Janes step-brother

seven.

Sitting in Wills car in the backseat. Jane was up at the front just scrolling through her phone.

The car smelt like him, pine wood but also a mix of peppermint. Most people use peppermint to drown the smell of cigarettes. I hopped he didn't smoke.

Looking around the car, seeing it was all tidy, only a blanket bundled up in the back next to me. It was a pale yellow. Looking up into the rear-view mirror, seeing a pair of hazel eyes looking back at me.

Sinking into the leather seat, feeling my cheeks grow warm and a tinted red. Then he flashed a smile. A billion air smile, I turned my head away.

"So Mike?" The man spoke making the TikTok music pause on Janes phone. "Our house or you going to actually give me an address-"

"He's coming home with us Will." Jane turned off her phone letting it slip into a cup holder in the middle console.

"I was asking him Jane-"

"Stop trying to get him to talk to you Will."

Yeah the ride was now awkward or it was just me feeling unsettled in the back as the two step-siblings looked completely normal.

***

Once we parked up on the road in front of the white two story house, seat belts were undone and car doors swung open. I was the last one out of the car. Will locked it up and walked right to the front door, leaving it open for us.

Jane grabbed my hand, pull me into the house. It was the same as last time I was here. The sofa had an extra blanket on this time.

Walking more on the wooden floor, letting Jane close the door behind me. There was a man in the kitchen where I could just about see Will slip between him and the door frame to get to the stairs, hearing his light/heavy feet walking up.

"Come on let's get started, let's do biology first." Jane walked over to the breakfast bar, stilling in the right stall like last time as well.

Placing my bag on the floor, leaning over grabbing my biology book and pencil case. Sitting on the circular stall as Jane puts on music on quietly.

"Jane who's this?"

Shit I forgot about the man in the kitchen.

"Dad, this is Mike, Mike this is Jim my dad." I waved lightly. I remembered his name from somewhere then I scanned over his outfit. He's wearing tight blue jeans and a flannel shirt. He used to be Hawkins police, Hopper, well that's what I read on the news.

California was so different from there. There is too much sun here.

"Nice to meet you Mike, you better be treating my daughter right." He winks at me. That's when I released he was holding a mug in his hands as he sips on the hot liquid.

"DAD."

"Hey stop with the yelling Jane." Then he just left, looking back at me again.

***

Checking my phone- shit it was at one percent. I turned my whole body to Jane and tapped her thigh gently. She turned to be with crimson red cheeks looking down at my hand. I only just noticed what I did.

"Umm do you have a phone charger what I could use please?" I asked.

"Yeah- you have an iPhone right?"

"An X Yeah." I smiled sheepishly.

I hated how much richer my family was compared to hers but I knew she didn't care. She always just wanted love and friends around her. Money didn't matter to her.