Two brothers, nine-year-old Joseph and eleven-year-old Julian, listen to their mother scream at their father as he packs his things to leave them. They don’t see any real difference from his normal threats to go, but that next weekend he really is gone for good, off to another family in the city. Their mother sits them down and makes them stare at each other, telling them that they are now all they have left in the world and they have to protect one another. The brothers, who have spent summers before exploring the six blocks around their home and watching horror movies together, agree easily.  However, that promise proves difficult to keep when kids in Julian’s grade begin spreading the rumor that he’s gay. Kids start to shun him, and by proxy they shun Joseph, who starts to avoid his brother too. One day, they’re at a candy store getting ices when a group of boys comes in after and surrounds them, shouting and chanting at the brothers. Their insults and teasing are so overwhelming to Joseph that he is unable to give Julian the money for the ices, and he runs away from his brother. When he finally makes his way home, he calls Julian a mean name to his mother and she freaks out, spanking him with his belt as she reminds him of his duty to stick by his brother’s side when he needs it most. Joseph mopes for a while afterwards while his mother goes to get Julian, and when they finally return home he sits down at the table with his brother and they stare at each other again. Julian goes to his room before he can say anything, but finally reemerges when Joseph is sitting in the living room watching a horror movie. The two brothers nervously make small talk about the movie until Julian finally sits down to watch with Joseph like they always had. At a scary part Joseph turns to Julian and asks if he’s scared, and even though they both clearly are, Julian, with a bit of a smile, assures him there’s nothing to be afraid of.