Little brat

4. Never gonna change, are you?

''Mario?'' I called as I looked through my backpack once more.
''What?'' Mario answered. He was watching some old black and white movie with a couple of others.
''Have you seen my phone? I swear it was in –''
''I destroyed it.'' He didn't even look up from the tv.
For a minute, I was at a loss for words.
''He asked you to?'' I crossed my arms and tried hard not to kill the messenger.
Mario drank from his beer and nodded his head, not caring at all.
''I'm going to kill him.'' I said before I stormed off to Stefan's office. Instead of knocking, I just barged in and all of a sudden, a gun was pointed at my face. After Marcus saw it was me, he put it away and went back to ignoring me. Great. Stefan hadn't even looked up when I walked in.
''We need to talk.'' I threw my backpack on his desk, over his papers. Stefan sighed and gestured for me to close the door. I hesitated and gave a quick glance at Marcus.
''Marcus stays. Close the door and sit down.'' Stefan ordered.
I did as I was told and sat down, next to Marcus.
''I assume this is about that school of yours?'' Stefan started.
"That and you destroyed my phone.''
"It was a lousy phone.''
"It was mine!''
Stefan rolled his eyes and stood up.
"Anything else?''
''I want to keep going to school.''
''I'll get you a tutor.''
"You know what I mean."
''Why?"
"Because I like it there, I have friends there.'' And after I looked at Marcus, I added, ''I need some space away from the gang.''
"I'll think about it.'' Stefan said and ended our discussion while I hadn't finished. But when he was through, there was nothing anybody could do about it. So I stood up with a groan and left. Marcus hadn't said a word since I'd come in so I was very curious as to what they talked about in private. That's why I decided to leave the door open, just a little, so I could listen in.
"You should let her.'' I heard Marcus say. So suddenly, he was on my side?
''You think so?'' Stefan replied. Since when did he listen to other people's advice?
Much has changed since I've left.
''I do. The less she's in the house, the less trouble she can cause here. She won't be holding us back and you'll always know where she is.'' So that's why Marcus was vouching for me to go. He didn't even want me around anymore. I'd known he was mad but had he really started hating me?
"Eavesdropping, are we?'' Julio whispered and gave me a start. I quickly turned around and punched him on the arm. It was at that moment my brother opened the door and at the sight of me, he sighed. A very disappointed sigh. Marcus walked out too, without giving me or Julio a glance (what had the kid done to him?).
''He's been different.'' Julio told me as we sat down on one of the sofas.
''How so?'' I thought he was only such a jerk to me because I'd left.
"He's become a second Boss.'' Julio said very quietly.
"Why are we whispering?'' I said just as quietly.

He looked around the room, saw it was empty but didn't raise his voice.
''Marcus has sort of become the new Mario but way more extreme. You'll see.''
I frowned because I couldn't imagine him being anything like Mario. I would've never fallen for that guy.
''On that note, fill me in on everything that's happened since I've been gone.''

The next morning, I made myself ready for school. I took my backpack, grabbed one of the chocolates in the kitchen and went to the front door. It was then I noticed there wasn't a handle of any sorts. I looked around the door, pushed it but nothing.
''What're you doing?'' A voice behind me said. I turned around and saw a familiar face.
''You're that kid that was staring at me the other day in class!''
"Well, yes. Sorry for that. But I was curious as to who the Boss's sister was.'' He looked at me, unimpressed. As if he had expected more than what he was seeing.
''Kind of an upgrade, don't you think?'' I sighed. I'd hoped to sneak out and be able to go to school. How quickly my plan had failed. As soon as that kid left, I could search for other ways out. What was he going to do anyway? No one else was awake yet, so why was he? It was then that I realised, the kid had a backpack on his back.
"What are you doing up so early?'' I did my best to sound naïve and very sweet.
"I'm heading to school.''
"Me too. Want to go together?'' I asked, again, very sweetly.
"Landon!" Marcus shouted from above us. He stood on the balcony, only sweatpants on. So not only his personality had changed, his whole body had. Marcus never had many muscles, he used to be more of the skinny lanky dude kind of type. But seeing him now, bare chested, the opposite was true. Had he been working out? For who? The thought of him seeing someone else, hurt more than it should have. It was none of my business anymore, I was the one who'd left him. Not the other way around.
"Yes, Petrelli?'' Landon quickly turned his gaze up and seemed very anxious all of the sudden. Like a puppy that had just peed in the house and knew it's owner would be mad.
"Petrelli?'' I repeated softly.
"Go, now.'' Marcus ordered and pointed at the door.

Landon mumbled a quick goodbye to me and placed his thumb on a black square in the left corner of the door. It opened and Landon went out. The door closed again. Huh. I put my thumb on it, barely reaching the square but nothing happened.
"Stefan hasn't decided about you yet.'' Marcus was still standing there. So I got up the stairs and took the chance of finally talking to him.
"First the kid uses your last name and now you call my brother Stefan?''
No one was allowed to call my brother by his surname, except for family. Marcus and Stefan had never been very close before I'd left. It was always me and Marcus against him. What had happened that he now had the privilege of calling my brother by his surname? And that he was spoken to by his last name?

Marcus ignored me, again, so I grabbed his arm (which was very hard, by the way) and asked again. He shrugged me off but when I reached out again, he quickly turned around and grabbed my arm. He twisted it so that I had to turn around. Marcus was now holding my arm painfully against my back as I held on to the railing.
''You left. You chose to go and to turn your back on us. You don't deserve to know what's happened since. Because you obviously don't care.''

After he'd let go, I was stunned for a moment until the psychical pain in my arm kicked in. I massaged it a little, before storming off after Marcus. He went inside one of the bedrooms I now knew was his and he slammed the door in my face. I heard a lock click and wondered when on earth Stefan had ever allowed locks. I angrily knocked (more like tried to kick in) on his door until another one opened.
"What's with all the noise so early?'' Mario yawned and when he saw it was me, rolled his eyes. ''Never gonna change, are you?''