Just Hold On

7. Fire Starter

Where the hell did I leave my markers? I look around my room but I don't find them, I hate being so forgetful, I'm too young to have Alzheimer.

I stand in my room for a moment and think where I could have left them. My brother, he must have taken them. I walk to his room, which is right next to mine and without knocking at his door I open the door, "Do you have my markers?" I ask when I get in. He's sitting on his bed and holding his phone with one hand, he has a sad look on his face and it looks as if he was about to cry. I'm pretty sure what this is about but I'll still ask. "What's wrong?" I say, walking closer to him.

"Nothing," he says, avoiding eye contact.

"What happened?" I keep asking and sit down next to him. I bet Alice is the reason why he's like this, I hate her.

He stays is silence for a few seconds and then turns his sight to me. Without saying a single word he brings his phone up to my face and shows me some pictures, "That bitch," I say to myself but loud enough for him to hear me, "When were this taken?" I ask. I can't believe what I'm seeing, or actually, I can. It's not the first time she does something like this, but my brother keeps bearing what she does and forgives her so freaking easily.

"I don't know," Derek responds. I don't know if he's lying because he doesn't want to tell me or if he's being genuinely honest.

"Do you know the guy?" I keep asking.

He nods his head, "I've seen some pictures of him before but I don't personally know him." He tells me, still looking at the pictures on his phone.

I'm glad those photos don't show Alice and the guy making out or something like that, but they look pretty comfortable and into each other, enough to make my brother upset. "You see the jacket he's wearing?" My brother asks and I nod, "She had it on last week," he says, as if he was putting all the pieces together and realizing what was going on.

I don't get it, if Alice doesn't want to be with Derek anymore, why not telling him? I don't see the point on pretending she wants to be his girlfriend. "What are you going to do?" I ask again. I don't want to annoy him with my questions but I want to know if he needs any type of advice, help or anything of that matter, maybe I can go and punch that bitch's face once for all.

He simply shrugs his shoulders and keeps looking through the photos. That wasn't the answer I was hoping to hear. He's so much better than this, there are lots of girls who would love to be in Alice's place but he still can't live without her, she's like a goddess to him. "Don't tell mom and dad," he says, "Please." He begs with a sad voice, looking directly into my eyes.

"But-"

"Please, Nessa." He interrupts before I can say another word. I stare at him for a minute and see how sad he is feeling right now. I don't want to sound rude or mean but he's dealing with this just because he wants to, he could break up with her and avoid so much pain.

"Okay," I finally agree. I don't like keeping things from my parents but since I don't have any other choice and I don't want to lose Derek's trust, I'll stay quiet. "So, do you have my markers?" I ask what I came here for in the first place, trying to break the tense air.

"What do you want them for?" He asks and stands up.

"I have to do a poster for my Biology class and I need it to look pretty," I inform him and he nods, grabbing the markers from a box in his drawer.

"Can you hand them back when you finish using them?" He says, "I want to make a card to-", He stops when he sees anger in my eyes.

"Sure," I say and take the markers from his hands, "Thanks," I say disappointed and get out of his room.