Pure • Stanley Uris

9

Trigger warning? Mentions of self-harm. Nothing major but I'm just going to put this here. Please read the thing at the end also!

We had been heading down the street to get to Bill's house when a voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

"There you are. I was beginning to wonder where you'd been all day."

The voice startled me, making me stop and turn to look at my brother.

"I was-" I looked to my friends, who were all staring at him as if he'd try to kill them all in one go.

"I-"

I really had no idea what to say.

"Henry told me you were out here with these..." he bit his tongue, "...losers."

Donny's hair had been tousled and slicked back. His eyes were dark and angry as if I'd just insulted him— even that wouldn't've been so bad compared to what he'd do to me now.

"Why'd you lie to me?" He asked. "You said you were going to the store, right? Where are the chips? It's been hours."

His tone had suddenly turned warm and sugary sweet, almost as fake as my sister had been around adults. It sent a chill down my spine, the way he was acting. He was trying to act like her because he knew she scared me.

"I was with my friends. You said I needed more, right?"

The glare he sent me gave me goosebumps. I backed away instinctively.

"Henry's cousin is coming to town soon. He's about your age. Maybe it'd do you good to hang around him instead of these dickwads."

"Okay," I said nervously, "we're going to Bill's house now."

Donny walked slowly towards me. My friends moved out of the way as he made his way in my direction.

He stared at me for a split second before grabbing my wrist and holding it tightly. He leaned in, whispering quietly so only I'd hear.

"If I ever hear about you hanging around these losers again, I'll kill you and then all of them with my bare hands."

My breath hitched and the skin around where he was holding my wrist had turned from my usual tan to a bright white color.

"You're hurting me." I managed to get out, looking up at him with horror in my eyes.

"L-let go of h-h-her." Bill stammered.

Donny turned, darkness in his eyes. His grip around my wrist tightened. He was livid, I knew.

"Stay the fuck away from my sister." He seethed at them. They all seemed to jump, startled at his tone.

With that, Donny pulled me away, taking me all the way back to our house.

Later that day, I had locked myself in my room, examining the bruise already forming on my wrist.

Donny had left an hour earlier to hang out with Henry and some other guy I'd never heard about.

"Honey, I made dinner." My dad said, poking his head into my room. "Okay. I'll be out in a minute."

"Alright well, me and your mom are going out tonight. It's just gonna be you. Donny won't be home till late, so call Henry's if you need anything."