The Darling Boys (Rose Award Winner) (#Wattys2017)

Better Late Than Never

Any thought about Jai and Elliott Darling actually being tolerable human beings vanished the next morning.

I woke up to Jai pounding at my window repeatedly, which wouldn't have been the worst thing the Darlings had done to me, but it would be on the list of them.

It was the fact that Elliott was sitting with his legged crossed, spinning around like a five year old as he tossed my volleyball in the air, coming within centimeters of my trophy case.

"Oh My God!" I gasped, hugging my blanket against me as I stared in horror at the youngest Darling. He stared back at me as if this was an every day occurrence.

"What are you doing in my room?" I finally questioned, my eyes widened to the point where they had begun to hurt.

"Your mom let me in. A very trusting person, I see." He winked, "For all she knows, I could have come in here to do all kinds of bad things to you." I stared at him, my lips parting and then smacking back against each other.

"I'm guessing it's because she feels bad for us, that we lost our dear little Mommy a few months ago." His face twisted in distaste as he spoke of his mother, as if she was no more than an annoying old pet goldfish.

"I. . ." I trailed off, not able to think of anything to say.

"I am in here because we need to have a long talk, Sally." half of my mind was still in delirium, the other half was in too much shock to have the energy to correct him.

"We can't do this later?" I mumbled.

"Nope. Now is a perfect time." he crossed the room and threw himself down on to my bed, pulling my fluffy white pillow toward his face and sighing happily.

"So soft. I should come sleep in your bed more often." he winked once more, shifting so he was facing me.

"What do you want, Elliott?" I grumbled, my voice hoarse. He raised his eyebrows for a moment, his lips drawn in a thin line.

"I see you've been hanging around with Robbie-"

"We aren't hanging out. He invaded my peace last night, that's it." I assured the younger boy. His green eyes glistened with amusement as the sun bled in through my blinds.

"Keep telling yourself that, Sally." He rolled on to his back and stared up at the band posters across my ceiling, "It needs to stop. You and Robbie."

"Excuse me?" I blinked in surprise.

"We made a pact, one that isn't going to be broken because Rob get's soft on a girl, especially you." I only stared at Elliott blankly, not understanding what he was getting at.

"Look, Elliott, whatever your weird pact is, it won't be destroyed by me. I don't like Robbie, and he doesn't like me." I shrugged, nudging him with my foot, "Now can you please get out of my room."

"Listen, Sienna. I understand that you think we're all just immature idiots, that we don't know you're real name, that we don't care about anything. And maybe that's partially true." he paused, sitting up and gripping my elbow tightly, "But one thing I do give a shit about is Robbie. My brother's a nice guy, a great guy. Do you know what happens to nice guys?"

"They finish last." I answered before I could stop myself.

"Exactly. And Robbie's already been through enough bullshit relationships, that's why we made The Pact." he said it as if it were some secret society.

"Yeah." he pushed himself off my bed, stretching as he made his way toward my open bedroom door, walking right by my Marvel poster hanging off of it.