The Halls of Westwood [BxB]

Chapter 10

"I don't want to be alone here... Okay?" Jullian's voice broke as he collapsed onto the bench. In a small suburban town in California, there were two seemingly perfect brothers. But only one was truly perfect... The other only road of his older brother's back. He did what his older brother said and followed his lead to blend into the harsh world they were forced to live in. Without Tristan, Jullian was a mess. A volcano waiting to erupt at any moment, creating a mess in the process.

"It's just college" Tristan promised. "We've been through this already and you were fine with it last time" He attempted to soothe the hothead known as Jullian Sanders. Not many people could understand Jullian. Not many people were even given the opportunity to... But Tristan did. Tristan was always there to throw himself in front of the world if it meant protecting his little brother.

"That was when you went to San Diego... Not fucking Japan" Jullian snapped. "I don't want to be alone... Can't you just put it off another year?"

"You aren't alone. You've got Sarah" Tristan quietly reminded him. He ruffled his brother's hair and gave him a sympathetic smile. "And I'm only a phone call away, you know that... Right?"

"Yeah, well my apologies for not wanting to be the one to deal with mom and dad's bullshit" Jullian scoffed. "And you'll be missing everything. It's my senior year and I want you to be there for the playoffs this year"

"You did fine last year" Tristan reminded him.

"I almost got kicked off!" Jullian suddenly snapped. He had picked a fight... Not with another player or even the coach but with the fucking referee. Why? Because he was given a foul. The only reason he hadn't been kicked off yet was that he was good.

"I'm going whether you say goodbye or not..." Tristan sighed. "So if you don't want to feel like an asshole in the morning, I suggest you say goodbye before I live for my flight in..." Tristan paused as he pulled out his phone. A small frown reached his lips before he tucked it back into his front pocket. "Five minutes"

"Fuck off" Jullian scoffed.

He didn't get to say goodbye. His own pride and stubbornness had gotten the best of him... Tristan didn't make it to the airport. He barely made it out of town when his car had been run off the road and thrown down a steep hill and into a tree. Tristan's best friend Paul had died on impact but Tristan had suffered. That was all Jullian could bear hearing before he shut down.

Jullian had always been the jealous type. Not when it came to many people, but with Tristan, he remembered being aggravated whenever he'd hang out with Paul longer than him. He remembered being annoyed when Tristan went off to college. He remembered hating it when Tristan would take on a brotherly role in anyone else's life.

He got like that with Sarah too... He never acted on it. It was just annoyance and jealousy over the other person. He didn't like feeling that way. It suggested an attachment he didn't like having... So that's why when he spotted Austin arriving back from dance with his hair messy, his clothing crooked and sloppily done and hickeys dotting his neck he wanted to scream. Because there was no way in hell he was jealous over a bratty, reckless, and impulsive twink.

Austin headed across the courtyard, ignoring any stares he got as he sat across from Markos. He groaned and buried his face in his hands, rubbing his exhausted eyes. Austin hated being outside in Washington. He hated how cold it was and how he had to get used to freezing his ass off just to wear a cute shirt.

He also hated how much he stood out amongst Westwood. He didn't mind standing out in a crowd but he just looked out of place in the asylum. The boring gray flooring, the plain white walls, and the dark ebony wood that made up the place looked too vintage compared to his bright and flashy clothing. Even outside, the building was just too old, the oak tree was just too ancient and the benches were too normal. The other boys seemed to blend in when they wore their uniforms, but even when he was drowning in the cheap fabrics it just didn't look right against his skin.