Janes step-brother ~Byler~

three

Walking out of the big glass doors. School was over letting the car park overflow with students in different grades. I stood still next to my bike what I left the other day. Dropping my backpack onto the seat in search for my wire ear phones.

Once I grabbed them out and pushed the port into the charger hole of my phone. Placing one ear bud in my ear as I search for a song -a decent one at least- I go into my Spotify playlist and clicked 'Margaret', there was a couple of parts I liked of the song but my favourite part is "when you know you know".

Getting my backpack back onto my right shoulder, before placing the dangling bud in my ear I could hear footsteps heading my way with a slight whisper calling my name out. Turning around I see the brunette haired girl I was walking with this morning. Her hair was slightly messy as she shoved it all into a bun on top of her head.

"Hey." She breaths deeply, her hands on her knees leaning forward catching her breath.

I grabbed the handles of my bike while looking at her. I opened my mouth to greet her but no sound came out so I just smiled once she straightened back up.

"Wanna come and study at my house. Will isn't picking me up today-"

"Who's Will?" I asked cutting her off as we started to walk down the bike lane.

"My dad's wifes son." She said like it was the most oblivious thing I should know.

" You have a brother-"

"No. He's not my brother. There's two of them. Jonathan and him." She lets her hands get lost in her pockets as I let my hands tighten around my bike handles letting the December breeze attack them. My knuckles red letting my hold grow weaker with the slight pain.

"I never seen anyone pick you up before." I say as I turn to look at her as we headed into the woods.

I've never been in her house before, but I've seen the outside of it as picked her up a couple of times like today. She never invites me in or try and hide the inside when she walks in so why now? Why now does she want me to come in?

"He drives a black Mercedes and picks me up at the back of the school... he says he doesn't want anyone from school or teachers to see him as he wasn't a very good student and not long left there." She explains making me look down watching my front wheel on my bike picking up slightly wet leaves from the light snow we had earlier in the AM's that morning.

"He went to our school?" I asked not looking at her. Once she makes a small noise in response. "How old is he?"

"19, 20 in March." She replies.

I nodded to her answer making her sigh.

"You don't have to come in." That's when I noticed we stopped in front of her house. It was a two story house with flower -well stems as they all died- ropes swirling around sticks of wood. Their front porch covered in white stones, a police car sitting on top of them in the driveway. I didn't or couldn't see a black Mercedes.

Never mind I saw it parked on the road in front of their house as it let the wheels soak in snow water. How have I never noticed it there before? Two big soft black dice's was hanging over the rear view mirror.

"Jonathan is the oldest and away at college, the other is annoying and plays loud music. He's quite some times but he also has really bad anger issues because of his- he's just a handful. I get it if you don't want to come in. He might be rude to you as Joyce says he's 'overprotective' over me but he takes it too far. Also makes a lot of snarky comments-"

"Jane." I cut her off as my hands was just getting to cold and just wanting to go in already. "I don't care he can't be worse than Nancy, except the anger issues." I smiled sly as my teeth started chattering together.

Please just open the door. I begged silently.

Jane nods at me as she pulls her house keys out of her pocket. Getting into the key hole and turning it to the left as she lets the door creaks open.

Walking into the house I was immediately hit with the warmth what surrounded the place. The house looked slightly different from what was expecting. The walls are a yellowish shade with more white mixed into the paint. The smell of coffee and freshly baked bread filling my nose with the sent.

I was soon greeted with a warm embrace, I knew for one it wasn't Jane, she was standing on my side. Soon the embrace losses and let go of me, the hands of the person resting on my upper arms.

"Is this him?" The voice was quiet and small as she turned to Jane.

The older lady had lovely brown hair, darker than Janes. She was wearing a dark green vest with a name tag reading 'Joyce'. I already forgot the three names Jane mentioned earlier so I'm assuming her dad's wife seeing the sliver band on her left hand.

She had a soft expression on her face where her eyes are a neutral brown warm tone. She did reminded me of Jane but also completely different styles and face features. The older woman had light freckles and small pink lips with her high cheek bones.

"Yeah, Joyce this is Mike." Jane points to me slowly pushing the woman away from me lightly. I was kinda grateful for that. "Mike this is my step-mum Joyce."

"Hey." I waved lightly making the smile grow bigger onto the woman's face. I was afraid she would rip her face in half how big she was smiling.

"It's about time we meet you. Jane talks about you all the time saying how you guys haven't know each other for long but she says-"

"Joyce. Shut up." Jane snaps making me flinch lightly. Joyce's smile faded a little but most of it still there.

Was she always like this?

The room fell into an awkward silence what soon broke with the sound of shuffling feet against the floor. Soon my hand was grabbed into a warm embrace and pulling at my arm lightly. Turning my head I see Jane smiling.

"Let's go to the breakfast bar and study there." She smiled pointing the way over to the kitchen.

I nodded and started following her. Letting go of her hand as I held the handle of my bag.

She sat on one of the stalls, she motioned for me to sit next to her. I took my bag off my shoulder and placed it on the counter in front of my seat. Once I sat on it I could see their kitchen more clearly, the fridge what was a grey- more sliver than anything in front of us as cupboards decorated around the kitchen.

"Okay let's start with English."

° ° °

I don't know when the uncomfortable/unsettling feeling faded away but me and Jane are in fits of laughter as talking about our English assignment. Clearly whom ever wrote the book mice and men wasn't a big fan of tall friendly men so has to kill them at the end.

I have no idea why we found it funny how he got killed off but after he got shot in the head and his brother just leaving made Jane break into laughter. Her laughter was contagious so I also broke into fits of giggles.

Soon our laughter got trapped in our throats as we started hearing banging on the wall coming down the stairway. It was on the other side of the kitchen where the end of the stairs leads into the kitchen.

With each hit on the wall got louder as getting lower down the stairwell it goes.

I heard a few sighs coming from Jane, I turned to her then turned back to the stairs.