easy | e. dolan

8. - brothers

"don't you ever, ever speak to her like that." ethan stood in front of me, defending me.

"i can speak to her when i want and how i want, dick." james spat.

"no, you can't. she clearly would rather be with these two other guys who actually kept their calm and didn't scream at her."

"really? because i'm her brother. these two other guys are her brothers. and you," james shoved a finger into ethan's chest, "are a complete stranger."

"he's not a stranger, james. you weren't listening to me, weren't you?" i finally spoke and took a step forward.

"yes, i was-"

"then what did i say?"

"uh- i"

"excuse me?"

"i... don't... know..." james mumbled and he looked down.

"i don't know." he repeated. i took in a sharp inhale.

"then you're not my fuckin' brother." i said one last time, before stomping off into the doors and slammed them open, and exited the hospital.
—
i plumped onto a bench in front of the hospital, tapping on the black screen of my phone.

"aviana!" i turned to where the voice came from, and i saw ethan.

"hi." he smiled at me before sitting next to me. i gave him a small smile whilst i felt my cheeks become rosy.

"hi."

"are you okay?" he asked me. ethan can be a dick, but it's clear that i've fallen for him.

i know, i know, i've known him for less than 24 hours, but the feeling he gives me... the feeling is indescribable.

i enjoy his presence and just love his personality.

"yeah, i'm better than usual. are you okay?" i looked down at his bloody knuckles.

my eyes went wide.

"y-yeah. look, we'll talk tonight, okay? i'll pick you up at six." ethan left before walking back into the hospital entrance.

it's really crazy to think that ethan and i were both at the hospital, for the opposite reasons.

my phone started to ring, obnoxiously. the caller id showed 'frankie.'.

no. n-no. my eyes went wide. my hands shook. my vision became blurry. my palms became sweaty. my nerves started to pick up.

fake. it was fake. it was all fake. he was fake.

"h-hello?" i speak into the phone, rubbing my eyes.

"aviana! thank god you answered!" his voice rang through my ears.

"who is this?" i questioned.

"seriously? you don't remember me? aviana, its frankie. your... your-" he stuttered. "friend."

"frankie. wow. haven't heard from this number in two years."

"do you hate me?"

obviously.

"n-no." i got out.

"i'd hate me if i were you." why was he so much like grayson?

"no, i don't hate you, frankie. as far as i'm concerned, you don't even exist."

"you're a bitch."

"and you're a dick."

"i thought i was your brother."

"and i thought i was your sister." long silence.

"you'll always be my sister."

"and you'll always be my brother."

"sadly."

"just so you know, if i were you, i'd start respecting me because if you step one foot anywhere near me or my family, it's your funeral." i gritted my teeth as i spoke.

"what are you saying?"

"why'd you leave, frankie?"

"huh?"

"why'd you have to just... disappear?"

"look, i'm sorry. can we forgive and forget now."

"no, frankie. i want answers. and so does everyone else."

"that's enough, aviana."

"no. after all, you trusted me to actually tell my where you were going."

"please, aviana."

"ditching your family to runaway with your fiancé to a state more than three thousand miles away without saying a thing? that's just cold, frankie."

"i said that's enough. don't make me say it again." this time he gritted his teeth as he spoke.

"but, you just had to tell me. the snitch of the family. the only daughter. the youngest of five children. why me? fortunately, i kept my mouth shut."

"i said that's enough!" he half said, and half shouted.

frankie would rarely yell, but when he did, it was only when he couldn't handle his temper. and on usual occasions, he could handle it.

"what is it now, frankie!" i shouted through the phone.

"i told you, i'm sorry for doing what i've done."

"did you hear that brian had twins? did you hear that... that-" i stuttered.

"here what, aviana?" he definitely had that smirk on his face right now.

"tatum is engaged. aidan's girlfriend is pregnant. mom doesn't love you anymore. lastly," i gulped. "i cried everyday for two years waiting for your name to pop up on my phone saying you were coming home."

"r-really?" he choked.

"yes, frankie. you've cause way too much damage to our family and friends that we just stopped hoping you would come home, with that bright smile on your face. but now, we just don't want it to ever come." i swallowed back the tears.

"oh my god."

"w-what?" a tear escaped from my eye, but i quickly shook it off.

"mom's car was abandoned in the woods by my old school." where is he?

"it's been there for years, frankie."

"oh." silence.

"why'd you call?" i seemed to be getting annoyed.

"just... wanted to check up on you. that's all."

"okay."

"um, love you. bye."

"b-bye." i hung up the call, before standing up to see brian and aidan.

"hey guys." i gave them a convincing smile.

"let's give james some time to cool off."
—