The house was never quiet

If it wasn’t laughter, it was running. If it wasn’t running, it was shouting. And if it wasn’t shouting… it was definitely trouble.

“Nick! Give it back!”

“I found it first!”

“You took it from my room!”

Jay sighed as he stood by the doorway, watching his two younger brothers argue over a small toy car. Rowand was pulling one side, Nick the other, both determined not to let go.

“It’s mine!” Nick insisted.

“You’re lying!” Rowand shot back.

Jay shook his head and walked over. “Both of you, stop before you break it.”

They froze for a second—but only for a second.

“It’s his fault!” Rowand said, pointing at Nick.

“No, it’s his!” Nick fired back instantly.

Jay crossed his arms. “So neither of you is at fault?”

They looked at each other.

“…No,” they said at the same time.

Jay couldn’t help but laugh. “You two are impossible.”

Before the argument could start again, the toy car slipped from their hands and hit the floor, a wheel snapping off as it landed.

All three boys went silent.

Nick’s eyes widened. Rowand slowly looked down at the broken wheel.

“You broke it,” Nick whispered.

“You broke it!” Rowand snapped back.

Jay stepped in quickly. “Enough.”

They both turned to him.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Jay picked up the broken car, examining it carefully. “It’s not ruined,” he said calmly. “We can fix it.”

“How?” Nick asked.

Jay smiled slightly. “Together.”

A few minutes later, the three of them sat on the floor, pieces of the toy spread out between them. Jay handled the main body, carefully trying to fit the wheel back in place. Rowand held it steady, his hands unusually still. Nick watched closely, passing small pieces whenever Jay asked.

“Hold it tighter,” Jay said.

“I am holding it,” Rowand replied.

“Not like that—you’ll make it worse.”

Nick leaned closer. “Can I try?”

“No,” Jay and Rowand said at the same time.

Nick frowned. “Why not?”

“Because you’ll somehow break it more,” Rowand said.

“I will not!”

Jay chuckled. “Relax. Everyone gets a turn.”

Slowly, carefully, the wheel clicked back into place.

The three of them stared at it.

“Did it work?” Nick asked.

Jay placed the car on the ground and gave it a gentle push.

It rolled forward.

Smooth.

Perfect.

Nick’s face lit up. “It works!”

Rowand grinned. “We fixed it!”

Jay leaned back, satisfied. “Told you.”

For a moment, they just sat there, smiling at something so small—but somehow so important.

Later that evening, as the sun dipped low and the house finally grew quiet, the three brothers lay side by side on the floor.

Nick spoke first. “Jay?”

“Yeah?”

“Are we always going to be together?”

Jay didn’t answer immediately.

Rowand turned his head. “Of course we are,” he said. “We’re brothers.”

Nick looked at Jay, waiting.

Jay smiled and placed an arm around both of them.

“No matter what,” he said. “We stay together.”

Nick smiled.

Rowand nodded.

And in that moment, it felt like nothing in the world could ever break that promise.

Years passed, but some things never did.

The noise.

The laughter.

The feeling that wherever one brother was, the others weren’t far behind.

But not everything stayed the same.

Jay stood outside the school gate, checking the time on his phone.

“Late,” he muttered.

Again.

Rowand leaned against the wall nearby, arms folded, calm as always. “Relax. Nick will show up.”

Jay frowned. “That’s not the point. He’s been doing this all week.”

As if on cue, Nick came jogging down the road, slightly out of breath but grinning like nothing was wrong.

“Miss me?”

Jay didn’t smile. “You’re late.”

Nick shrugged. “So? I’m here.”

“That’s not good enough.”

Rowand glanced between them. “It’s just a few minutes, Jay.”

Jay shook his head. “It’s not just today. He’s been skipping practice, coming late—what’s going on with you?”

Nick’s smile faded slightly. “Nothing.”

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m not lying.”

“You are.”

Rowand pushed himself off the wall. “Hey, calm down. It’s not that serious.”

“It is serious,” Jay said. “He’s changing.”

Nick’s expression hardened. “Maybe I just don’t want to do the same things anymore.”

The words hung in the air.

Jay blinked. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Nick said, stepping closer, “I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t have to follow everything you say.”

Rowand’s eyes widened slightly. “Nick…”

Jay’s voice dropped. “Since when do you feel like that?”

Nick hesitated—just for a second.

But it was enough.

“Since always,” he said.

The bell rang in the distance, but none of them moved.

For the first time in years, something felt… off.

Not broken.

Not yet.

