Chapter 3 #2
In the years we have been apart, it seems that my big brother has not only made a name for himself as being part of a group of monsters, but by the muscle he has packed on, he has become one as well.
It’s safe to say he looks like he hasn’t had a hungry minute since the outbreak, never mind felt the pangs of starvation.
Not like we have. I don’t even know how we survived this winter with how bad it was. The weather turned quick and didn’t let up for the entire season. If it hadn’t been for Fauna keeping us all together, having my back when I was in trouble, we would be in a far worse state than we are now.
Furious at how much we have all suffered through this winter, these years, I jab at Ru. ‘See you haven’t gone hungry.’
Only his pointed look towards the swell of my stomach has my bad mood reaching a new height.
‘You can hardly talk.’
Ruaridh has no right to come back into my life and judge me, especially since he isn’t exactly a saint, having walked in on what he was doing with my best friend minutes ago.
Ru’s stumbling over his words draws me back from my rage and focuses my hearing enough to catch him stutter out, ‘Did someone do this?’
Has he been hit on the head or something? I’m not some apocalyptic Virgin Mary magically becoming pregnant all on my own. Of course, I didn’t just magic up a baby inside my womb without a little help to get it all started. Has he lost his brain cells or something?
A frustrated growl leaves my brother and I realise I must have been speaking out loud again. ‘Not what I was asking. Did someone force you, Isla. Were you—’
He can’t finish his sentence and I don’t blame him, so I do it for him.
‘Raped?’ All my earlier anger is gone as I see the worry he is feeling for me, his little sister, wreaking havoc on him. All whilst he assumes the worst. I shake my head. ‘No, Ru. I wasn’t.’
As much of a difficult situation it is that I have found myself in, this is the result of a rather steamy hook up with a stranger, someone I wanted to be with.
Someone who, despite how much I’ve wanted to forget, made me feel safe.
Safer than I’ve felt in years. I don’t say all that to Ru though, keeping it more PG for him but I can’t help but think that not all of the women I know and love have had it like I have. ‘I’m one of the lucky ones.’
He sucks in a deep inhale of air at my response, sounding as if he were holding his breath, waiting for my response. His shoulders slump in relief. Then just as quickly, Ru and his ridiculously obnoxious muscles scoop me up into an almost bone-crushing hug.
I’m unable to hug him back, my arms now plastered to my sides. An uncomfortable feeling unfurls in my stomach as Ru hugs me. A part of me isn’t ready for this familiarity between us yet. It’s too much.
‘All right you big sop, get off of me.’
And just as I manage to get him to let me go the door flies open behind me, and Luna’s familiar screetching voice comes from behind me, along with some flying plates.
Seriously, can that girl not listen to a single instruction? I told her to mind her own bloody business and let me speak to Fauna, but no Mrs nosey has to come and see for herself.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I wait to see where Luna takes her attack, but as soon as she starts to wrestle a chair over her head I decide it’s probably time for me to step in.
‘Luna, calm down.’ I shout at her raging face. God this girl goes from zero to one hundred in a second and getting her to come down again is no easy feat. She must look bat-shit-crazy on full attack right now.
‘—I’ll tear your skin from your face and wear it like my own mask.’ Yup definitely fucking crazy.
Did she really just threaten to wear my brother's skin? Ergh, I shudder. That is not a pretty sight to imagine.
Pushing away the image of her wearing my brother's face and the bile that threatens to surface with it, I manage to intercept Luna’s view of Ru and lock eyes with her. Keeping my gaze steady on hers, I make sure she hears me as I slowly say, ‘He’s my brother.’
You fucking lunatic, I want to add but now might not be the best time for that.
It takes a second for what I just said to register for her and after a couple of glances between me and Ru I see the second the pin drops for her. Her shoulders slump and the chair clatters to the floor.
I sigh, letting out a long breath. Fuck trying to understand what type of dynamic their stare-off is attempting to establish. Although seeing my ned of a big bro being stared down by a pink-haired crazy gal is a lot more satisfying than I thought it would be.
