A New Beginning (Adopted by Ariana Grande and Jai Brooks)

58

• Amelia •

"Hunter... Hunter Anderson..." He says.

Everyone's quiet for a minute. The sound of the water rushing over the rocks is the only sound to be heard.

"W-what?" I finally manage to stutter out.

He doesn't say anything. He looks nervous. Another minute of silence goes by.

"She's...my sister..."

Sister? Jasmine has a brother? How? Since when? What? I've never met him? A million questions run through my head.

"Sister? Jasmine never had a brother..." I say confused.

"I was adopted before she was... into a different family, but I kept my last name because I didn't want to change it. I haven't seen her in years. My family doesn't let me keep in touch with her." He tells us, looking down nervously.

"Why?" I ask, curiously.

"They're not the nicest. They're actually complete assholes." He kind of mumbles the last part.

A few seconds go by and he finally manages to lift his head up and look me in the eyes. I notice his green eyes have tears in them. I have a feeling it's not over Jasmine.

"Why do you think I saved you? I've been in your position. I've felt the pain. I've done stupid things. I've attempted suicide... I understand. I might not know you, but you don't deserve death." He tells me, quickly wiping a tear off his cheek and blinking the rest back.

We all stand there, not knowing how to respond.

"Oh..." I whisper.

"Yep..." He mumbles.

Another moment of silence goes by.

"Jasmine really did all that to you?" He asks quietly.

"Yeah..." I tell him, looking down.

"I... I think it might be my fault..." He stutters.

I lift up my head immediately.

"WHAT?!" Ariana, Maya, and I all yell in sync.

I see Jai looks pissed. He balls his fist and raises his arm to swing at Hunter but James grabs him back.

"LET GO OF ME YOU -" Jai starts yelling, trying to charge at Hunter but James cuts him off.

"Let him explain!!" James yells and Jai calms down a bit, putting his arm back down and un-balling his fist a little.

"You have 30 seconds." He growls.

"I think it's my fault because I left her... I think she felt so alone and so hurt and so betrayed that she went and took her anger out on you..." He says, looking at me with sympathy in his eyes. "And I'm so sorry." He whispers.

"YOU THINK SORRY'S GOING TO CUT IT?!" Jai yells, swinging at him.

"JAI!" I scream, beginning to cry.

It's not Hunter's fault. He's taking the blame. He never said those things or did those things. Jasmine did. Jai shouldn't be hurting him because his sister hurt me. He didn't have control of what she was doing. He didn't even know she was doing it.

Jai hits Hunter right in the stomach and he stumbles back, tripping over a root sticking out of the ground. He falls backwards and lands on the ground.

"JAI IT'S NOT HIS FAULT!" I scream as Jai goes to swing at him again.

I try to stop him but Ariana pulls me back so I don't get hurt. James immediately steps in and grabs Jai away from him before he can strike again.