Fix Me

Chapter 13.

*****

I sat in the hall tapping my pen against my page. It was Thursday, I had work after school. I was still tired though. I was beginning to wonder if a night job in my final year was a bad idea. No. I needed the money. I also needed to study... Which I did, but then where do I get some sleep? I sighed letting my pen fall onto my book. It'll work out... somehow.

"So -" I jumped and ended up hitting my head against my locker. "Shit - Hannah, are-are you alright?" He reached out and pushed my hood off before rubbing the back of my head gently. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He said with a little chuckle as he knelt down and smiled at me.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, "Why are you doing that?" I added because he was still rubbing my head.

He chuckled. "To make the pain go away... obviously. Sorry, it's just something my mom and sister did whenever I got hurt somewhere." He smiled.

"You have a sister?" I asked.

"Yes, older. Like me to you, except she's just a year older. Maybe you could meet her -" He said dropping his hand.

"No," I said a little too quickly. He raised his brows. "I mean... I-I can't meet your family."

"My family would be your family too, Hannah... Considering that you are my family." I almost cringed as he said it.

Family? The word gave me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. It scared me... I didn't want more family. I looked at him and felt my heart pound fearfully as my hands got slightly warmer. I didn't want him to be family. He was nice at the moment, we got along just fine as it was.

"I'm not your family. You have your own... Won't they be upset?" I asked.

"How could they be? I'm not just going to throw them away, they've been there my entire life and they've always supported my finding my birth parents one day." He sat on the floor, his legs in front of him bent at 90 degrees, it looked weird because he was wearing a formal black shirt and grey tie with black trousers and formal black shoes, he did not look like he should be seated on a floor. "Hannah, I'm not going to push anything on you, but I really want us to be together... I want to meet our mother and I want you to be my sister." He said.

I looked down. "I don't want that," I admitted.

"What?" He looked at me shocked. "Why? I t -" I shook my head, he sounded a little hurt, a little angry. I could hear his anger clearly and it made me feel the need to leave before he lost it. I kind of got it, maybe he was upset because it might have seemed like I didn't want him in my family. He didn't get it and I couldn't explain it.

"Sorry, I don't want family." I insisted. I grabbed my bag but before I could get up he caught my shoulders and held me seated on the ground. He was kneeling in front of me now.

"Fine, no family... Can't we be friends?" He asked calmly. I bit my lip. "You never have to think of me as more, Hannah, can we just be friends and keep in contact?" He asked.