Because of Karson

Chapter 12

"Jace, Jace! Wait up!" I called out to my little brother. I was walking back from lunch when I noticed Jace in the halls. I tried catching up to him, but he just walked faster, ignoring my calls.

"Goddamn it," I cursed under my breath.

I was about to turn back around, ready to give up, but he abruptly stopped in the middle of walking students and turned around to face me. He pressed his fingers against his forehead and let out a long sigh.

"What Dakota?" He rasped, his eyes boring into mine, finally giving in.

"What's going on with you? Are you okay?" I asked, worry taking over my features.

He gave out a humorless laugh. "God Dakota, can't you go one day without worrying about me? That's all you do, you protect me from mom like I'm a fucking child that needs to be saved from the big bad wolf. News flash, I think I'm old enough to handle her."

By this time, all the students have disappeared from the halls, leaving just him and I standing here alone. The students went into their class while we stood out here, only a few feet away from each other.

His words stung a little but I managed to keep a straight face. "What do you mean?"

"All you do is protect me and make sure I'm not hurt. I appreciate it, I really do, but don't you think I'm old enough to protect myself now?" He bellowed. "You saw yesterday, I was able to protect myself just fine."

"She hit you Jace!" I harshly whispered, rubbing my forehead in frustration, "Look, I'm just trying to help because I care about you. I don't want mom hurting you," I whispered the last part as my breathing became shallow.

"What if I don't want your fucking help?" He snapped, his eyes narrowing into slits.

I was taken aback. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I felt my feet sink into the floor.

"What's really going on Jace? Ever since mom came home last night, you've been acting so different," I hesitantly stated. There was no one roaming the halls so it was still just Jace and I standing here alone.

He shook his head before angrily stepping closer to me. "I'm old enough to-"

"What's going on here?"

Both of us whipped our heads to a teacher who was standing in the middle of the hall with her hands placed on her hips. I believe she is an English teacher for the upperclassman.

I looked at Jace who doesn't spare a glance, he's just looking directly at the teacher with his jaw clenched.

"Oh I'm sorry, my brother and I were talking about who was going to take him home today since I couldn't," I lied, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

She raised her eyebrow before hesitating. "Will do. Be quick and return to class when you're done. If I see you out here in the next five minutes, I'll write you up, got it?"

I just nodded my head as I watched her wobble back to her classroom. I turned around to face Jace, but he was already walking down the hallway with his head hung low as he gripped his backpack straps tightly.

"Fuck," I whispered to myself. I grabbed onto my hair and slightly pulled, frustrated with our conversation that went absolutely nowhere.

•~•~•

The ride home from school was pretty awkward. Jace and I didn't spare a glance and we didn't talk to each other. When we picked Liv up, it was only her and I talking to each other. Jace was either on his phone or looking out the window the whole time.