Yeah, that’s right fucker, just because we are women does not mean we aren’t up to the challenge of taking on someone that looks like him.
‘Do you skin people’s faces quite often?’ Ru asks.
Luna has that manic grin on her face, the one that guarantees psycho as she responds, ‘You could say it is somewhat of a hobby. The screams of small pricked men are like a symphony to my ears.’
My brother looks mortified and I fucking love it.
Suddenly three loud, overlapping voices — all talking shite as per usual — stumble through the doorway and not so surprisingly they don’t take Ruaridh’s presence well. Maybe I’m only just realising how hot-headed and quick to violence this lot actually is.
I can’t help the rush of love I feel for these women, the undeniably crazy women that are throwing weapons at the brother I lost all those years ago, the women whose automatic reaction to seeing a dangerous man in the room with me is to leap in front of me — my stomach, my baby and shield me from harm's way.
Thoughts of love and affection come mentally screeching to a halt as I watch one of Amelia’s make-shift daggers almost impale itself through Ru’s head. The dagger that, if you look close enough, will unveil itself as a rather suspiciously looking scissor — well, half of one anyway.
With an almost bone-crushing grip, I drag her throwing hand into my side.
Spinning on the three of them, my teeth gritted together as protectiveness for my brother's safety amongst these feral women surges upwards, bubbling out of me as I find myself saying the words I never expected to speak for a second time tonight.
‘He’s my fucking brother! Do. Not. Kill. Him.’
I mean for fuck sake, the guy has only just made a reappearance and these lot are about to cut our reunion tragically short.
Isabella and Clover don’t seem convinced and hastily shove me back behind them.
Their rigid bodies still adamant on shielding me from my brother.
The two are dressed similarly with matching tattered jumpers hand-knit by Amelia, jean-clad legs and scruffed-up walking boots.
At some point over the winter months they’d grown close and one day they had switched a set of their laces, symbolic of their friendship.
Isabella’s signature yellow is now worn on Clover’s right boot, whilst Clover’s blue is perfectly laced up on Isabella’s.
Done with the introductions, Ru attempts to side step us, Fauna’s name muttered loud enough to catch my attention.
Oh no he doesn’t. He’s the one who made her cry.
This isn’t his family, and he doesn’t get to waltz back in here and demand his way.
Fauna is my best friend and I will be going to her whether he likes it or not.
Fauna must be struggling with what is going on and I don’t care what my brother thinks.
I know her well enough to know what is best to say to her in this moment.
Not a care in the world for what Ruaridh wants I leave him to fight off the girls whilst I search for my best friend.
The girl loves the night sky and all its beauty, so it’s not hard to decide where to check first. I launch myself up the stairs to the rooftop exit, remembering hearing her loud footsteps clambering up the levels.
‘Fauna, it’s me.’ Gently, I walk towards her, the bite of tonight's breeze harsh against my cheeks.
Her face is drenched in tears as she stares up at the glorious full moon. After no response and a long moment of silence, I ask, ‘Are you okay?’
We’re best friends, practically sisters. We’ve seen each other at our lowest, so I have no trouble comforting her with my reassurances that Ru most definitely is not my baby’s father. A shocking and stomach-churning statement that I promptly wipe from my memory.
Fauna winces, ‘I didn’t know he was your brother.’
Yeah, no shit, girl. I told you he was dead because… well, I considered him to be.
My stomach churns at the thought.
‘I owe you one.’
Maybe a wee bit, yeah, but we always do. True best friends don’t keep tabs we just do what we gotta do.
‘Let’s go. I practically had to restrain him. He’s put on some weight since I last saw him. Used to be a skinny bam but the big idiot was going ballistic when I left him to come up. The poor guys whipped alr—’
A blur of motion cuts me off with a blinding pain to the temple as I crumble to the floor, darkness consuming me.
And it must be a night for the unexpected because when I find my eyelids cracking open and the blinding headache making it hard for me to focus on anything, I refuse to believe that the cheeky grin belonging to the guy I spent so long obsessing over is really there.
‘Hey, darling.’