The very next moment, my very weathered entrance hatch slams open, and a very red faced Nick climbs down. Whether his face is red from anger or drunkenness, I dont know. Nick would be cute without his constant drunkenness. Before, he used to be attractive, with his black hair that was constantly swooped to the side, and his bright emerald eyes. His attitude, something that you could only read about. Now, his swooped hair has become greasy and rough, his bright eyes have become glassy, and his attitude is something that you find in a guide to how to put an alcoholic.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1f5U4divO
“I want my money now,” his slurred voice seemingly vibrates throughout the underground chamber that I call a home, and even though I dont see any wall pieces breaking off, it almost seems like the power of his voice is capable of such a thing.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69gTW7e3x7
The loud and threatening sound of Nick's yelling causes Colton to jump into action, it seems. He closes the distance between us making sure that his eyes never leave Nick's unsteady ones. Not to mention his stance now matches one that you would see a police officer hold. Also similar to an officer, he reaches into the back of his waistband and grabs something. Something hard and black. Something like a gun.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9o22aClYfJ
“Sir, you need to step back, I will not ask you more than once,” a rehearsed, yet still powerful sentence comes out of Colton’s mouth, and it makes me wonder if he really is a doctor like I thought the was.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR5DefNGSI
“And who would you be, her boyfriend? Well, jokes on you, she’s mine, and no one else’s,” Nick tauntingly slurs out as he steps forward towards us. To me, the movement of Nick's seems non-threatening, but the two steps Nick took are enough to make Colton feel threatened and release the hidden gun from its holster, and riddle me with fear.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAL868IqE0T
“Put it down please,” I whisper to Colton quietly in his ear. His body tenses before he releases his hold on the gun. No matter how much I despise Nick, I could never stand him being dead. Though his hand is now removed from the trigger, Colton’s hand is still tensed and ready to shoot. “Please leave him alone, he is harmless,” no reaction. “I’ll come with you, if you leave him alone,” I plead. This statement seems to finally break his resolve.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwolSQr9Vvs
“Sir, I don’t want to hurt you, so if you will please step out of the way, then we won’t have a problem. Do you understand?” Colton calmly states in Nick’s direction without removing his gaze from his eyes. I can tell that he doesn't trust my judgement over the whole Nick situation, but he also doesn't want to lose my trust.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoA6DAhxfQ4
“I understand alright, but I won’t listen,” he drunkenly slurs as he takes a step closer to us, which does nothing to get rid of Colton’s tenseness. I am almost certain that if Colton's hand wasn't already off of the trigger, Nick would be dead. 427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdVVpt0tHq
I can see Colton's fingers itching to grab his gun again, so I wrap my fingers around his instead. This makes him just a little, probably in confusion, or so that's what his face shows.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVigrQqa8lY
“Nick, this is my money guy, he has the cash, so I just need to do something for him so that i can get your money. Okay?” this is my pathetic excuse of trying to convince Nick to let me leave before all of this gets out of hand. To think, just this morning I was running away from Colton, and now he’s willing to defend me from Nick.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3TbGmSvyr
It's really funny how something can go from mediocre, or even great to so bad. Look at my situation, I woke up this morning with a sore throat, and an itch to get it checked out. I go to the doctor, and he turns out to be some creepy mad scientist. Then, I lead one of the doctors colleagues to my house. Now, I'm being threatened by Nick, and my protector has a hankering for pulling the trigger of a gun.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Q6EOijqaR
“Go get my money then pig, what are you waiting for?” the drunk questions while stumbling to the side and finally letting me start walking to leave. My steps are in sync with Colton's carefully placed out, yet still rushed ones as I feel that Nick’s kindness is too good to be true.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGKdmdXMIR
“On second thought girly, maybe you could get my payment in another form, it wouldn’t be the first time,” Nick slimily rasps out. I knew his kindness was too good to be true. While I'm disgusted by this suggestion, Colton is outright repulsed. The cogs in my head turn as I try to think of a way to get out of this. I mean, I could…427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCbTfktWHJ
Boom. The gun erupts as Colton’s finger applies pressure to the trigger. The trigger of the gun that I told him not to use if he wanted me to come with him. I didn’t even realize that I covered my face with my hands. When I peek at Colton’s face I expect to see horror, or relief, anything but what I see now, because all that’s pictured on his face is nothing. He’s expressionless.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCqvxxc9ba
The gun is still aimed at Nick as if Colton is contemplating whether of not he will shoot again. Heck, I'm contemplating if I want him to shoot again. On one hand, Nick is dangerous, and it's a relief to have him down and out, but on the other hand, hes Nick.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sDVjJMlWZ
“How could you. I-I m-mean you just s-shot h-him,” I stutter as I back away from him towards Nick, careful not to let my back face him. I may be sad and scared, but I am no idiot, and I he obviously know nothing about this guy.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjWXBVgq2N
“Listen to me Tanya, I am not going to harm you, but I need you to come with me please. Please come with me,” he begs as I reach Nick, and stroke his hair. He was my best friend. He was my savior. He was.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0d658O01Q
“N-no, I don’t want to come. PLEASE DON'T HURT ME,” I scream the last part as he runs towards me suddenly and grabs my arms. Obviously trying to restrain me so that I will listen to him, but I thrash around doing anything but.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvE16lYletr
“Look at me,” he pleads not even a foot away from my face. Even though I'm not look at him directly, from the corner of my eye, I can see his begging face.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3hzHDcekp
“No,” I whisper unwilling to look at, or even listen to a murderer. And to think, I trusted him, what a joke.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3FhUfpD2l
“Just look,” he turns my chin to look at him, and no matter how much I want to bite him, I dont. When I finally set my eyes on him, I see that his mouth is set in a deep frown, and his eyes show regret.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFPF37kEzm
