"Why're we going to a tag sale again?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Jake groaned.

Ivy folded her arms over her chest. They walked onto someone's lawn.

Jake shoved his earbuds into his ears as walked over to a white table covered in old dusty crap.

Ivy scrunched her nose and backed away.

She watched her brother pick a doll up from the table and examine it.

It had red hair and the words "Good Guy" stitched to blue overalls.

A blonde woman turned around and smiled at the twins.

"Hi, Jake." She greeted.

Jake just nodded. She looked down at the doll in his hands.

"Twenty bucks for that, seem fair?"

Ivy frowned. She knew Jake only had his lunch money on him, and that definitely wasn't twenty dollars.

"Twenty?" He sighed.

The blonde woman nodded, "It's gotta be worth twenty bucks, right?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, still staring at the doll.

Ivy couldn't help but back away. It was like she could feel it watching her..

"Hey, where'd you get this?" Jake asked.

"I have no idea," she said. "must've been my daughters I guess.. Honestly I don't remember."

"You into vintage?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm into retro."

"Oh, what's the difference?" She questioned.

"About ten bucks." He replied, trying to bargain with her.

"And it doesn't smell like old people." Ivy added, making both of them turn to her.

Something about this doll was making Ivy's skin crawl.

"Fair enough." The blonde agreed.

Jake pulled a pile of ones out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"Thanks, Mrs. Jolly."

An awkward smile spread across her face. "Tell your dad I said hello."

"Don't worry," Ivy said. "we won't.."

The two teens walked away.

Ivy kept her eyes on Jake's new creepy ass doll the whole walk home while her brother was doing what he always does, listening to Devon's podcast on repeat.

Ivy didn't mind it, she actually thought it was pretty cute how much Jake liked him, but she hated how he tried to deny it every time she brought it up.

"You okay?" Jake questioned, noticing the frown on his sister's face.

Ivy looked up, realizing they were already home.

"Yeah, fine." She replied, pushing the front door open.

"Bixi?" Jake called out as they walked in.

Bixi was the cat. Well, not really. She's an old stray that wandered in here one night and hasn't left since.

"Here, Bix." He tried again.

When she didn't come, Jake gave up and hurried up the stairs.

Ivy rolled her eyes and followed.

"You know she never comes when you call her, right?"

"Yeah.." He muttered, walking into his room.

She shrugged and went across the hall.

Her room was mostly posters of random bands, her bed was in the center of the room with dark grey sheets over the mattress. She wasn't much for decorating.

Unlike her twin who spends his time tearing dolls apart.

She never understood his 'art' but never questioned it either. Their mom was the same way, she would make things into a masterpiece with the flick of her wrist.

Ivy tossed her bag down onto the floor and walked out, pushing Jake's door open.

He had his arms wrapped around the doll's neck, trying to rip its head off.

She ignored it and looked over at his statue of toy parts.

"Wow, it's really coming together."

"You think so?" He asked, looking over at her with an excited smile.

She nodded, flicking the brown wig on its head. "It's cool as hell if you ask me, not many people can do this type of shit."

Just then, their dad pulled up in the driveway. Ivy rolled her eyes and plopped down on Jake's bed, groaning.

"Ever wish he didn't come home? Cause I do. Everyday."

Jake chuckled and dropped the doll on his dresser.

"You know I'm not as dark as you."

He walked over to his desk and pulled out a switchblade. "Now, let's see what you're really made of.."

Ivy folded her arms over her chest. "No, not dark at all.."

Suddenly the door downstairs slammed open. "Jake, Ivy, I'm home!" Dad yelled.

Before either of them could call back, a voice came from the dresser.

"Hey! Wanna play?" The creepy doll said.

Ivy stood up fast, goosebumps running down her body. "I don't fuck with that shit, Jake."

"Would you relax?" He stated. "It's just a doll.."

The door opened and their dad walked in, frowning as his eyes landed on the doll.

"Jeezus Christ, Jake, another freakin' doll?" He sighed.

"Hi, I'm chucky. And I'm your friend till the end! High dee ho! Ha ha ha."

"It's voice activated." Jake explained.

"I was thinking about using his head for the sculpture.. What do you think?" He asked

"I don't know," Luke replied. "I'm no art critic."

"Well I'm not asking for a review, dad," he sighed. " I just want your opinion."

"It's cool Jake." He admitted. "I still think you're spending too much time on it. It wouldn't hurt you to get out of this room once and a while.."

Ivy frowned as soon as she realized where he was going with this conversation.

Jake knew it too.

"Maybe you could uh, ask a girl to a movie, see a friend or something."

Ivy clenched her jaw, a flash of rage building up in her stomach.

If she got a quarter for the amount of times she's tried to get him to stop prying into their personal lives, she would be a fucking billionaire by now.

He turned around. "You too, Ivy."

"I'm my experience, friends come and go. The work lasts forever." Jake interrupted, taking the attention away from her.

