UNPROTECTED

Part One

Connor's POV

"Son, you need to take this examination - it will help you to get the job you want. You should be happy that I am giving you this unique opportunity and not your brother."

Lies. All of it. The job I want? Pfft. The job he wants me to have, more like.

"Jude, I think we can fairly say that I am gonna flunk this test. Have you seen me grades lately?" Yeah. I called him by his first name - he insisted: 'more professional' he said.

"I think we both know that you are going to get this job no matter what." I knew what that implied.

"You mean, they are going to allow me in just because you work there?" My dad: the absolute knob who was the leading minister of this wretched prison. Great.

"Well, i wouldn't out it that way, son."

"My name is Connor. And I'm going out on the bike to the tree houses." With that, I just scrambled to get my helmet and the keys to the motorbike parked right outside the freshly painted, oak front door - everyone loved to be reminded of the trees that once were.

"Son-Connor! Be back by three, or you will be in trouble." He barely sounded interested in the fact that I was going out on a death machine that was using up what little supply of fuel that we had left in the arena - he only cared about his job, his arena. He didn't even care about his other tree-hugging, sensible, troubled son that almost never came home at night, just stayed out in our concreted garden, underneath his telescope.

I don't even remember the last time he washed properly.

But I needed to see him - offer him the opportunity that I didn't want anything to do with.

The one place he would be, was the tree houses.