"You mind if I sit in the back? I've gotta finish my chem homework," I say, running towards my brother Henry and his friends, all of which are waiting patiently around their car for me.
"No, Patrick, Vic and I are in the back. I don't want you squeezed back there," Henry answers, pulling the seat forward so he can get in.
"Awe, let her sit in the back with me," Patrick's voice rings out from behind Henry. "I won't put my hand up her skirt unless she wants me to, scouts honor".
Henry drops my gaze and we both turn towards Patrick with identical expressions on our faces. "What'd you just fucking say, Hockstetter?"
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Patrick's face is serious, his attention not even on the guy who would surely beat him up, but instead on me. His eyes travel from my chest up to my face, which is flushed from the random and inappropriate comment. "What, we not telling the truth anymore?"
"Just get in the car!" Henry shouts, letting me sit in the back with Vic and Patrick despite being clearly pissed off. "And you can't talk about my sister like that. You sound like a pig".
"C'mon, she ain't even your real sister, Bowers," Patrick smirks, pleased that he was getting such a rise out of him.
"My family adopted her. That makes her just as much my real sister as your dead baby brother," Henry answers and I can practically hear the smile as he speaks. I look up at Patrick but he turns away, keeping quiet the rest of the car drive. I wonder what Henry meant as Patrick never had a brother. When I take out my chemistry book, he eventually looks over.
"You want to be a chemist or somethin'?"
"No it's a required class. I also don't want to be a mathematician or an english professor but the stupid education system is telling us different," I ramble on.
"Hah, you've got a real 'fuck-you' way of looking at things. I like that," Patrick comments, smiling down at me. My heart flutters and I look away.
"Fuck, dad's home," Henry murmurs, looking back at me.
"I won't let him hurt you," I reach out a hand and touch Henry's shoulder. He rests his fingertips lightly on my hand but doesn't speak.
"You face any trouble, call me," Patrick whispers in my ear as I get out, a serious expression on his face.
"Where'd you take her?!" our father screams, stalking close to Henry.
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"We was just coming home from school, I swear".
"I find out you're lying to me and I'll have my belt polished on that lying skin of your back," he snarls at Henry.
"Come on, Henry," I walk up to Henry and place my hand over his clenched fist. "We need to do some homework," I say and press against Henry's chest before he snaps out of his daze and follows me.
"I was alone before you came along," he mumbles, kicking a rock out of our path.
"I know, and I'm not going anywhere".
"You can't promise me that. You're gonna fall in love one day and move out of this town and leave me with that f-fucking monster," Henry breaks down crying.
"You'll come with me wherever I go!" I pull him into my arms and while he cries, I decide to call up Patrick. "Patrick's coming over. We'll enjoy the weekend together," I say after hanging up the phone. Henry sits on his bed and ignores me. "What is it?"
"You'll choose him over me, won't you?"
"What... are you talking about?"
"You and Patrick. I see the way the two of you talk. The way he looks at you when he thinks I can't see," hot tears fall from his eyes as he impulsively scratches at the exposed skin under his jeans.
"Stop, Henry," I sit in front of him and look into his red and swollen face. "It will always be family first for me".
"I just need to hear you promise me".
"I promise".
Just minutes later, we hear Patrick walk through the door, "Oh, yeah?! Fuck you too you old crone! You touch or look at Henry and Y/N in any way they don't like and I'll set you on fire". Patrick smiles when he comes into Henry's room. Our jaws are dropped to the floor after hearing his little altercation with our father. "There you two are. So, anything good on the television?"
