I walked back over to Maverick and sighed as I laid my head on his shoulder.
•
Me and Zay have a history of selling ourselves to make ends meet. Zay’s parents were no longer alive due to a drug overdose and mine were as shitty as parents could be. So shitty I’d rather them be dead. They stopped taking care of Peyton my 8th grade year, not that they ever did. I’m a Jr in high-school now. He didn’t go to school, but I still wanted to give him the best life I could. He was my baby brother and he deserved the life I couldn’t have. I wanted him to have the world. When me and Zay got to high-school we became instant football stars gaining us all the attention both good and bad. Our coach being one of the people to give us bad attention, depending on who you ask. Our varsity coach, Coach Tyler introduced us to the world of prostitution. He started taking us to parties and pimping us out for huge payouts, he knew about our backgrounds and knew we could use the extra cash. We stick with the deal because it pays good. It pays, really good. We met Maverick at one of the local BDSM clubs we had got taken to by one of the johns we serviced, we found out he was 19 and a fresh college graduate. The next day at school, we saw him. It was extremely awkward and for once I was thankful we didn’t jump on him like we were trained to do to the other johns. He pulled us in his office and we established boundaries considering we all live separate lives outside of Roosevelt High. He became somebody we could trust, and we’ve been talking and keeping a relationship with him ever since, it isn’t sexual although I wouldn’t mind it becoming that. He doesn’t know about us being pimped out, and I pray he never finds out. I don’t want him to see us differently. He’s the only person that treats us like we’re human. When I told him about my younger brother and our living situation he told me a way I could get him in school and get him to where he didn’t have to be around other kids but still learn. He helped me and Zay push for it and that’s how Peyton ended up in Maverick's office.
“Are you sure I’m doing the right thing? I don’t want to damage him any worse than what our parents have done.” I felt Zay grab my hand and rub his thumb over the top of it.
“You're doing fine. A lot of brothers would’ve said fuck it. You found an outlet to keep him safe and teach him all at once. He knows right from wrong because of you.” Maverick reminded me.
Realizing I had nothing to worry about, even if I did have to discipline my baby in ways I wasn’t fond of, I continued to eat my lunch making small talk with Zay and Maverick.
•
The bell rang letting us know it was time to head to practice. I walked over to my baby brother who was curled up on the jumbo beanbag in the corner, I smiled as I saw his messy bun sticking out the top of his Naruto blanket.
He’s so beautiful.
I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and smiled as he moved in his sleep.
“Bubba will be back later. I love you more than life baby.”
I pushed myself off the beanbag and walked over to Zay who was in a make out session with Maverick. I smirked as I watched the show in front of me unfold. “Take care of our little kitten for us. You know he’s our baby.” Zay told Maverick in a flirtatious but serious tone.
“I plan on it. Let me know when you two are out of practice yea?”
I nodded and kissed Mav softly and linked hands with Zay. “Seriously M.. text me if he needs me. I swear I’ll come. Nothing is more important to me than him.” I said in a calm tone, I was trying to keep my emotions from rushing to the surface.
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Truth is, I hated leaving him. I hated not having my baby brother by my side, in my arms, or my sight. He was my world, he literally is the reason I'm alive. Leaving him even if I was just going to practice was triggering. Our parents couldn’t keep their hands off him until they realized I started taking care of him. They left him alone, completely alone when I started standing up for him, and in the process of defending him, our parents withdrawing from giving him the basic needs in life, I developed unhealthy feelings for him, I became possessive, I passed the lines of being over protective. Zay noticed this, he told me under the circumstances it was bound to happen and there was nothing wrong with it. I didn’t know how else to show Peyton physical love, besides showing him physical love. I started kissing him more, holding him more often, keeping him close to me, showering with him. Of course he thought nothing of it, he was just and still is excited to get loved on. I try my best to keep my emotions and feelings about him under the surface. I know everyone won’t understand. But when you’ve been abused your whole life, you don’t know any better.
Mav nodded, “Parkland. I know. I know more than you think love. He’s safe. Go practice.”
I caught chills as we headed out the door, realization slapped me in the face as I turned to Zay, “He knows Zay.”
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Zay nodded his head seemingly unbothered by my discovery. “Duh Parks, you suck at hiding it. Your emotions go into full force when you’re around pey. Maybe we should just tell him everything, tell him the truth, ya’know? It’ll give us a safer place to keep Peyton when we leave for college.” I walked in sync with my best friend and boyfriend not saying a word.
He was right, I wanted to tell Mav the truth about us. Our history, our past, the current situation. I wanted out, I wanted to be normal. I wanted me and Zay to go to NYU and live our dreams that didn’t include fucking our way to the top. I wanted to be able to provide a healthy and safe life for my baby brother. I hated the obsession I had with him, I think it’s sick. But I can’t help myself, he’s all I have. Outside of Zay, I’m all he knows.
“There’s the superstars! Boys! Get changed so we can head out to the field” Coach Tyler yelled across the locker room.
I let go of Zay’s hand as he sighed, “It’s showtime baby. You ready?” Nodding I followed him to our lockers. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He offered me a small smile, with that we changed into our practice clothes and were out on the field within minutes.
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