"So does student debt." Luke scoffed. "You know it's almost impossible to make a living as an artist?"

"Mom did.." Jake muttered softly. Ivy looked down at her feet and sighed.

"Impossible just means try again." She added.

Luke ignored her comment. Probably for the best. "That wasn't a living. That was a lifestyle and it definitely didn't pay the bills. I did."

Jake walked past him, sinking into an old leather chair.

Ivy wouldn't be kidding if she said she's never noticed it before.

"You know you're looking more and more like her every day?" Their father went on, making the two of them look at each other.

"Speaking of which," he said. "I looked into that art camp and I don't think it's going to work out."

Jake's head shot up, "Why not?"

"It's a thousand bucks Jake. I'm sorry, maybe next year."

Jake fixated on the leather bracelets around his wrist and nodded.

Ivy could see the disappointment on his face.

"Besides you don't wanna be away from me and Ivy for a whole month do you?" Their father added, making Ivy scoff.

Of course he wanted to leave. If Ivy had the chance to, she would in a heartbeat.

"You remember to take your pill today?"

"Not yet." Jake sighed.

"Well you should take it. You're gonna need it. Cousins are coming over.." Luke sighed.

"Oh shit.." Jake and Ivy said in unison.

"Shit is right." Dad added.

Ivy watched her brother place Chucky down on the chair and pull out his meds. She held out her hand.

"What?" Jake frowned.

"Give me some." Ivy replied. He gave her a disapproving look and dropped three in her hand.

"What? I can't do this shit sober." She scoffed.

* * *

"So this is fun.." Junior's mom said, trying to get them to start a conversation.

"Can't remember the last time we just.. sat out for pizza."

Ivy rolled her eyes and started typing away at her phone. Honestly, she hated Junior and his parents weren't much better so it was either listen to these ass holes talk about nothing or pretend to text someone.

"Hey Luke." Junior's dad said. "You got a little something on your uh.." He pointed to Dad's ear and chuckled.

Luke reached for his right ear.

"Other side." His brother corrected. "There you go.." And once again the room went completely silent.

"So how's business?" He continued.

Luke huffed. "It's not worth talking about.."

Ivy slid in an earbud and tuned out their rambling. Junior looked uncomfortable as hell and Jake just wanted to go back upstairs.

After about a minute Ivy saw Jake get tense in his seat. Her eyebrows furrowed when she noticed that no one's mouth was moving.

Junior's mom started talking about something to relieve the table of tension but Luke and his brother still glared at each other. Dad was snapped out of it when they said something about Junior.

"Holy shit." Ivy heard her dad say as she pulled out her earbuds. "That's great Junior."

He turned to Jake and Ivy who stared at their drunken father, disappointment spread across their faces.

"Isn't that great Jake?" He said, choosing his target. Ivy frowned, her hands tightening into fists.

"He's the best distance runner at Perry Middle since.. well since his father." Junior's mom added.

"Awesome." Ivy mumbled under her breath, making Jake chuckle slightly.

"Regionals is on the tenth.. It's the day I'm painting city hall with the scouts? Remember?" Junior went on. Both Jake and Ivy rolled their eyes.

"You already made Eagle Scouts, which reminds me.. you're gonna need another extra curricular. Harvard's gonna want three." His dad explained.

"If anyone can handle it, you can."

The room went silent, again. Ivy looked at her cousin's face, seeing how his dad's words affected him. Unlike a normal person, she laughed.

It showed everyone at the table how spoiled this fucker was. Thinking that working hard in school was the most difficult thing ever.

"So Jake." Junior started, making Ivy seeth. "The eagle scouts are taking gays now, you should totally come check it out."

"Junior." His mom warned.

"What?" He shrugged. "It's true."

Jake shifted in his seat. Ivy was waiting for the right time to stab her knife into Junior's fucking leg.

"So, what does that mean exactly? Eagle Scout. Did you like, sell the most cookies?" Jake remarked, making Ivy loosen her grip on her knife and grin.

"No, while you were up in your room playing with dolls. I organized a whole book drive for the homeless."

Ivy sneered at the boy, clenching her jaw as tightly as she could so she wouldn't kick his immature ass in front of his parents.

"Yeah, because keeping up with Harry Potter is the most pressing issue facing the homeless." Jake shot back.

Junior's mom looked between the two. "So, Jake, how is the sculpture coming along can we see it yet?"

"Like you care-" Ivy started.

"Soon." Jake interrupted, nudging her arm.

"Where do you get the dolls?" Luke's brother added.

"Thrift shops, yard sales, eBay, trash cans." Jake replied.

"Andy Warhal once said, "just because somethings been thrown away, doesn't make it garbage-"

"Wasnt Warhal gay too?" Junior said, cutting him off.

Ivy stabbed her knife down into the table, eyes flashing with anger. "Fuck off, Junior!"

