BULLETPROOF

xvi. best friends

I'm proud that most of my chapters are like 1.7k - 2.7k words long. Haha. Anyways, the start will be a bit of a flashback.
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"Do you really think we'll be fine?" Seven year old Mary asked his older brother, holding onto his sweater sleeves tightly. Her eyes showed her true feelings; fear of what's going to happen to the both of them now that they're basically on their own. When their closest aunt and uncle took the clifford siblings under their wing after the death of their parents, they had a pretty hard time recovering, the damage mainly on michael's side because Mary was too young to know what truly happened that time.
And now that years passed, both knew and admitted that they're still scared that someone's actually still chasing after them like their parents. Michael chose to be independent after all, so they don't have anyone to turn to now. They moved out of their aunt and uncle's house after three years, after they realized they can handle themselves already. Their aunt and uncle's effort was too much, and Michael hated being indebted to anyone. It's a trait he got from his father. The apartment complex that was bought for them was named to their aunt, and she promised that it will be named to Michael once he turns legal.

Michael gave his little sister a smile and held her hand that was shaking on his sleeve.

"We'll be fine, Mary. I will protect you from anything. Don't worry."

"But- but what if something bad happens? Please don't leave me, michael. I'm scared." Her voice cracked.

Michael felt a pang of pain in his chest when he heard his sister. He's going to be strong for them. He swore. He swore the moment he saw their parents lying on the floor.

"Nothing will happen. I will stay by your side. I will protect you. Our parents are your angels. Our angels. They will guide us." He said, finger combing Mary's smooth blonde locks to try and soothe her.

She stared up at Michael and hugged him in the side. "Are you sure?"

"I'm one hundred percent sure of that, Mary. Now go to sleep and we'll have our first day of new life. First classes tomorrow. In our new school."

"Okay. Good night, michael. I love you." She whispered in the dark.

"Night, Mary. Love you too."

That night they drifted off to sleep in Mary's bed, thinking of their memories with their parents.

Their first day of classes were pretty normal for the both of them, except that their morning were spent again without their parents making them breakfast and sending them off to school. They missed a lot of things, even the care of their past silly maids. Michael told their uncle to let them go, sell the mansion, sell the cars. Every property of their parents were converted to money, except their company. Their uncle asked them to give it to him so that Michael and Mary's parents' efforts for the company wouldn't go to waste. He gave it to him, and the rest is a part of the past he didn't want to remember anymore. It was too painful and unbearable.

Then came the time Luke was added in the lonely picture. After the first month of school, Mary saw him walking in the hallways, holding out his timetable but with no one to show him where his home room was. She gasped, immediately knowing that he's a transfer. His over the top outfit told everyone he wanted to have a good first impression, and he easily accomplished it. Mary liked him at first sight, even if she knows the tall blonde isn't around her age.

"Mary i'm talking to you! What are you looking at?" Michael asked, annoyed at his little sister's behavior. He looked over his shoulder and saw the tall blonde, staring confusedly at the paper he's holding.