The Promise

Hey guys! i wrote this for a competition and if I win, I will update this!

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Around two years ago, I was told that everything would be fine, my parents wouldn't get divorced, I would no longer get bullied, I would have a healthy relationship and that my brother would always be there for me. The only one that was actually true was the last one. My brother Ben promised me these things.

"So who's the lucky boy?" he asked me one day, I had just started dating my then boyfriend of a year.

"None of your business!" I teased, smirking. He hates when I tease him even if it means I'm happy.

"I'll guess then. Is it Jase?" he questioned. I laughed and shook my head. "Really? Wow, I thought you had a massive crush on him! Anyway, is it... Cole?" he raised an eyebrow at me while I shook my head. "Okay then, I'll just name all the guys in your class. Max, Austin, Jake, Toby, Kieran, Liam, Cody..." he stopped at Cody as I was bright red in the face. I could never keep things a secrect from him, it was tough. "Soo, its Cody then..." he smiled, obviously pleased that he knew who I was dating.

"Care to explain why Tillie looks like a tomato?" Mum asked as she came into the kitchen where we were.

"Mum!" I exclaimed as she chuckled to herself.

"Tillie has a boyfriend!" he yelled, loud enough so dad could here. I hit him as hard as I could and he yelped, mum gave me a look of sympathy.

"Who is it? Who is going to hurt my little girl?" dad shouted as he stormed into the room angrily. He never got on with the idea of me having a boyfriend.

"Leave her alone Travis! You know that not all boys are out to break hearts." mum said firmly. He looked kind of offended before leaving the room.

"Ben! You know dad doesn't get on with the chapels!" I scream in a whisper and hit him again. He was smirking as usual but the look in his eyes said 'I'm sorry'.

"That Cody Chapel is a very lucky boy hunny." mum said softly as she left the room. I sighed and Ben realised what I was thinking.

"Don't worry Till, you'll have a perfect, long and healthy relationship, I promise" he said. That was the first promise he ever made to me.

I officially started my new school three months later and let me tell you, it was the biggest and scariest school I had ever been too. It was also the school I got bullied at. Ben wasn't at school when I was there, so he couldn't protect me as much as he would like but I'm eighteen now and I will never have to see those witches again.

"Oh look, its the snitch again. Who you gonna snitch on today huh?" Brittany said. This was her usual routine with her army of blondes behind her. I was called 'the snitch' because aparently I told on someone for picking on me even though it wasn't me, everyone assumes it was. "Maybe you should go take a jog. Those jeans don't fit you so well anymore." was one of the many insults I got each day. I came home one day from school, went to my room and cried for hours. When Ben came home, he went to his room but stopped in front of my door, he obviously heard me crying because he burst in to my room. "What's wrong?" he asked, a worried look on his face.

"The bullies are at it again." I sobbed. He came and sat on my bed with me and just hugged me.

"They will stop when they realise how amazing you are, you've only been there, what two weeks?" he said. I nodded wanting to believe hi,. "I promise." he said.

Around a year later, Cody started to treat me worse and worse until it came to the point where Ben had to go over to his house and break up with him for me. That was yet another promise broken. Dad came to me on the day I broke up with him "I never liked those Chapels, they are no good.". Mum rolled her eyes at this, having enough of him making these comments here and there. (He'd been making them a lot lately)

"Just leave her alone, she's going through a lot right now, she doesn't need all this 'I told you so' stuff!" she exclaimed. Dad seemed a little shocked, mum had never, ever spoken to him with that tone.

"What has gotten into you Claire? Are you feeling okay?" he asked, looking genuinley worried about her for once!

"I'm just fine! It's just that I've had enough of you and your petty little comments. You get joy from another persons sadness Travis and honestly, I've had enough." she said calmly. That one comment made my night worse as it turned into a full blown arguement. I swear I thought my mum was going to walk out but she didn't, she stayed because she knew I needed her which I am so very greatful for. When Ben came home later that night and I told him everything that happened and once again, he promised everything would be okay, even though 6 months later, they got a divorce and I went to live with my brother. I was 17 at this point and had left school and all the bullies behind. It felt good. The last promise my brother made to me was "I promise I will always be here for you Tillie. I love you." and so far, he's kept that one and now I'm so happy with my life. It just shows what a promise can do to someone's life.