"What? It's the twenty-first century. It's ok to be gay now, right Jake?" He continued, smirking at her twin.

"It's not an issue.." Junior's mom muttered.

"Yeah, it's like being left-handed.. or vegan."

Suddenly, dad smashed the glass in that was his hand onto the floor, letting it shatter into pieces. Everyone at the table flinched.

"Would you give it a rest?!" Luke exclaimed.

"He's thirt-teen years old, he doesn't know what he is!"

Ivy frowned at her father. "Fourteen." She corrected. He just stared at her blankly.

"Excuse me.. Lucas, where's your powder room?" The lovely mother to Junior asked.

"Powder room? What is this, the 1950's?" Ivy scoffed.

"It's upstairs, where it's always been." Luke sighed.

She nodded and stood up from her seat. The room went dead silent as soon as she left, once again. Ivy grabbed her knife and ripped it out of the table.

"I have to get something from my room."

Before her dad could object she rushed out of the room and hurried upstairs. The brunette froze in place as she saw Junior's mom hesitantly go into Jake's room.

She took out her phone and started calling someone. Ivy walked over to the door and listened in.

"Hey, it's me." She said, "Sorry, I'm with my family, I just-"

Suddenly something moved in the closet and her head snapped around instantly. Ivy's eyebrows furrowed.

"I just need to-" She was interrupted again by the noise.

"Can you hold on a minute?" Bree whispered. She hung up the phone and stared at Jake's closet.

Ivy watched as she made her way over and reached for the handle. She was practically moving in slow-motion.

Bree yanked the door open. Chucky was standing in the center of the closet, his eyes wide open. Ivy took a step back into the hallway cautiously. She fucking hates dolls.

Junior's mom kneeled down in front of it.

Not even a second later, Bixi shot out of the closet, flying past Bree's head. She gasped, nearly falling on her ass.

She sighed and stood back up, calling the person from earlier. "I need to see you. Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Okay.."

Ivy cleared her throat, walking into the room. "I hope this is just a one-time thing."

She spun around, locking eyes with the teenager.

"Oh, I was just-"

"Snooping around my brother's room?" Ivy finished. She started to say something then gave up and sighed.

The younger brunette walked forward, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "What are you looking for.. Bree?"

She slid her phone back into her pocket and fixated on the teenager.

"Nothing, I just wanted some privacy."

Ivy chuckled slightly, her insides burning from the pit of anger lying in her stomach. She un-folded her arms and clenched her jaw.

"Next time you so much as step foot in here, you're gonna a loose that limb, got it?"

Bree stared down at the teen, as if she was waiting for her to say she was joking. She was not.

Her eyes went wide for just a second then she fixed her jacket and hurried out of Jake's room.

"That's more like it."

* * *

Ivy and Jake stood on the porch, watching their cousin's family drive away. They waved awkwardly.

As soon as Junior's parents couldn't see them, Jake and Ivy stuck their middle fingers out in the air.

When the car turned the corner, they lowered their arms and sighed.

"Why do you have a food bowl?" Ivy asked. He ignored her and started calling out Bixi's name.

"Bixi! Here Bix!"

Ivy grabbed the food bowl out of his hand and placed it on the ground. "She'll come back when she's ready."

He shrugged, giving up.

Just then, there was a slam and a grunt from upstairs. They glanced at each other then rushed back into the house. The grunting got louder as they hurried upstairs.

Jake shoved past Ivy and ran into his room.

Ivy hurried to the doorway, her eyes shooting open wide when she saw her father destroying the sculpture Jake cherished.

He swung at it with Ivy's bat as hard as he could.

"Dad!" Ivy screamed, racing forward. Jake was already on him, trying so hard to pull him back but the sculpture was already in pieces on the floor.

Luke forcefully shoved Jake off of him and that's when Ivy snapped. She ran forward, leaping onto the grown man's back. He dropped the baseball bat, struggling to get Ivy off.

"You fucking ass hole!" She yelled, smacking him on the back of the head with her fist.

He ran backwards, smashing her into the wall. Ivy felt a searing pain in her abdomen and slid to the floor.

"No more dolls Jake," He shouted. "Ever!" Luke walked out of the room.

Jake stared at the mess, tears in his eyes. Ivy looked up at him and started to get teary too. She knew how much this meant to him and how long it took.

She'd never seen him so broken. Not since mom died.

Ivy pushed herself onto her feet and walked over, pulling him into her embrace. He didn't even try to fight it.

"I'm gonna kill him.."

The moment didn't last long. Jake pushed out of her hug and walked over to his bed. Ivy watched as he pulled the Chucky doll out from under it.

"What the hell?" Ivy muttered, walking to her brother.

He wasn't looking at the doll.

Jake picked up a piece of something from the ground. It was bloody and covered in dark orange fur.

"Bixi?" He said shakily. Ivy kneeled down to get a closer look then put a hand over her mouth.

"Holy shit.."