Breaking His Rules

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Aaron's POV:

"Wake up little brother"

I slowly shake my head out of dreamland, my eyes opening as I look at the blurry figure standing over me. At first, I can't recognize him, but my vision clears up and I see my older brother standing over me.

"Caleb?", I ask and he gives a lopsided grin, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"You were asleep when I came home yesterday and you looked so cute that I couldn't bring myself to disturb you.", he says, ruffling my hair and sitting beside me on my bed. Then he hands me a newspaper that had been in his hand.

I sit up, wrapping the duvet around me and rub my eyes.

"Need to wear your glasses?", Caleb asks, which is something that we often joke about.

"Actually, I don't wear those glasses again"

There is silence at my words and Caleb's eyes are trained on my face.

"I saw this yesterday", he finally says, gesturing towards the newspaper on my bed.

I pick the paper up. On the first page, I see Kayla, holding up her first-place trophy as she stands beside me, and the memories of yesterday rush back to me.

I kissed Kayla Barnes.

Kayla Barnes kissed me.

Suddenly, I want to rush to school and see her, but I remember with sadness that it is a Saturday. No school and no Kayla for two whole days.

I flip the next page of the newspaper, and right there is a picture of Kayla with her friends, and of me kissing Kayla, and of all the contestants and their art...

Wait what?

I quickly go back to the picture of me kissing Kayla unable to help the huge grin on my face. In case I had any doubts about whether yesterday was a dream or not, its right there in the papers for everyone to see. Kayla and I are together.

"Mom and Dad saw the paper", Caleb's voice pierces through my thoughts.

For a moment I feel a fission of fear stab through me. My parents saw the picture of me kissing Kayla. I glance again at the picture. There is no fake dress and pearls this time – she is dressed in her usual untidy school uniform, collar undone and tattoo peeking out.

But this is the real Kayla. This is the Kayla that I am in love with, and I wouldn't change that for anything – not even for the approval of my parents.

Caleb looks at me with a strange expression.

"You know what is waiting for you down those stairs right?", he asks, quizzically raising his brows and I nod.

Caleb looks at me with a smile and ruffles my hair. "I can tell you really like her. I want you to know that I am behind you a hundred percent."

He gives me a smile as he gets off my bed, and I can't help but return his smile. Today may not go well, but at least I know that my brother is on my side.

"Get dressed and let's go down", Caleb says throwing my sheets off my body. "It's going to be ugly, so we might as well get it over with."

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Caleb was right – it was ugly.

My parents yelled and screamed and my mom even cussed me out – something that has never happened before since she prides herself on keeping calm and associates cuss words with lack of self-control.

"I knew she was a bad influence", my mom yells as she paces the kitchen, newspaper in one hand. She barely manages to avoid walking into the coffee table which is something she has almost walked into at least twice this morning. "Look at those tattoos. I'm sure she isn't even planning to go to any university!"