Bulletproof

☆ 1 ☆

Odette licked her lips slowly, exiting her brother's car.

Even being used to Californian sun, she still huffed at how hot it was.

Billy shot her a teasing look, before shrugging and stepping outside as well. Fixing her hair, blond watched Maxine climbing over the seats with her skateboard.

Poor kid was shoved on the back by Bill back home before driving here.

Max became Odette's stepsister when her and Billy's dad married that woman. Her brother hated the girl with all his guts, while the blond and Max got along pretty smooth.

Odette's brother madly despised Maxine, his nostrils blowing in passive aggression every time kid entered the room. Blond could understand him, but not justify his behavior towards their stepsister.

She was always quick to stop any argument that begun between the two, even tried to start a small chat with Max a couple times, yet failed.

Odette turned to Bill, snapping a cigarette out of his fingers and stomping it down.
Long haired guy slapped his hands onto his thighs, annoyed, but a smile betrayed his lips.

"You're gonna kill me faster than smoking."

"If that's what takes to stop you." Blond flashed him a grin before turning away to head to their new school.

Finally climbing out of the car, Max threw her board on the concrete, driving away almost instantly.

Bill jogged to catch up with Odette, gaining attention of some girls with his attractive shapes.

☆

The two things Odette understood after a first day of school:

1. It sucks.

2. It could've been worse, so suck it up.

Immediately gaining all of the attention, she and her brother kinda pushed in shadow local popular guy, whoever that was.

Bill hurried to get into a basketball team, as Odette sat on the bench, watching him do that. Wandering around together, they quickly became a number one topic for discussions.

Blond got almost tired from holding back her eyes from rolling while girls kept calling Billy over. Her brother though was always ready to shoot a killing look to any guys who dared to whistle at her.

When all the school stuff was done, siblings picked Max up to drop her off at the arcade.

When copper haired girl got in, Odette fought the need to ask her how the day went. Better not do that, not when Billy's in the same car.

They never really spoke about his eager reaction to Maxine, cause there was never an urgent reason to do so. But blond could feel that might happen soon.

She was right. When they were almost there, an argument blew up between the two. Mostly it was about time when Billy will have to pick Max up and how he's sick of doing that already.

"Shut it, both of you." She grunted, looking at both Max and her brother with an annoyed look. "Let's stick with 6 pm and stop barking like your fucking tails were chopped off, okay?"

Bill shook his head, still mad. He bit his flinching from anger lips, his hand palms clutched onto a wheel to push his madness down.

Max did not even try to hold back a huff, hitting her back onto the seat eagerly.

As they got there, copper haired girl jerked out of the car, slamming it's doors shut, provoking Bill even more. He then waited for her do walk around the car towards the entrance, so that she could see him flipping her off. She answered with the same move, so that when sibling left the parking lot, Bill hit a wheel from anger.

"That fuckin-"

"Bill..." Odette almost whined, tiredly running her hands down her face.

Her brother nodded, more to himself.

Maybe it'd be better to let him spill it out, so that his madness doesn't bottle up in him to explode.

"Leave her alone..." She whispered, yet her tone gave him the opportunity to talk he so desired.

"It's because of her we're sunk in this... shithole. And she keeps bitching around, throwing her attitude at me, when i do stuff i am not supposed to in the first place!" Bill hit the wheel again, his breathing trembling with anger.

Odette sighed, her guts ached at the weird feeling of hopelessness. Although she never was a fan of dad's new woman, she also never even thought of blaming Susan's kid in what's going on.

As he started pushing the gas pedal harder, Odette slid her hand onto his palm, holding it tight.

She kept quiet. There was nothing she could say that would cheer him up. She wanted him to understand that pressing down Max, who didn't look happy as well, won't help.

But she could keep reminding him she's still here.

When their mother abandoned them, leaving them all to their father, it was only Billy and Odette for each other. It was always this way. Having each other's backs, comforting after dad's anger splashes.

For Billy it was somehow worse, but he never hated Odette for how she got out of everything easier.
Because when father left Billy laying there, blond sneaked into his room to stay there for the night, helping him with the brushes and cuts, hugging him tight while Billy let everything out in her embrace.

When father found this Susan, Bill went nuts, and Odette never blamed him for that. Their beloved mom left because of how abusive this man was, and now he found someone to take her place with another kid on her back.

Soon he told them about moving away. This was the most painful part. Now he was taking everything from Billy. The last pieces that kept his heart together. Beach and the city he had his best memories in.

Odette was going to be ripped away from her friends and her band.

His sister remembered well the times when she sat beside their mom, their legs in sand as Billy ran in the water with his board.

He held close to his heart memories of him watching her play guitar.

They were so happy...

When Odette took him to look at the waves for the last time, it wasn't only him crying. Blond curled into a ball in the sand, sobbing hardly as the sea roar filled her breaking apart world.

After that her eyes were still red, when they got home. Father got mad and hit her. Bill stood before her to try and protect her, but everything ended up even worse. Susan and her daughter stood there and watched, horrified look on girl's face.

It were days that Odette spent time analyzing the copper haired girl. She was quite, yet rebellious. She was walking around like a shadow, cautiously eyeing everyone in the room, just like Bill and blond were doing for past months.

That night siblings didn't even get to meet up in someone's room to calm the aching hearts together.

That night was the last one they spent in California.