Summerguard

CHAPTER 13: Field Day

~CHRYSOS~

I wake up the next day to Paxton drawing the heavy curtains from the windows, exposing the blinding beams of the sun. I roar at her like a lioness because she knows that I hate waking up early. She ignores me and fuels my anger by heaving me over her shoulders. I protest but tire out my arms, letting her haul me to the loo. After we both freshen up separately, we go to the dining room for breakfast which includes fried tomato, mushrooms, black pudding, sausage, toast with butter, and a sunny-side egg. Of course, for myself, Bennet already brewed me fresh-ground coffee which awakened me with its caffeine. Nicole and Paxton are chatting gaily together beside me. However, my attention is strictly on the man in front of me. I avoid his piercing gaze that I know is on me and pretend like the china plate had fantastical secrets to share.

~YESTERDAY NIGHT~

"Nice friends you got there," Stephen said snarkily, walking out of the passage in just his grassy green bathrobe and boxers. Ugh, he has no care for his dignity as usual. Cover up, no one wants to see his infant carrot and jungle mangled chest. I literally tell him every time that it makes me vomit, but he says women love it. I can't say I agree with those women's tastes.

My taste...I can't say because this barbarian of my step-brother is painfully distracting me. Ughhh, so annoying.

"Yes, Stephen they are," I muttered without expression.

"You shouldn't get so attached to them. Like all frocks of the world, they won't stay unless you pay them or they skip away into their own Wastelands," he stated bluntly.

I crossed my arms and narrowed my brows at the preposterous insult, "You don't know them as I do. They are compassionate, loyal, dependable, and so much more I hope to find."

"See, baby. You depend so much on them and this unhealthy attachment will get you hurt. Like all people in this world, they are disposable. You can fire them and they can quit you for something new," he frowned, holding me by the arms.

I glowered at him pushing him off, "Don't touch me. Come on, that is so not true. It's okay for me to have friends."

He nodded, "Yes it is, but I just want to warn you once more. Because you mustn't forget the former incident."

I cringed and held back the brimming tears.

"Nothing happened," I spat.

He placed his thumb and index finger on the bridge of his nose, "Baby, your last 'friend' left you rolling in the mud. For days you were ripped apart as they just kicked you in the face and denied your relationship and existence. They left for university in Cambridge to want to obtain unobtainable intelligence, god knows how professors fared with such a swank. And where are your previous American friends, now? At least they were rich."

"Stop it," I quivered, my head swimming with memories. Good and bad, but still it gives him no right to say blasphemy against someone he only knew through rumor.

"And you know who was the only one there for you. Not her or your schoolmates. Me. I was there for you. Let me help you realize again that all you need is your family. Friends come and go, but family is eternal. I am your family," he said with sultry conviction.

He began leaning in towards me, trapping my body against my bed's headboard, his hand wandering up my stomach. I gripped his chest and turned my face away from him. With a swift blow, I brought my knee straight into his prune which was repulsively erect. He crouched over hugging himself and sobbing like the true baby monster he is. I ran into the passages, but heard him call a final time, "You'll come back to me and know I am right!" I fled and navigated myself through the distantly familiar tunnels and found her room. I needed my defender and knew that with her, what he said is just a bunch of his twisted mind games; lies.