My Brother's Best Friend

1

Sophia's pov:

Blood.

My feet was bleeding from my ballet shoes. I have been practicing for two hours just to make mommy and dadda proud. No matter how much I try, I'm never enough, but if my brother Johnny did something it's always a big thing.

I was in my room trying to clean the blood and bandage my feet when I hear rustling. I was confused and went towards my window. I looked out to the bushes and saw someone. Not just someone, it was Ryder, my brothers closest friend.

I opened my window and watched him for a few second. "Ryder." His head snapped up to me and his brows furrowed. I stepped back signaling for him to climb in.

When he did he pulled down his drawn-out sweatshirt and wiped my face with it.

"Why are you crying?" He asked in a whisper.

"No reason." I look over his shoulder and see a bag. "Did you want to stay down there?"

He looked almost ashamed and slowly nodded.

"Ryder." I sighed. "Get the bag and close the window after you" I said and went to sit on my bed. He sat on my floor. "What are you doing silly. You can sit on my bed." I tell him.

"I'll get it dirty." He muttered. He didn't look at me instead he looked at my bare, bleeding feet. "You're hurt."

He takes the first aid kit from his bag and looks through it. He takes out bandages and scoots closer to me. "It might hurt." He tells me. He starts to wipe off the blood and then wrap my feet in with gauze.

"Thank you." I smile at him.

"How?" Now how do I tell him that I was trying to make my parents proud so I practiced for two hours straight.

" Ballet." Is all I say. He comes closer and wipes away the tears I didn't even know were there. After this he does something I never expected him to do.

He hugged me.

Like really hugged me. " It's okay." His grip tightens on me. This is the same ten year old who never talks to anyone too much and never gets into physical touch with anyone.

"I practiced for two hours so maybe mommy and dad would be proud of me. Just like they are proud of Johnny."

I don't think that an eight year old should think about how she is not enough to her parents.

" Why were you here in the first place Ryder. It's really cold outside." I ask him. As I look him over I see his worn cloths. "Don't have elsewhere to go." Now I feel bad.

I never saw his parents. And he's always so skinny like he hasn't eaten in days.

"Where are your parent?" I snuggle more into his warm embrace. "Don't have."

" Well you can always stay here, okay?" I feel him slowly nod. His tummy growls. "Hungry?" I ask.

I start to get off the bed but he holds me back. " Your feet." He protests. " It's okay. It doesn't hurt that much, and you need to eat something."

I go downstairs and see my parents and brother. "Sophia, we were just talking about Johnny's successful match." My mommy looks at him with so much adoration that it hurts.

"Congratulations." I force a smile and go in the kitchen to make a sandwich for Ryder. I grab a bottle of water and head back upstairs, but not before I hear my mommy say.

"She shouldn't eat that much. She will only get fat and be worse at ballet."

Well that one hurt really badly.

I close my bedroom door behind me and hand the food and drink to Ryder. He starts to eat and I hear him mumble."Don't listen to her. You're beautiful."

"Eat." I turn around to hide my pink cheeks. "Thank you." He mumbles.

When he's done I put his plate on my nightstand and turn back to him. "Can I ask you something?" I ask. He nods his head. "What happened to your parents?" I ask.

He thinks for a few minutes to answer or not. But he eventually does. "Mom died while giving birth and dad's not always home." He tells me and my heart breaks even more.

At school everyone makes fun of him for how he dresses but nobody knows what is going on in his life.

I look at him again and see his eyes are glossy but he doesn't let the tears fall.

I pull him into a hug. At first he tenses up but then relaxes in my embrace.

And that's when I feel it.
Something wet on my shoulder. He's crying. Ryder Gray is in my room crying in my arms. "Sophie?" He speaks. I just hum in respond. "Can you not tell this to Johnny?" He asks.

"Please." He adds when I don't say anything.

"I won't tell anyone. Don't worry." I pull back and wipe his tears like he did to me. "How about this, you can sleep here and we watch something on the laptop?" I offer him a gentle smile.

That smile only widens when he returns it.

"I'd like that."

I grab the laptop, a plus blanket and sit back on my bed and pat the spot next to me.

He sits there and throws the blanket on my lower body.

I snuggle up to him and cover him in as well. He relaxes after a few seconds again. I put on 'Big Time Rush' because I may have a little crush on the band. I know it's old but it's never too old.

Ryder puts his head on mine.

"What's this?" He asks. I gasp. "You don't know this show."

He shakes his head slowly like he's afraid I'll get mad at him.

"You are going to love this show. I mean how could you not the boys are all dreamy in it." I tell him.

He makes a disgusted face and focus his attention back to the screen.

I don't even notice when I start to doze off,but the last thing I remember is a light pressure on my forehead.

"Good night Soph."

Word count:1000

Hey, I would say I'm new to this whole writing thing but I actually wrote one story, but never posted it.

There won't be AN's in the story, maybe one or two so I hope it's okay.

Have a great day!