Fire and Ice {Rosalie Hale}

•12•

I sat at the kitchen table at my parents' house. The one I shared with my brother. It wasn't home anymore. My home was with Rosalie and the Cullens. This was just a house.

I was only here because Gary had dropped by the school and picked me up as soon as school ended. He demanded I come home tonight. He didn't say it to my face, but I knew he only wanted me home so he could make sure I wouldn't be participating in the rumble tonight and giving him a bad name.

I sat in silence as I poked the food on my plate with my fork. Gary ate as if everything was fine and dandy. He barely casted me a glance. I clenched my jaw as I set my fork down, pushing my plate away. I looked at my brother, who looked up at me silently.

"May I be excused?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Gary said, he pointed towards my untouched plate with his fork, "Now shut up and eat your food," he said before continuing to work on his plate again. I clenched my jaw silently, tugging the plate towards me again. I stabbed the steak with my food and glared silently at my brother.

"I wasn't going to fight tonight," I said, "I was going over to my girl's house."

"Sure you were," Gary scoffed as he continued to ate.

"I was," I said firmly. Gary looked up at me, setting his fork down.

"And please, tell me who is this girl of yours?" Gary questioned, raising a single eyebrow.

"Rosalie Hale," I said, setting my fork down as well.

"Liar," Gary said and I frowned.

"I'm not."

"You are. You always lie, Asher, and this time is no different. Why would Dr. Cullen's daughter be interested in a hoodlum like you? You're a liar, a violent person, and stupid," Gary said sharply, "You give us Southsiders a bad reputation. All you know how to do is fight and drink. You're incompetent, irresponsible, and immature," I clenched my jaw at my brother's words as I glared at him silently, "And you're the reason our parents died. If they never adopted you I would still have a mother and father. I wouldn't be an orphan. I would have people who cared about me and I cared about. But I'm stuck with you. And you're exact of your birthfather. You're heading nowhere, Asher. You'll either wind up dead or in jail. And when you're gone. I'll be thankful because thats a weight lifted off my shoulder."

I glared at my brother, not responding to his words. I stood up quickly, knocking the chair down as I went. I clenched my jaw and my fists, "You're just jealous Pops and Mom liked me better than you," I snapped, "No matter how good you did in school, or how great you were in sports. How much you excelled you never held their attention the way I did and that pisses you off. You're the perfect man. Golden boy. And I'm the rebel. But I still had everyone loving me and everyone hating you. And you wanna know why?" I questioned my brother rhetorically as I bent down, placing my hands on the table. I looked my brother in the eyes, "You have an awful personality. You're a terrible person. You try to be someone you're not, while I am the real me. So no matter how hard you try to impress, no one will like a phony. You're. Just. Unimportant."

My brother glared at me silently before launching himself at me. I grunted as I landed on the ground. My brother sat on my waist and punched me in the face repeatedly. I held my arms up and blocked my face from his attack. He got a few good licks in and I knew I probably would end up with a black eye and bruised lip. I rolled over so that I was on top and I pounded into him repeatedly. We were both shouting. I don't recall what was being said but I remembered us yelling at one another.

When I had stood up to get away, my brother grabbed my ankle and yanked me to the ground. I turned around and kicked him in the face. I stood up and kicked him in the side then. I ran towards the door and grabbed my leather jacket, shrugging it on. I saw Gary struggling to stand up, he spat out blood and I made direct eye contact with him. His glare was gone and he looked...almost apologetic.