Little brat

7. You betrayed us all.

The next day, I was in for a surprise. Mario called me to Stefan's office. It was a Sunday afternoon, which for me was a stay in bed and pyjamas day. I'd heard some commotion downstairs around noon but I'd ignored it and turned up the volume of my music. But now, I was lead into Stefan's office and had not expected to see Kyle sitting there.
''What-'' I recovered almost instantly but not fast enough.
''What is it?'' I crossed my arms and tried to look indifferent. As if my former best friend didn't just show up at the one place I never imagined him to be. .
''I want you to meet Kyle. He goes to the same school you do, you might know him?'' Stefan raised an eyebrow as he said the last bit. He must suspect something.
''I've seen him around.'' I was impressed with myself, I actually sounded casual.
''He is our newest member.'' Stefan announced, which got a round of cheers from the gang.
I was trying to suppress my anger. The idiot. How on earth had he gotten himself into this mess?
"He will make sure no one hurts you in that school of yours.'' Stefan almost smiled. He knew he had done one up on me. I'd begged him to let me go to school and now he was going to make sure I regretted that decision. On top of that, he made it seem like he did this for me, as if I was scared and needed someone to hold my hand. "I told you there'd be rules. Kyle's one of them.''
''You got me a babysitter to keep me from running away?'' I snapped back. I instantly regretted showing him that he'd annoyed me. Stefan knew there was nothing I could do so he didn't even argue. He just dismissed everybody with one simple move with his hand and everybody listened. When one of his puppets saw I was refusing to leave, he grabbed my arm and dragged me outside. I immediately pulled loose and ran away. Not very far because I couldn't go anywhere. It wasn't until I'd gotten to my room, I heard the footsteps that had been following me. I quickly turned around and met Kyle's gaze. I groaned inwardly and looked to see if anyone else besides the two of us were upstairs. The coast was clear so I grabbed his arm and pushed him into my room.
"Explain. Now.'' I had a really hard time not to yell at him but if I spoke too loudly, the whole house would know that:

1. There's someone in my room (which is house rule number one: no boys allowed in my room)

2. Kyle and I knew each other (I didn't want to get Kyle in any danger and him being friends with me, was like a love declaration to Stefan)

"Why are you so angry?" Kyle asked. He honestly didn't seem to get it.
''You should not have gotten involved into all of this! Do you even realize what you've done to yourself?'' My eyes were begging him to understand, to make him see his mistake.
''What do you mean?'' Kyle was now looking around my room, making remarks about the furniture.
"How'd you even get yourself in this mess?'' I asked as I sat down on my bed.
He shrugged. ''In the short time I've known you, there's always been something different about you. Something I couldn't quite place. You're always jumpy, as if a bomb could explode any moment. You have a different view on life than anyone else.'' He paused while he looked out the window, admiring the view. ''The Landon kid told me you were sick. That's when I knew something was wrong so I took him apart after class and forced him to tell me the truth.''
''You forced him?'' I didn't know Kyle had it in him. He was always so social and friendly.
"Well, it didn't take much. I just threatened to come after him with the whole football team, that's all.'' Kyle shrugged as if it was something he did on a daily basis, threatening teenagers.
Maybe he did fit in better than I'd thought.
"I've never seen this side of you.'' I walked over to where he was standing. We looked out of the window, just as Stefan and I had done a couple of days before. I hoped this conversation would end differently than the one with Stefan.

That's when Marcus opened my door. He didn't enter, as if he were a stranger. If it had been anyone but Marcus, that person would've run to my brother to tell on Kyle. But Marcus had been so often in my room without Stefan's permission, he didn't even see it as forbidden anymore.
''Kyle, we're leaving for your first job.''
With that, Marcus left, Kyle following suit. And I was being ignored, again. I would've preferred being yelled at all the time. He made me feel so worthless. I had to do something about it, and soon. So I ran behind the boys, yelled ''I'm coming with!'' to no one in particular and put on my shoes and coat.
''You're not.'' Both Stefan and Marcus said in unison. I hated them being like this. At least one of them was supposed to be on my side! My brother walked out without giving me any further attention.

Marcus, Kyle and a few other gang members followed my brother out and just as I was about to step outside too (I'm not good at following orders), a hand grabbed the back of my coat and pulled me back in. I almost tripped over my feet being pulled backward.
''You're not making it easier for yourself.'' James said. So not even James was on my side? Then who was? I wasn't sure Kyle was either, after our conversation.
''I don't know what to do, if I'm honest.'' I admitted. Of all people, James was definitely my favorite. He's sort of the mother of the group, the most caring one. But also the most dangerous one towards enemies because he is so fond of his loved ones. James is one of those people you don't want to have on your bad side.
''Where are they going anyway?'' I asked.
''There was some trouble with someone dealing drugs on our territory. They've gone to handle it.''
''All of them? It seems like a two-man, three-man job at the most.''
''They've been before so it's a second warning.'' James shrugged and left it at that.
''This is not right!'' I said as I put my foot down in front of James. I didn't even care I was acting like a little child. Or as a spoiled brat, as Mario put it.
''Why do you want to go with them so badly? You never used to care for these little trips.'' James said as he raised an eyebrow.
''I thought if I'd spent some time with Marcus, doing work stuff, he might talk to me again.'' I admitted. And I also wanted to make sure nothing happened to Kyle on his first job. But he didn't need to know that.
James' expression immediately changed to a pitiful one. Awesome. Just the look I wanted to get.
''Little one, it's going to take some time. You really betrayed him by leaving.''
He whispered the last part, ''You betrayed us all.'' The way he said it and the way he looked like a hurt puppy while saying it, broke my heart. But I had to piece it back together because it wasn't fair. So many times had I beat myself up for it, for leaving the whole gang behind while in reality, I was a prisoner. And they would never understand because everybody was here on their own free will. Everyone, except for me.