PAYED TO LOVE YOU, theodore nott

one.

CHAPTER ONE

I woke up drowsy, I'd spent all night drinking tequila alone. I was extremely hungover. Everything was so bright, I forced myself out of bed to shut the blinds of my apartment window. Everything around me was spinning. As if I was on a speeding rollercoaster. My head ached like an arrow had been repeatedly stabbed through it over and over and over again. My ears were pulsing, and my body ached.  Any slight movement made a huge impact on my currently sensitive ears. All I wanted to do was lay back down, but failed to find wherever the bed disappeared to. I concluded to just stand still, and let the storm pass. Moments later, everything was fine.

I was still cautious when I walked into the small bathroom. I locked the door and started to undress. I'd sweat through my Rolling Stones pajama shirt and black shorts. They were damp and spelled like shit, I tossed them onto the floor, and turned the shower on.

At first when I walked in I was startled by the cold water that streamed down my back, but almost as quickly as it became cold, it transitioned to the calming heat. I let the hot water soak my sweaty body, then searched for my pink luffa. Finally, I'd found it, and started scrubbing soap all over my dreary body. I then shampooed and conditioned my hair thoroughly, and stepped out of the shower.

Once I stepped out of the shower, and I wrapped a towel around my body. I then hear my phone rang. I picked up the iPhone, and an unfamiliar voice spoke through the speaker. "Are you Rosalie James?" the woman asked me.

"Yes?" I answered in my morning voice, "who are you?"

She ignored my question, "your brother, Lucas James, is in the hospital. You were on his emergency contacts list." the woman explained. I was stunned. All of a sudden the headache became stronger, and the ringing in my ears accelerated. I was frozen in shock.

"Ma'am? Are you alright?" the woman asked me, her voice laced with concern. I shook my head trying to rid the blaring in my ears. 

"Y-yes s-sorry," I stuttered, "which hospital is he in?"

"I know this might be a shock. Don't worry hun, he's in good hands." she replied calmly. I felt a stab of irritation, she wasn't answering my questions.

"Which hospital is he staying in?" I queried, more sternly this time.

"Right," she responded, noting the annoyance that laced my voice, "St. Mongo's."

"Okay." I said, and abruptly hung up.

Now I was angry, Lucas was at it again. Him and all of his idiotic antics. He was always either getting himself in trouble, or nowhere to be found. He drives me insane.

Ever since our parents split he hasn't been the same. He met his new friends who do whatever they want, legal or not. After he dropped out of Hogwarts our parents wouldn't take him back so he decided to crash with me for a little. By a little I mean five months. So far.

I doubt he has any plans of leaving.

He'd never heed more warnings, and my reasoning was irrelevant in his eyes. No matter how many I times I begged him to not get hurt or be careful, he never tried.

I hopped into my Mercedes, and drove to the Hospital, it took only twenty minutes albeit, it felt like hours. Hours until I scolded him. Hours until he was punished. Hours until I had to see his frail body on a hospital bed. He was my brother after all. I was responsible of him. If I wanted to or not.

I trudged into the hospital. I had no control over my facial expressions now. I stopped at the front desk, a woman with long, blonde hair and bright blue eyes looked up at me.

"How may I help you?" the blonde asked me kindly.

I took a deep breath. I couldn't believe I'd be saying these words. "I'm looking for Lucas James," I sighed.

"He's on floor seven, do you need a map?" she pondered politely. I nodded. She scrambled in her drawers for a few minutes until she found what she was looking for. She pulled put a tattered piece of paper, on it were makings of the hospital.

"You're here," she explained, pointing to a green square on the map, and circling it with a black pen, I hadn't realized she was holding. "You need to be here," she then moved her pen, my gaze followed, to a black square that was titled 'floor seven'. I nodded and took the paper from her grasp. "His room is 708."

"You will need to go through some scanners to make sure you aren't armed." she told me. 

"Are wands alright?" I queried out of habit, even though I didn't have my wand. It was still in my room patiently waiting for me to pick it up and use it.

"No," she replied sweetly. I gave her a weak smile in response and walked through the metal scanners.

I gave a mental sigh of relief when they didn't beep. Even though there was no reason for them too.

I followed the line she drew up on the map for me until I reached floor even. My mind elsewhere, I scanned the doors' numbers. 704... 705... 706... 707... until I reached the right door. I tentatively grasped the door handle, hesitatingly twisting it and nudging the door open.

There he was, my stupid brother, laying in a hospital bed. He looked so fragile, so breakable. He was hooped up to and IV and had bandaged all around his face. The rest of his body was covered by a white blanket. I sighed at the view, tears at the brink of falling. I looked at the nurse who was tending to him, she gave me a look of empathy.

I took a seat on the small, white chair beside him. He looked at me, giving me his crooked, I'm sorry smile. I mouthed 'it's alright'. Even though it wasn't alright, even though I should be scolding him, yelling at him. Yet, I couldn't. Not when he was in this state. This damaged, fragile state. I couldn't find it in me to raise my voice at him. I could barely look at him in his broken appearance.

The nurse then coughed, "erm.. he should be fine, he got into a pretty bad accident. We tried spells but the wounds wouldn't heal, we needed to fix him up old fashioned." she explained kindly. I nodded, not taking my gaze off of my idiotic brother.

Still hungover, her gentle voice seemed loud. Too loud, I winced but she didn't seem to notice. The petite nurse left the room, leaving only my brother and myself.

"What happened?" I sighed disappointedly.

"Well," he started, "my friends and I were hanging out by an alley and this big guy approached us and started cussing at us and slurring, I don't know. I think he was drunk, we didn't even comprehend what the heck he was saying but it was the way he said it. Like he was disrespecting us, disrespecting our siblings, out parents. I got angry, he had no right to disrespect me. Disrespect you!" he exclaimed. "I took out my wand and I don't remember what spell I used but next thing I knew he was shooting spells back at me. Then everything went black and I was here."

"Oh Luke." I droned, my head falling into my open palms. 

"I know, I know," he replied abruptly with false apology. He didn't care, he'd be fine in a few days back to his stupid antics while I'm held responsible for the consequences.

Then the realization hit me, how the hell am I supposed to afford this?