Skinny Hips // Ashton Irwin

seventeen // he's my brother

//Ashton//

Another Thursday rolled around in which I was stood in the parking lot of the youth center. I stared at the ceiling while sat uncomfortably on the front steps, the clouds seeming to look like it would rain but the humid and musky heat saying otherwise. Minutes passed but yet the girl I waited for was not showing up. Five minutes after group started I decided that she would know to be here if need be.

The room filled with depressed teens felt more dull than usual, if that was even possible. Matty sat comfortably in the seat beside mine, twirling a baby blue bic between his fingers while nibbling viciously on his bottom lip, eyeing a boy sat across the circle that I didn't recognize.

The group went on as normal; Tina forcing the kids to speak about things that clearly made them uncomfortable while I nodded along and handed them tissues and bottles of water. It was almost 20 minutes in when the door to the room opened once again which we all adverted our attention to.

Annie was the one who walked in, her hair falling messily around her face while she kept her head down and silently maneuvered around the seats to an empty chair. She kept her head down the entire time. I watched both Matty and the mysterious boy who's name I did not know both eye her up, and instantly was filled with a feeling of jealousy. She's not my girlfriend, I thought, chill, Ash.

The young girl that was speaking before Annie walked in finished what she was saying and adverted her eyes away, clearly upset but whatever it was I wasn't listening to. When everyone was done nodding and sighing at what she had said, Tina spoke once again.

"Annie, it's so nice to have you here, always a pleasure, how are you?" Tina gushed, much too happy to be running a mental health support group.

With her face still trained to the well-too-interesting floor, Annie nodded, expecting Tina to leave it at that.

"I wanted to ask how you were since the incident that happened the last time you were here."

I almost groaned out loud at this. Tina didn't have a filter.

Annie shrugged, "I'm fine."

"Annie?"

At this she finally looked up, eyeing the boy that just called her name, the boy who's name I did not know. Her mouth fell agape but at the sight of her so did everyone else's in the room, silent gasps filling the awkward air.

Her lip was cut and her eye was blackened.

"Bradley?" she muttered, shock overpowering her features. I stayed stood still as I watched the moments play out in front of me. As soon as Annie said the boys name, Matty stood from his seat and stormed right towards Bradley. The older boy seemed confused up until the point where Matty's fist was pounding in to his face. This was where things went downhill.

"Matty!" Annie, confused and shocked stood from her seat along with most of the rest of the people in the room, watching along with Tina and I. Bradley stood from where he lay on the ground, touching his cheek before wincing. Once he realized the ring on Matty's finger had cut him I could almost see his face turn red. Instead of being the bigger person, though, this time he stormed towards Matty, jumping on him completely. 

At the sight of the two boys rolling on the ground, hitting and kicking each other, I realized only by the sounds of crying girls screaming "stop" that something had to be done, that I was the one that needed to step in.

I made my move to advance towards the boys but before I could Annie was already at there side, grabbing them and pulling them off the ground. Once standing though, instead of stopping they continued to shove and punch, this time twice as aggressive. This was the point where Tina began to pile teens out of the room, forgetting Annie.

Bravely, she took a step in front of the two boys, shoving her arms out right to stop them. Before she could fully push them away, though, Annie took a blow to the chin herself, this punch coming from Bradley.

Her legs gave in from under her and she hit the floor, gripping her face intently. This is what made the boys stop. She held her face, her bottom teeth bleeding vigorously. 

The two boys stood still, shock plastering across their faces as they watch Annie sit up right on her knees and shake, tears streaming slowly down her cheeks as she spat blood on to the carpeted floor. 

I watched the boys. I watched Matty glare at Bradley, unaware of what to do now, and then I watched Bradley move to touch Annie. She flinched at the move of his hand, and that is what drove me over the edge.

Anger took over me and before I knew it, I had grabbed Bradley by the back of his hair and tore him to the ground, my hands leaning against the wall while I kicked in to him, unaware of my surroundings until I could hear Annie screaming over the sound of my mind running.

I stopped instantly, turning to see her face as red as her teeth, hysterically crying and shaking while Matty tried to help her from the ground. I took a step toward her, but she took two back, looking away from me as she cried and shook. With pain in me I watched Matty lead the shaking girl out of the room and then out of the building and all I could do was collapse to the floor next to the boy who's bones I had probably broke.

Bradley and I sat in pure silence for a while. I had nothing to say to him and I wondered if he was even able to open to his mouth to say something in that moment. I was proven wrong almost ten minutes in to the painful silence.

"He's my brother," I heard Bradley choke out beside me. I turned to him, watching his back shake. "We have the same dad."

"Why did he hit you?" 

While wincing and moaning, Bradley turned to lie on his back beside me before pushing himself up right and leaning back against the wall, holding on to his side. 

"I was born first," Bradley grunted, gripping his side, "Matty was the troublemaker. Dad never really realized he had ADHD or whatever else it is." I watched Bradley throw his head back and lean it against the wall, staring at the ceiling. "He kicked him out five years ago when he was eleven and he lived with his mum ever since, but dad wanted me and my mum to stay."

I let out a breath of air and shook my head, wiping my hands over my face. "Man, I'm so sorry for beating in to you like that. It's just, like, Annie... I lost it."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

The question shocked me because I was aware of how inappropriate the relationship was, not only because she was a minor but because working here was like being a teacher to these teens and dating your student; it wasn't right. I shrugged, huffed and then shook my head with a sigh.

"No, Annie's not my girlfriend."

"She was living with you, was she not?"

I nodded at this, suddenly becoming more and more uncomfortable. I kicked this boy in the chest and stomach a numerous amount of times only minutes ago and now he spoke to me like we were friends and I didn't trust it, I didn't trust him.

"For a bit yeah, she needed somewhere to sleep. She's back at home now."

Bradley opened his mouth to speak but before he could, Tina was rushing in to the room, out of breath. 

"Why the fuck did you let Annie leave with Matty, Ashton?"