But different.

Later that day, Rowand found Nick sitting alone behind one of the school buildings.

“You’re really pushing him,” Rowand said as he walked over.

Nick didn’t look up. “He pushes me first.”

Rowand sat beside him. “He’s just trying to look out for you.”

“I don’t need that all the time.”

Rowand was quiet for a moment. “So what do you need?”

Nick finally looked up.

“Space.”

That word didn’t belong to them.

Not to the brothers who used to fix things together…

Who used to promise no matter what.

That evening, the three of them sat at the same table they’d shared for years.

But this time—

No one spoke.

Jay stared at his plate.

Nick scrolled through his phone.

Rowand looked between them, uneasy.

The silence felt louder than any argument.

Jay finally broke it.

“Are we good?” he asked, not looking up.

Nick hesitated.

Rowand waited.

“…Yeah,” Nick said.

But it didn’t sound real.

And for the first time—

...Jay wasn’t sure he believed him. ...

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what do you think jay should do

follow up on his brother?? Or ignore his change of attitude and act nonchalant??

Should Nick reveal what he'shiding or keep it confidential ?? Hmm

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

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Something wasn’t right.

Jay noticed it first.

Not just the lateness. Not just the attitude.

It was the way Nick moved now—careful, distracted… like he was carrying something heavy no one else could see.

“Rowand,” Jay said quietly one afternoon, “have you noticed?”

Rowand didn’t pretend. “Yeah.”

They stood outside the house, watching through the window as Nick sat inside, staring at his phone. Not scrolling. Not typing.

Just… waiting.

“For what?” Jay muttered.

That night, the answer came.

Or at least… part of it.

Jay woke up to a soft sound.

A door.

He sat up, listening.

Another sound—footsteps.

Slow. Careful.

Jay got out of bed and moved quietly toward the hallway. Rowand’s door creaked open at the same time.

They looked at each other.

No words.

They both heard it.

By the time they reached the front door—

Nick was already outside.

“Nick,” Jay whispered.

No response.

Nick kept walking.

The street was darker than usual, the silence stretching too far. Nick moved quickly, like he knew exactly where he was going.

Jay and Rowand followed at a distance.

“Since when does he sneak out?” Rowand whispered.

“Since he started lying,” Jay replied.

Nick turned into a narrow path between two buildings.

Jay slowed down. “Careful.”

They stepped in quietly—

And stopped.

Nick wasn’t alone.

Three figures stood with him.

Older.

Strangers.

One of them stepped forward—a tall girl with a sharp взгляд and arms crossed.

“You’re late,” she said.

Nick didn’t argue this time. “I came, didn’t I?”

Jay frowned. He’s different.

Another boy leaned against the wall, watching Nick closely. “You sure you weren’t followed?”

Nick shook his head. “No.”

Jay and Rowand exchanged a look.

The third person finally spoke—a calm voice, but serious.

“We don’t have much time,” he said. “Did you bring it?”

Nick hesitated.

Just for a second.

“…Yeah.”

Jay’s heart dropped.

Bring what?

Nick reached into his bag and pulled out something small.

It was hard to see in the dark—but whatever it was…

The others leaned in immediately.

Focused.

Careful.

Like it mattered.

A lot.

“We shouldn’t be doing this here,” the girl said. “If anyone finds out—”

“They won’t,” Nick cut in.

“You don’t know that.”

“I said they won’t.”

His tone was sharp.

Defensive.

Nothing like the Nick they knew.

Rowand shifted slightly—and his foot scraped against the ground.

Too loud.

All four of them froze.

“…Did you hear that?” the boy against the wall asked.

Silence.

Jay’s pulse pounded.

Nick turned slowly… toward where they were hiding.

For a second—

It felt like he knew.

Jay grabbed Rowand’s arm, pulling him back into deeper shadow.

“Don’t move,” he whispered.

The girl stepped forward, scanning the darkness. “Someone’s here.”

Nick didn’t say anything.

But his eyes stayed fixed.

Right where they were.

Then finally—

“…It’s nothing,” he said.

The others hesitated.

But slowly, they relaxed.

Jay exhaled quietly.

Rowand looked at him. Did he just cover for us?

Jay didn’t answer.

Because something felt worse than being discovered.

Nick knew.

And he didn’t want them involved.

As the group started to move away, Jay made a decision.

“This doesn’t stop here,” he whispered.

Rowand nodded. “We find out what he’s hiding.”

Jay’s eyes stayed on Nick.

“No matter what.”