Golden Boy

1.6; Declan Woods; football extraordinaire

Taylor was plenty prepared for the storm Brynklie was about to kick up, and her hard-as-diamond (and just as pretty) face had already been set when the shorter girl stalked over.

"What the fuck, Taylor!" It wasn't really a question; more of a screamed exclamation of anger. Sure, Taylor liked Brynklie enough - enough that she wasn't going to get rid of the triplets just yet - but she seriously needed to stop being so dramatic. "The coach kicked us out after you dragged him off - what gave you the right to do that, anyway?"

Taylor rolled her eyes, kicked up some of the gravel that carpeted the parking lot. They'd met up at the Browns' car after Taylor had scrammed. Bostyn fidgeted next to her sister, obviously not giving a flying fuck about the conversation at hand. Though, if a real argument was to break out, Taylor wasn't quite who she'd side with: on one hand was the most respected person at their school, the girl who could get you what and where you wanted, and on the other hand was her sister. Taylor's only sibling was her older sister, and with twelve years in between, she'd never really gotten the whole sisters-being-besties thing - Kayla had moved out before Taylor had even started school.

"Jesus, calm down," Taylor told the screaming girl. She had a limited amount of compassion and she preferred to spend it on things that actually mattered.

Brynklie did not calm down.

"You know I like him-"

"As well as basically every other girl in this goddam area." Bostyn scoffed at that.

"Shut the fuck up!" Brynklie stamped her sneakered foot against the gravel. "You had no right to drag him away like that!"

Taylor raised a hand, silencing her. Brynks' face had gone red with rage, and if Taylor hadn't been herself maybe it would've been intimidating. "Whatever. Let's go home,"

The keys to the Browns' car jangled from Bostyn's fingertips. "Yeah, come on. I'm freezing my ass of out here and we can get In-N-Out on the way home."

Brynklie's eyes narrowed as a car pulled out behind her, creepily illuminating her body like some sort of demonic Angel, her hair floating up around her face like a halo. "No. Not whatever. Did you like him this whole time? I'm so sick of your shit Taylor. This is the last time-" Taylor cocked her head to the side, staring, her arms crossed over her chest. "-this is the last fucking time, I swear-"

"Firstly, stop swearing," Taylor told her calmly. If there was one thing she'd learnt from her barrister mother, it was that put togetherness and calmness spoke much louder than screams. "The f-bomb rather loses its effect after it's repeated fifty times in one minute. Secondly, if I liked Declan, I would've had him a long time ago. Thirdly," she listed, pausing for effect, her breath visible as a cloud in the cold air, "do you remember who you were before I took you in?"

Brynklie was still glowering, but rather than at Taylor, her eyes were directed at the ground. She said nothing, biting her lip, though Taylor wasn't sure if it was to stop herself bursting out again or from fear.

"Because I send you back there with a single word," even to herself, Taylor sounded threatening and slightly scary. "Do you want to go back to being Bothersome Brynklie? Take your sisters back down with you?"

Brynklie shook her head, muttering a quiet no to the ground. After a moment, she repeated herself louder. "No, I don't. I'm sorry Taylor."

"Forgiven," Taylor clasped her hands together, putting on a positive act. "Now come on, I'm getting cold and I want to get home."