1. Axel
Axel
“ M om, have you heard from Arabella’s school?” I bellow through the phone at my incompetent as fuck mother. “Her bus was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago and it’s nowhere to be found.”
I hear the exasperated huff of air leave her mouth before she speaks. “No, Axel. I haven’t heard from the school. I’m sure she’s fine. Is that all you called me for?”
“You’re sure she’s fine? She’s eleven for fuck sake.”
We’ve been living with my mother–alone–since our sperm donor left years back.
Christine Bradley is about as useless as mothers come and I’m fucking over it.
She takes advantage of my sister’s innate ability to love unconditionally and uses it against her any way she can.
Then she shits on everything she touches, including her own children.
I can take it because I don’t honestly give a shit, but Arabella is…
sensitive. Hopefully one day, she’ll get sick of her own mother calling her fat and using her to do her bidding and she’ll snap and say good riddance. I can only hope for that for her.
I can’t wait to get out of this damn house and away from my lousy excuse for a mother.
Two more years. As soon as I turn eighteen, I can jump ship and never look back.
I’d tell my mother exactly how I feel about her except, it isn’t me she’ll take it out on.
It’s Arabella. My sister and I aren’t the best of friends, but I wouldn’t wish my mother on my worst enemy.
That last part might not be completely truthful.
“She’s a big girl, in more ways than one. She can handle herself.” Jesus, she’s a piece of fucking work. “Maybe she finally went to dance with Wrinley, like I’ve been suggesting. The exercise can only help get rid of those love handles she’s carrying around.”
When I hear the distinct sound of gears grinding to a halt, telling me the bus has finally arrived, I let out a breath of relief and hang up–because fuck her. I might want to get the fuck out of here, but she’s still my baby sister.
A mixture of middle school voices blend into one chaotic sound that claws through me like nails on a chalkboard as they all exit the bus in a rush.
Knowing she’s safe is all I need to relax my nerves, but something pulls me to my bedroom window anyway, where I peer through the blinds to watch my sister and her best friend, Wrinley, as they step off the bus.
Except instead of watching them make their way safely to the house, I catch sight of some dipshit twerp tripping Wrinley, causing her to fall to her knees and to make matters worse, he fucking spits on her and says something I’m sure is not very nice.
My blood boils in my veins. My sister’s best friend isn’t my favorite person, but she is fun to pick on.
Why this idiot child thinks he has the right to pick on her, is beyond me.
Trying to stand, she looks around and attempts to play it off like it’s nothing, before Arabella grabs her hand and guides her quickly across the street.
As they open the door, I brush past them in a hurry.
“Where are you going so fast?” Arabella asks, her irritation obvious.
“I have somewhere important to be,” I answer before turning my eyes to Wrinley. “Don’t you have dance class today, Wrinkley?” She hates it when I call her that. Unfortunately for her, knowing she hates it, only makes me want to do it more.
“Stop calling me that!”
“No.”
“Why are you always such a dick?” Wrinley asks with her hand on her hip as she juts it out. “Don’t you know you’d catch more bees with honey?”
My jaw clenches as her shrill voice grates against my nerves and I can’t help but reach my hand out and shove her onto her ass. “How did such a little girl learn such a big girl word, Wrinkley?” She makes it too fucking easy. She just takes it.
“That’s enough, Axel,” my ever protective sister shouts. “Haven’t you had your fill of bullying my best friend? It’s getting old and I don’t even understand why you always have to be so mean to her. What did she ever do to you?” Instead of answering, I walk out and shut the door behind me.
What did she do to me? She fucking existed with her perfect family and perfect life.
Thankfully, I saw which direction twerp-face went, so I know exactly where to go.
About ten houses down, I see him. It must be my day, because he’s outside–alone–playing basketball in the driveway.
He’s too into what he’s doing, so he doesn’t see me come up behind him. Wrapping one arm around his waist, I place my free hand over his mouth. “Shhhh.”
I can feel his heart racing against me and it sends my blood rushing through me like a tidal wave as he mumbles into my palm. Little does he know, the fear he’s feeling right now, is about to get much worse.
“Shut the fuck up,” I order and he must be smart after all, because he quickly complies. “I’ll tell you how this is going to go. I’m going to talk and you’re going to listen. When I tell you something, you’ll nod your fucking head so I know you understand me. Got it?”
His entire body begins to shake as he nods.
It should be concerning that I have this violent, mean side.
Who am I kidding? It’s my entire personality, at this point.
But I’m not worried. Mostly, I blame my absent father that left a long time ago and my bitch of a mother, who taught me very early in life that I’m the only one I can truly rely on.
“You will leave Wrinley Jaymes alone. You will not talk to her. You will not touch her. You will not even look in her fucking direction. Do you understand me?”
He nods again.
“If I hear even a whisper of a glance or a word or a fucking brush of a shoulder, I will make you disappear and your loser parents won’t have a hope of finding you. Got me?”
He nods yet again, but this time it’s accompanied by a whimper as something warm touches my leg.
He’s fucking pissed himself. At least I know he got the point.
Releasing him, I step back, then kick the backs of his knees.
Once he’s on the ground, in his own piss puddle, I gather up all of the saliva in my mouth and spit…
and just as it lands on his cheek, I turn to leave.
“I know where you live. Don’t forget that,” I remind him.
No one fucks with her, but me.