Breaking Away

Chapter II: Tempers Flare

Micah

I watch Piper knock on her aunt's white, wooden door. As soon as she stops, a slightly overweight woman with short, red hair opens the door with a blue halter strap dress that ends at the knees, complete with a smile and a pair of dimples. She brings us inside.

Ugh. Why is it so bright?

Opulent houses tend to be on.. sort of the glowing side when it comes to interior decorations. Everything is white, or close to white. Spotless.

It is completely different when it comes to the Brokers. Everything is dark, mostly covered in dirt, and there is almost always little to no lighting in the house. Although, since I started living here, I've gotten used to the white lights. It's like a constant reminder of what I really am, and what I can't be. It used to tear me apart. Pathetic.

My eyes focus from my temporary blindness. Piper's aunt greets us and there are many hugs and kisses from her. Too many. After the bombardment subsides, I walk over to the white kitchen table. Madge is talking to Piper. I open a book that is on the table, sit down and try to look nonchalant so they won't notice me listening to them.

Aunt Madge talks in her serious tone, "Piper, I told you and Micah already. Stop staying out so late. You know what happens when it gets dark."

I know. The lead gang of Brokers come out at night. They received their name, The Nightdogs, because they only make their appearance after dusk, when they do most of their handy work. I used to be a Nightdog, but I resigned when Piper's aunt found me. Not wanting my crime-filled gang to get involved with the only family I have now.

"Auntie, Micah just got into another fight, he told me he's fine."

Piper shoots me an expecting look, so I nod in agreement. Madge gives me a glare, and I look away. "Be more careful" she would say, or "You're involved with the wrong crowd of kids, Micah." I can handle myself, for God's sake!

"Should I look at your cut then, Micah?"

Madge says this more like a demand, then a question. She makes her way over to the table, slides up a chair and moves my hair to the side so she can see it more clearly.

"You could've died from this, Micah. A few more inches over and you would've bled to death, so you got pretty lucky."

I wince as she pulls out a shard of glass from the cut. What was once a sort of healed wound is now a fully-opened one. Blood and all.

"Piper, get me the rubbing alcohol.", Madge orders Piper.

Piper jogs over to the counter, her curly hair bobbing behind her. She takes out of one of the cabinets a jar with a cloudy liquid inside, and hands it to Madge.

Madge takes a napkin that was on the table, and dabs it into the jar as she says, "This is going to sting like a bee."

I bite my thumb when she dabs the wet napkin on my wound. So hard that my thumb throbs when I pull it away.

Piper tosses Madge a roll

of gauze. She wraps it around my head multiple times. As soon as Madge finishes wrapping, Piper starts to giggle.

"What?"I ask.

I know she is just going to make fun of me. I can take a death sentence over that. My only pet peeve is when people underestimate me.

"It's just.....you looked like a child when auntie was wrapping the gauze around you." She was still laughing.

One day, honesty will bite you in the back, Piper.

Madge joined in. "It's true. I haven't seen that innocent gleam in someone's eyes since back when I was young."

I've been holding in my temper for a while now, but that put me off the edge. I get up from the chair and walk through the living room over to the bathroom, knocking over a picture on the wall. I shut the door and lock it, hearing muffled shouts in the kitchen.

Figures, Madge doesn't approve of how rude I was to them. They deserve it.

In the mirror all I see is my brother, Camden. Why doesn't anyone else see that? Is it just my own imagination pretending to be something that I'm not? The thought of this makes me furious, and I slam my fists on the counter. Lies. Lies!

Out of anger, I burst out of the bathroom door, through the living room and the kitchen and stop in front of Madge and Piper, who are both still shocked with confusion.

"I'm going for a long walk."

I take a few dollar bills and my switchblade. I shove it all in my back pocket to my jeans. I head for the white door. Where someone will accept me. Somewhere.

"Micah! Wait! I'm sorry for what I said I just...." I slam the door behind me, cutting off Piper's voice. The cold night air enfolds me as I start to separate myself from my only home.

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Piper

"Auntie we have to go after him!"

"Darling, look at the time, it's already eleven. The Nightdogs are already out. We can't risk our lives for something as silly as this." My aunt quickly reassured me.

I walk over to auntie, tears swelling in my eyes. For a moment, her calming face becomes utterly blurry, and I have to hold my tears back to look at her again.

"We have to. I just don't want anything..." I was stopped when Madge brought me in for a hug.

She rubs My shoulders comfortingly as she says, "I know, this is all really confusing. Just give him time. He'll be back in the morning. I promise."

This calms me down, which is saying a lot for what I am feeling right now. I half nod at my aunt, which makes her believe that I understand. I decide to head for my room, and as I walk through the doorway, a wave of thoughts go through my mind.

Why did I even cry? Was it because he gave me this necklace? Was it because I need to protect him somehow? Maybe I'm being too protective?

I ultimately decide that If he doesn't come home tomorrow, I'm looking for him. I need some sort of goal in life, right? So i will protect him.

I yawn, overtaken by drowsiness, and switch the light to my bedroom off. I slump onto my bed, exhausted and confused, waiting for my eyelids to slowly close.

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(Again, thanks for reading this. It's a slow start but it will get better. I promise!! Don't forget to vote! (Micah might take his anger out on you * o *) In the next chapter, we'll see what Micah has been up too since his sudden exit. Will he return? What will Piper do without him? ~Anna )