Chapter 21: Revolution

"Yo Isaac." A voice called out. Isaac adjusted his winter cap and looked at the voice who seemed to be his cousin who wore a long overcoat, a cardigan with a nice collarless button down. He didn't look like he did as scrawny and forlorn at the funeral.

'He almost looks sophisticated, almost.' He smirked at the thought.

"Markus? Got damn, you're a college student and you dressed like that?" He smiled as he pushed off of the wall with his foot. He unplugged his headphones and walked over, once they were close they dapped each other up.

"Bro, you got tall as fuck. Got damn. You're my height now." He clapped back as he rubbed Isaac's head roughly causing him to duck to evade the continuous assault.

"Well, I guess I got lucky."

"Lucky, you were what 5'6 before the coma?? You're now what, 5'10? 11? What they feed you, steroids?" He joked as he walked up his apartments steps.

'They didn't even feed me.' He thought.

Markus invited him in, going inside, he went over, checking to see if there was any mail. Next to him there seemed to be a girl doing the same thing. Isaac took further notice as she seemed close to his age, she had long legs and heart shaped face with some of the prettiest brown eyes he'd ever seen.

"Stop. Staring" Mark said as he bumped him just loud enough for the girl to her. She hid behind her the steel door that guarded her mail. Isaac knew that she might have thought to hide with her hair if it wasn't in a bun. Isaac felt his hoodie get pulled into the elevator which landed on the 6th floor. He sighed before trying to forget she even existed as he walked right. They continued down the hall and stopped once they reached apartment number that they ended up going into was all the way down hallway which held a comfortable 3 bedroom, two bathroom apartment. The older cousin made his way to the coat rack, derobing. Isaac looked around the apartment that seemed well decorated for a college student in New York, even with multiple roommates.

A loud cough caught his attention and his eyes switched towards his cousin who looked comfortably waiting for the for him to situate himself.

"I know right, unexpected but I worked so hard for this."

"I see…"

"So what did you want to talk about- wait before that, you drink coffee? I'm going to brew some." He said as he threw his keys in a Cobalt stained wood bowl.

"I'll take a cup. Thank you!"

Markus walked over to the kitchen and prepared the coffee maker. Isaac walked further inside the apartment and over to the couch but he didn't sit, he just put his hand on it. Anxiously rubbing it back and forth, picking at the stitching with his nail.

"So you have roommates..?" Isaac probed.

"Well, technically. Originally, when I was first renting this apartment, I just had my girlfriend who was living with me but her dad got sick and she practically lives at home most of the time even though she technically lives here. Then, it got expensive so I also got a roommate but he also doesn't stay much due to his job and college, so rent is pretty cheap when divided up. How's life… at home?" Mark curiously asked. Isaac adjusted him on the plush couch.

"Well honestly,"

Isaac recounted the last couple of months with the Allan family and his trials and tribulations of dealing with all of them. It went on for hours, before he stopped to drink the warm coffee he was given. Isaac wasn't even trying to make Mark feel bad but it seems like that was the ending result by the expressions that appeared on his face.

Finally, he got to the end as he told him what had happened in school. He had all but less than a 1 minute to explain to his cousin that his suspension wasn't his fault.

He activated his inner ability, bullshittery which allowed him to spew the liquid gold that was a bunch of half-truths and seemingly, Mark didn't think anything of it- well he was definitely not fully accepting of the story fully but otherwise, he let it pass anyways. They continued talking for a little but he hadn't told him of the reason he was here. It stayed like that for a hour when Isaac decided it was time to spill. Isaac finished his coffee and felt a tired energy reach up and enter his soul causing a yawn to form.

"So. There's one more thing." He tapped his porcelain.

"I was waiting, what girl you got pregnant?" Mark chucked

"So Unc- What?" Isaac croaked choking on his saliva as he was caught off guard.

"Nothing what we're you saying" Adrian smile trying to make like out of the situation.

"It's- Well you know Uncle Adrian, he can be a b-"

"Dick,? I know" Mark replied simply.

"Well when I got home, Aunt D was yelling at me, not giving the chance to explain myself. When I tried to defend myself. He got angry."

