Duck In The Battlefield

One Way Or Another

Chapter 21

What I hate most about reality is that you can't take it back. In my dreams I can easily reverse it and play it how I want the outcome to be. But secretly pinching myself while Mike paced around the room didn't seem to make my wishful outcome come anytime soon.

Mike tiredly ran a hand down his face. He looked at me his expression one of heartbreak and anger and looked away to start pacing again.

"Mike I-" I started but Mike put his hand up for me to stop.

He sighed harshly and finally met my eyes. "I trusted you. Every night you came home I was worried and you lied to my face. How could you do that to me?"

My eyes burned in shame and I had to look away. "Mike I'm really sorry I just knew you wouldn't approve."

"But you did it anyways. Is it a gang thing were you threatened?" Mike said sounding a little too desperate that it hurt.

"No I joined," I say in a small voice as I lowered my head.

Mike sat down but his knee was bouncing up as he bit into his thumb.

"How did you even find this place?"

"I followed the love of my life," I said half my face scrunching up as Mike shot up. Damn can't you just keep lying Chaya you did it before. But then again that's what got me in this mess...

"For the love of god where did I go wrong!" He says placing both hands on top of his face.

"Okay this is what's going to happen," he says walking into the hallway and picking up the phone.

"What are you doing?" I say following him. I was kind of afraid he was going to do something ... unpredictable. Last time we got in a fight he laid upside down for five hours.

"I'm calling Auntie," he says dialing her number.Panicked I grab the cords of the landline and unplug it. Mike gives me a hard stare.

"Why are you doing that?"

"This isn't a good place for us obviously and I can't always watch out for you so we're moving back for the meantime," he says plugging everything back up.

"But what about you going to CS University," I say confused and also glad for the distraction.

"What?" Mike says cautiously.

"Well aren't you going?"Mike stops what he's doing.

"Where did you hear that from?"

So he really didn't want me to know. "Nina called and told me."

"Shit." Mike says under his breath as he sits back down. "Can't I get a break?" he mutters as I move toward him.

"You were also lying to me," I say a little angry. After what I was doing I can't be too hypocritical.

"I never lied," Mike says looking me in the eyes.

"Yeah well you never told me so in a way you lied." I sit down and turn the tables on him although seeing as what this conversation is about it's undoubtedly going to come back to me.

"Look I'm not going to CS University so I didn't see a reason to mention it but you on the other hand are willingly doing something illegal and were hiding it from me because you knew it was wrong."

"You have to go and I know it's wrong," I say not willing to let him brush off his side of this argument.

"No I have to stay here with you and you just proved why I already have been," he says. I stop as I hear this confession.

"You didn't go to college because of me," I say and Mike sighs. He looks over at me and seems surprised.

"Duck don't cry," he says his voice soft as he hugs me.

Have I always been causing him trouble? What else have I held him back from?

"I'll go live with Aunt Nina and you can go to college," I say my face quivering as I cry.Mike holds me closer and kisses my forehead.

"I can't leave you by yourself. I know you won't be happy there," he says.

We were quiet for a moment.

"This fight coming up-" I start but Mike squeezes me.

"No more talk about that... we'll never talk about that okay, lets just go with Auntie and when the time is right we'll move on," he says looking down at me as he meets my eyes.

Starting backup at his baby blue eyes and all the kindness and love that my brother holds I knew no matter how much I would give everything up to make him happy I couldn't let him do the same.

"If I win they'll give me a place to stay and you can go to college and won't have to worry about me," I say no matter how flawed it all sounded.

"Duck," Mike says in a warning tone as he lets go of me. "I said enough."

"Mike if you stay you'd be giving up a future, education, possibly romance, and it's genetic for us to find trouble so adventure. And if you go, all you're giving up is me. The odds are obvious," I say sadly smiling.

From the look on Mike's face I knew he understood that once I turned 18 I'd probably be right back here. Because his adorable little sister never learns.

"Chaya I'm not giving you up for the world. This discussion is over we'll leave by next week," he says before he goes to his room.

I thought I had more options. Mike will probably never be comfortable leaving me. But I'm not a child anymore.... except that I was. So when my phone dinged I did something I would probably be grounded in a tower until I'm 250 years old for.

Did it go good? Are you staying?

JR

I pressed on his number and called.

"Hey how'd it go?" Junior's voice said through the phone.

"It went," I said my throat hoarse from crying.

"You okay?" he says concerned.

I nod my head before I realize he can't see that.

"I'm staying at your dorm until my fight meet me outside Victor's building in an hour or I'll freeze," I say hanging up before he has a chance to reply.

One way or another I was fighting and Mike was going to show up. I silently went into my room and grabbed an overnight bag with enough things that I won't look homeless. I magnetized a piece of paper on the fridge and with my brain in the trash I left.

Don't call the police. I'll text you the address I'm fighting at. I'll prove to you being here is what's best for me.

P.S. Don't get upset but I ate the last brownie