“First of all, he’s not dead. I just shot him so that it would shock him into fainting, I promise. Tanya, please look,” he begs. All the while he's talking, I wonder how he learned to shoot someone like that.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ywEH1pZnV
Almost as if he heard me, Nick rolls onto his side and starts groaning. Now that he has moved, I see a small amount of blood on the palm of his hand. His face still shows sleep, but now that calmness is paired with a scrunched face full of pain. As I was distracted by Nick, it seems as if Colton walked closer to me, and now that I know that Nick isn’t dead, I still step away, but not as far as I would have.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAq3vloIYCM
“We need to take him to the hospital,” I whisper in a way that I didn’t think possible: demanding, yet pleading. When I suggest this, Colton’s face scrunches up, and I immediately know what he’s thinking. “He may have threatened me, but he would never hurt me, and that stuff he said about the ways I make money was a lie,” I explain to a very confused and disgusted Colton.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDenaPZ0vP
“How could you be so sure that he won’t hurt you, and why would he lie about something like that,” a still very confused and now unbelieving Colton takes a step away from me as if he thinks that I’m insane, and that my insanity is contagious.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARQbZDOyY2
“He lied because he wanted to protect me in his own twisted way, and he tried to protect me because,” I slowly fade out as I get to the end, not wanting to tell the truth. Not to this guy who still thinks I have even an inkling of sanity.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTc4kpS9F4z
“Because what?” Colton still questions despite my obvious unease when it comes to the topic.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8dlODDwQf
“Because he’s my brother,” I say barely audible, but obviously loud enough for Colton to hear me, as his reaction shows.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHD2YmONMvs
“Wha-How-That slimy pig is your brother?” he says incredulously, trying to connect the dots in his head. Even, I'm still trying to figure out how it can be true.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnD5HnfJjf
“Yes, and I know that we didn’t talk about it, but we need to take him with us,” I demand already knowing what his response will be.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xXrsbpZ98
“No, of course not. Are you out of your mind,” this is Colton’s response as predicted.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9IY8zIheP
“We have to, we come as a package deal,” I try to convince. I was going to tell him this part, but Nick made it way harder. I can’t remember nor imagine a time that Nick and I would be without each other. I remember everything.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQTLrxFWO4
<<<<<Cookie Baking (6 years ago)>>>>>427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRd3UeSiy3
“What’s wrong, Tawney?” my worried 16 year old brother questions. I’m not surprised that he’s wondering about me. I HAVE been hibernating in our living room corner for 3 hours, the first two times he asked, his constant asking went unanswered, but now I guess I should answer him before he starts to get extra worried and asks the whole neighborhood what happened, and yes, it has happened before.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3STnz8nGVh
“T-they don’t l-love me,” I stutter out. He should know the problem, it isn’t the first time that I’ve sat in the corner like this after my parents ‘forget’ to attend one of my events. Today I had a big speech at school for parents to attend, and neither of mine showed up.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmeaBpBFrC
“They love you. They love you more than words can say,” Nick comforts. Isn’t it sad that he already knows who ‘they’ is. He seems to care, with his worried eyes and gentle caressings, but he can never know. He doesn’t feel how I feel because our parents love him. Like actually love him, unlike with me. Instead of phony acknowledgments when we have company over, he receives genuine love all of the time.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCm5B1qQ4v
“You know what, why don’t we bake some cookies, hmm? Would that make you feel better?” Nick questions. My perfect brother, who knows exactly how to cheer me up no matter what the problem is. He's honestly so great, I don't know what I'd do without him.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlwA3F1ayf
“I would like that,” I quietly whisper, but it seems enough for Nick to hear me and hoist me over his shoulder and into the kitchen.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtX6kDg0zCl
"Nicky, put me down," I laugh out, my mood already brightened.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OtZRcxq6q
<<<<<<<<<<(2 hours later)>>>>>>>>>>>427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4SP48qriw
You wouldn’t believe the mess we were able to create in just 2 hours, and as soon as we begin to move our exhausted and full bodies, I hear the front door click open, and coming from behind it are our two parents, because who else could it be.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxYrJH41nN
“Nick honey, how was your day?” I hear my mom’s voice sound out from the entryway. This small thing, a greeting, tells me all I need to know about the love for me my mother has, or should I say, doesn’t have. As soon as Nick hears that my parents only greet him, he cringes.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oA2GeLumr
“What in the world did you do Tanya?” my father’s booming voice questions from the back entrance of the kitchen. I slowly rotate and see his face that is slowly becoming more and more red. Not only is his face becoming redder, but his steps become faster. Before my dad can get in my face, Nick steps in between us.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVt6YTwgKI4
“Dad, this was all me, Tanya had nothing to do with it,” he tries, and fails to defend me.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuwNx10dQA
“Don’t you defend that sorry excuse for a daughter,” my dad steams out directly in Nick’s face. When he speaks of her, the “sorry excuse for a daughter”, it’s always about me. He doesn’t even to seem to realize that I am right here, or at least he talks about me as if.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKYLfmTu1r
“Tanya, go upstairs,” Nick calmly commands me without turning around. I don’t question his advice though seeing as he always knows what’s best for me.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5cyueWmDe
Later that night, I hear 8 words that changed my life, and solidified my love for my brother. “If you kick her out, I go too."427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nUN1EgNop
<<<<<<<<<<Back to Present>>>>>>>>>>427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqx6OcZq3hy
“We have to take him, and it’s not a debate,” I say after remembering all the reasons I love sober Nick. My brother. My savior. My Nick.427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWg9ZCpWmtg
A/N: I am 260 words short of my goal, but Ican't extend this any longer, so it is what it is. So, what did you guys think?427Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSXn0FdYeV
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