Like a brother

Chapter one

"Why do I put up with him?"

"Because you love him, duh"

I rubbed my forehead for the millionth time tonight and stared at my phone where a message blinked rapidly across the screen.

"Hey"

My heart fluttered in my chest as I quickly clicked open the message and replied.

"Why are you even still hung up on him," Beckett asked, resting his head on my shoulder to see the message. I waited a few more minutes before throwing my phone into my backpack, just as it buzzed. I fumbled across the floor and picked it up, reading the message.

"Can you tell me all the homework?"

My heart dropped and I hung my head with a sigh. I typed back the homework, and clicked my phone off.

"What'd he want?" Beckett asked curiously, climbing across my bed to sit next to me on the floor.

"Just the homework," I replied, rolling off to the side and walking into my connecting bathroom.

"Why'd you tell him?" Beckett asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. I shook my head and pulled my curly hair out of its ponytail and let it fall down.

"He's using you Sienna and you're falling for it," Beckett replied, clearly tired of waiting for an answer from me.

"That's what everyone seems to be telling me," I said in a duh tone.

Beckett shook his head and turned to leave, but not before speaking again.

"One day you're going to learn that someone who uses you as much as Chase does will push it over the top, and he'll ruin you Si, I promise he will."

And with that, Beckett shut the door and pounded down the hallway.

With nothing else to do, I let my headphones transport me into a delirious state of mind, and before I know it, I'm drifting off to sleep.

~..~..~..~..~

I woke startled to the smell of smoke.

Startled, I jumped out of my bed with my phone in my hand, and ran downstairs, to see the kitchen engulfed in flames. I frantically ran down the hallway to grab Beckett, but he was already one step ahead of me, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door and down the driveway.

When we made it outside, it was just fast enough to see the roof collapse and everything come crumbling down.

How did this even happen?

My parents had been trapped inside. My childhood memories. Pictures, home videos, everything that ever meant something to me was now lost in a red and orange abyss.

Beckett clasped my hand firmly and rubbed my back as we stood in the street emotionless. I couldn't even think.There was still hope that one of my parents had made it out alive at least. If not, I don't know what we would do. All of our relatives had died from an outbreak of influenza a few years ago, and after that we only had distant ones who lived out of the country in Scotland.

The fireman asked for Beckett and pulled him aside, leaving me standing alone with only my phone in my hand. Beckett returned a few moments later with a grim look on his face. I knew he was trying to be strong, but I could see the fear seeping through his eyes.

"They said they haven't found mom or dad yet," he started, "And for now we are required to stay at the Parker's house."

Just the thought of his sentence made me want to run into a hole and die of embarrassment for days.