"Okayyy…"

"He started yelling at me, cussing me out and all the shit he used to do with you, but then he shoved me and then I clocked him. He got knocked out, Aunt D got mad and kinda of kicked me-"

"HE DID WHAT.!" Mark's voice went deep. Almost like a guttural quietness enchanted his voice.

"I knew this was going to happen, he's such a joke it's not even funny at this point" Mark said plainly looking at Isaac before he planted both of his feet, with one of them shivering from the relentless bouts of him trying to calm his emotions forcefully.

"Yeah, he started a couple of months before you left. I couldn't even go home before 6pm if I wanted to." Isaac revealed.

"I TOLD MOM TO STOP HIM…FUCK. This exactly why I left in the first place." Mark shot up outraged, he paced around the apartment as Isaac thumbed the mug, circling it with his nail.

"So that's why I have my bags, the shelter is full. I was wondering if I could stay for the night, Then I'll go to a shelter tomorrow night, it was just unexpected."

"No." Mark pointed. Before going on his phone and texting someone.

"I- then.."

He didn't think that his cousin would just out right reject him but it looked like he had more to say which gave him time to ask differently and hopefully more convincingly.

"Isaac." He stopped and approached Isaac swiftly the drink in his hand teasing it's demise as he looked into his eyes. Not breaking contact in any capacity.

"Yeah?" Isaac asked.

"I know that I haven't been the best brother or technically cousin.. but it's just been difficult. Work is always busy and ESU is kicking my ass but you are still my friend and blood. How about you stay with me..? Like I said I still have a room, it's currently an office but we can get your stuff and bring it here." Mark laid out the plan.

"Wait what?" He asked confused.

"Yeah, I can't bring myself to allow you to go to a shelter." He said as he placed the mug down.

"I know you're a good kid. You don't have to go back if you don't want too and look Isaac,.. I didn't leave because of what they said, and I know you know that. They probably said that I was 'problematic'. Adrian, he did the same shit he did to you to me. Everyday and all day, calling me a useless dumb fuck. It got to the point where I almost quit high school. I couldn't focus because I could barely live and he used to fight me all of the time when I tried to do- anything really.. Thankfully my girlfriend convinced me to graduate and get into a good college. if barely and got a pretty awesome job that I was even able to afford to dorm. It's not your fault Isaac."

Emotions he didn't know he felt welled up inside of him, they started to simmer in the feeling of being understood. No one knew what it felt like to be berated every freaking day and feel so brainwashed into thinking like you were the reason why it was happening the in first place. He never even told Ernie about it, as he knew that it wasn't the situation he'd want to talk about with someone who's life was, for the most part, sunshine and rainbows. So hearing testimony from his cousin from all people. It unfortunately felt nice.

"So I guess I'll take your offer?" He asked unassuming. Mark snickered shaking his head, and waving Isaac over as they continued their conversation.

"Alright, I think I have a blowout in the closet, follow me" He said as he motioned.

"How much you paid in rent at the house? 50, 100?" Mark asked at they walked to the back of the apartment where one of the bathrooms laid.

"300 dollars." Isaac spewed. It was a lot of money to come up with when you also had to find a way to eat and you didn't even see where that money was going most of the time. Not to mention no one wanted to hire a high schooler.

"What the absolute shit? His job covers half than the house's bills alone. He could live on the fucking moon with the checks he's getting from the VA." Mark chided, frustrated at the situation. Isaac was led to the furthermost back room, it was indeed currently set up as office but it still 5 times the size of his room. It was sparsely decorated, only having a desktop monitor desk for said monitor, a swivel office chair and small two seater.

"Sorry, this is smaller than my room at their house but hey, I won't charge you for rent." Markus sighed as he entered the room.

"I don't live in your room. They put me in the guest room."

"I-they are fucking despicable. ." His cousin mumbled before

Markus explained the rules as he pulled a blow up mattress box from inside the closet which Isaac was shocked to find how big it was. There weren't many rules, mostly just paying for food when it go low which was not often as they were always buy fooding or eating out. The other rule was to graduate highschool. Which felt embarrassingly on the money with how things were progressing for Isaac but had conceded to it as Markus had promised to change.