Pretty Boy- discontinued sorryyyy

• Chapter Three •

The flight consisted of Mrs. Bennett talking. The whole time. 

I learned more over this two-hour flight than I have my whole academic career. Apparently, we have two biological brothers (Blake and Alex) and three stepbrothers (Jayden. Owen, and Ethan). We haven't been placed with them until now cause Blake just turned 18 and there was an error with the system and our step-brothers didn't show up as relatives. 

Our mom and stepdad died in a car crash six years ago and Jayden has been everyone's legal guardian since then. I don't know how to feel. Sure I don't even remember my mother but I had always dreamed she was out there somewhere, searching for us. It was nice to believe at least someone out there loved me, but now even that fantasy is gone with her being dead and all. I guess I'm just not meant to be loved.

Mrs. Bennett went on to inform us more about our brothers and honestly, I can't remember half of what she said. I can barely recall their names through the sea of information that's been thrown at us. Alex is sixteen, the youngest of our older brothers. Owen and Ethan are twins, both seventeen. Blake is eighteen and our oldest biological brother and Jayden is twenty-six, our legal guardian. Totally not overwhelming at all. I barely survived a year with one foster brother, I don't think I can take living with five. I can only pray that they aren't as bad as Carson, I can't protect Ellie from five older and stronger brothers at the same time. 

Ellie looks just as overwhelmed as I feel as the plane finally lands. Reaching over I give her hand a small squeeze and she flashes me a small smile. 

"It'll be ok," I say in a low voice so only she can hear. "We've got each other." 

She nods softly, "do you think they'll... be like Hank?"

"I don't know El... I don't know." she nods again as we make our way off the plane.

"Maybe it'll be good for once? Maybe we can have a real family?"

"You are my family El, I don't need anyone else but you."

"And I don't need anyone but you A." I wrap my arm around her shoulder with a smile. I've missed her so much this past year. Mrs. Bennett follows us off the plane and smiles before speaking in her high-pitched, energetic voice. 

"Alright, this is where I leave you two, I've gotta catch my flight home. Call me if you have any trouble at all. I'll check in after a few weeks to make sure everything is going well," I tense as she pulls us into a hug, her perfume suffocatingly strong, "Good luck kids." She finally lets us go and gives us a warm smile before turning to go find her next flight.

"Sooo..." Ellie starts as soon as she's out of hearing distance.

"Oh my god, my head hurts." She laughs as I wrap my arm around her shoulders once again and start leading her to find our brothers. 

"You can say that again I thought she would never shut up! She talked our ears off that whole flight!"

"For real, I can't even remember half of what she said anyway. I thought she was supposed to be making this less stressful for us?"

"Exactly! And does she really need that much perfume?" She wrinkles her nose and I laugh lightly, "she smelled like a walking flower garden- and not in a good way. Kinda like a grandma." This time we both burst out laughing and for the first time in a long time, I truly laughed. We continue walking and joking around, trying to ignore the stress of everything and just enjoying finally being with each other again. After a few moments of looking around someone behind us clears their throat and I flinched before turning around quickly. My eyes are met with the jade green ones of the tall blonde awkward-looking man who cleared his throat. I raise an eyebrow in question and he smiles.

"Are you Aiden and Eleanor?" His voice is warm and friendly, even a little nervous. Definitely not what I was expecting.

Ellie, always the more outgoing of the two of us smiles back and sticks out her hand, "I go by Ellie," I'll never understand how she can appear so confident. "Nice to meet you!" The stranger's smile widens as he shakes her hand.

"I'm Jayden, It's nice to finally meet you both." At least he seems nice so far. "I can take your bags if you guys want?"

"Sure!" Ellie smiles and hands hers over, clearly trying to help him out in this extremely awkward situation. He reaches to take my bag as well and my heart starts to race as I attempt to subtly take a step back.

"It's fine, I'll carry mine." Sure he's nice but no fucking way I'm trusting him with my stuff. No way I'm trusting him at all.

"Okay!" not even phased by my rejection, "well you two must be starving- let's go get some food?"

"Ooo! Yes please, can we get McDonald's? I haven't had it in so long!" Ellis is practically jumping up and down at the idea of McDonald's making me relax a little and smile softly again.

"Sure thing, there's one on the way home so that works perfectly. That good with you Aiden?" I just nod, knowing that I won't be able to eat much wherever we end up going anyways.

•  •  •

I managed to eat about half of my burger and ended up sneaking most of my fries onto Ellie's tray. She understands why I'm never able to eat much but we don't talk about it. More like I don't talk about it. I won't ever talk about all the things he did to me, what she had to watch, and definitely not the stuff she didn't see. Those are my demons, she's just a kid. I can't tell her. Not ever. She'd only blame herself and she doesn't deserve that, she doesn't deserve any of this.

The rest of the drive back to the house is fine. I let Ellie have the front seat and she and Jayden sang along to all the song on the radio- not helping my headache but I love seeing her this happy.

We pull into the driveway of a nice two-story house. The yard is a little over gown and weeds have taken over the small flower bed in front of the porch. A couple of basketballs litter the grass and two bikes lay on the sidewalk by the mailbox. My eyes land on the basketball hoop that stands at the end of the driveway and I smile, maybe I'll get to play again.

"Damnit, I told the boys to clean all this up while I was gone," Jayden mutters parking the car and stepping out. Following his lead, I get out of the car but don't head towards the door just yet. "I think everyone is home right now, are you ready to meet them?" Not like we have much of a choice. Ellie looks back at me and I can feel her nerves from here. I nod, letting her know it'll be ok and she gives me a small smile.

"Yeah, we're ready." 

Here we go.