Bottled Blue

Nine

What Jett said was really starting to bother me. Cameron was never really violent. At least not with me. He picked on me a lot, but he was my older brother. He never hurt me or anything. And when we went to school together, I never saw him get into any fights. But I didn't exactly hang out with him either. We had different classes and friend groups. I just remember the first day of freshman year when he said he'd walk home with me after school and never showed up. So I went home worried sick that he'd died in some horrible accident and the police were going to show up and tell us my brother was murdered at school. I know I was being overdramatic, and I would have heard about it. But I was still scared. And then when Cameron did get home, he was covered in blood and told us all that Jett Kanellis beat him up at school.

When my mom picked me up out front of Leiden, I climbed in and immediately began to question her about that fight.

"Mom, do you remember when Cameron got into a fight with that kid at school and came home all bloody?" I asked her, buckling my seatbelt. Her dark eyes blinked at me.

"Which time?"

"What do you mean, which time?"

"Well, it wasn't an isolated incident, Aasha."

"What? I'm talking about when he got into a fight with Jett. You know, the one you let into our house and said was charming?"

"Huh. I thought he looked familiar. He sure has grown, hasn't he? He was such a small boy when he and your brother got into it."

"See, that's what I'm talking about. Cameron said Jett beat him up, but Jett said Cameron was the one who did it." She shrugged.

"I don't really know what happened. I wasn't there."

"Yeah, but you talked to his parents, didn't you?"

"Yes, they're very nice people. They were obviously upset and concerned, but we worked things out. No bones were broken, and the boys got scolded for fighting. As far as I know, it never happened again. So why bring it up?"

"I just always thought Jett bullied Cameron for no reason. I didn't think it was the other way around."

"Well—honey—your brother had some issues to work through when he was still in school. And these things sometimes happen. Even in private schools."

"I guess so."

Since my mom wasn't giving me a straight answer, I decided to call my brother. As soon as I got home, I took the phone into the kitchen to make tea. But he was at work, and I knew for a fact he was probably bored out of his mind, so I decided to call his work.

"Thank you for calling Staples; this is Cameron. How can I assist you?" he answered after I asked to be transferred to the printing department.

"Nerd," I said.

"Aasha, how wonderful of you to call me while I'm AT WORK."

"You weren't busy. Shut up."

"I'm trying to make manager. I can't take personal calls."

"Whoop-ditty-freaking-do." He sighed.

"What do you want?"

"Do you remember a few years ago when you got into that fight with Jett Kanellis at school and came home all bloodied up?"

"Of course I remember, Stupid. What's this about?"

"Well, he's my biology partner for the rest of the year, and he said you started the fight. So that's why he picked on you. And not even that he picked on you. That you picked on each other."

"Jett Kanellis is an asshole." So much for the manager job.

"Okay, but that doesn't answer my question."

"I honestly don't even remember what that fight was about, Aasha. I was in high school. I was stupid, and I had anger issues. Mom made me see a therapist."

"Yeah, okay. And according to him, he was still small and weak back then. And you weren't."

"Small and weak are my middle names." I rolled my eyes and got the kettle off the stove.

"I happen to know your middle name is Francis. Just answer the question. Did you, or did you not, beat the crap out of Jett Kanellis?"

"Oh, I most definitely won that fight. He was a little shit. I made him cry," he said. I was stunned for a moment. I knew Cameron had anger issues that stemmed from his dad being a tool and like abandonment problems. But like—I never took him for violent. I guess he'd just never really taken his anger out on me. It was hard to imagine Jett crying. He was so big and strong now. Not that there was anything wrong with a guy crying. Just that I had never seen him cry.

Jett didn't hate Cameron for no reason. He hated him because he'd been humiliated. On his first day of high school, he'd been beaten up by an upperclassman. They made him cry. And now he had to act like a macho jerk to try and get his reputation back.

"You know what? You're a dick. I can't believe I defended you," I said.

"Why? What'd he say about me?"

"Just that you fought him for no reason other than to humiliate him and that you bullied him until he got bigger than you."

"I didn't bully him. And even when he was small, he was still an asshole. Kids like that with rich, famous parents are always assholes. And why? How big is he now?"

"I don't know. Almost six feet, if not already there. Mostly muscle. Black curls. Blue-green eyes."

"I didn't ask about how pretty his eyes were, Aasha. If you want to bang the dude, just do it. I won't judge you. But you don't need to be his friend first." I was startled again.

"What? I don't want to bang him."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. Stop calling me at work unless it's important."

"Whatever." He hung up, so I beeped the phone off and stuck the bag of tea in the hot water. I really hated to admit it—but I was pretty sure Jett told me the truth. I was defending my brother without really knowing what happened between them. Cameron was the asshole. Not Jett.

I still didn't like him, but it actually made me feel bad.