What do we need to do?" Crawford asks, and I blink for a second, lifting my head to look at him confused, "Well, if your mom isn't gonna help her, then we need to right? So we need a plan. A, like, firm one, because your sister is convincing as hell sometimes, she's good at weaseling out of shit, right?" I laugh halfheartedly at Crawford's determination, knowing exactly what he's talking about.
"I agree,  I just don't know what you mean by 'we', y'know?" I say, biting my lip, "She's my sister, this ain't your responsibility, Crawf," He rolls his eyes a smile on his face as he begins to speak, but he gets cut off,
"Bro, I hate to burst your bubble, but Dani ain't just your sister. She's our little sister, and I wasn't really planning you or her going through this alone." Will speaks up, and I stare at him in shock, not having noticed him but also seeing Oscar and Dyl behind him, nodding intently. I look up at Chelsea, who smiles widely at me, before Crawford talks again,