The light side of the moon

Chapter 4

Stellan

*drip**drip**drip* repeatedly hits the window.

"Stellan!"

"Mom!" Grabbing and scratching at the car seat, young stellan tried to break free and get to his mom.

"Stellan, baby it's going to be okay" she said through tears. They were inside a car, upside down with glass all around them. Stellans piercing scream was all that could be heard.

•
Taking deep breathes Stellan woke up from his nightmare. Touching all around him, making sure he wasn't in that car, making sure he was safe in his room. His heart beat viciously against his rib cage making it harder to breathe. Putting his hand on his nightstand trying to find his inhaler, but things were only tumbling down because of the darkness, it was only getting harder to breathe. Tears rushing down his eyes, heart beating rapidly, hands shaking, he felt completely useless and searched and searched desperately for the inhaler.

"Jesus Christ. Stellan!" Royce yelled. Barging into his brothers room he turned on the light and picked up the inhaler from the floor. Panicking only made Stellan more afraid, trying to keep his voice soothingly he asked him to sit up. Placing the inhaler into his brothers mouth, filling his lungs and returning his heart rate. Both felt a weight lifted off their shoulders.

Royce stared at his younger brother, heart twisting. "Another nightmare?" He asked, even though he knew the answer.

"...yeah. A-bout M-mom. R-r-Royce I h-h-hate reliving it s-s-o much" he bawled. Stellan cried into his hands, hating himself, feeling every tear drop out his eyes, feeling the exact pain he felt that unfortunate day. "I want it gone. Please Royce get the memory out."

"I wish I could brother."

Taking in a deep breathe, and calming himself Stellan spoke. "Thanks for helping me. What were you doing up so late anyways?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"I didn't know I wasn't the only getting nightmares around this house."

"It's not... it's not that. Just.. got a lot of things on my minds that's all. anyways I don't want to imagine what would have happened if I wasn't here. For fuck sakes Stellan, you need to be able to get your inhaler, I don't want to imagine my damn baby brother dying and knowing I was only across the hall!" Royce was seething, getting mad at just the single thought of his baby brother dying. He Angrily flicks his brothers head for being a moron in His book.

"Did you seriously just do that? Listen I'm sorry okay? I just haven't had any in awhile and I thought, maybe they were stopping." Stellan looked down at his hands, feelings Ashamed feeling like an idiot for thinking that memory would go way so easily. "Take my mind off it? What has been keeping my big brother up so late?" Stellar smirked, trying to drift his brothers attention away from the pain they both felt talking about the nightmares.

Royce rolled his eyes, clearing his throat. "What happened today in the theater. Didn't mean to start so much drama I guess."

Stellan looked at his brother, reading his face he knows all too well. When his eyebrow twitched it only meant one of two things: he feels guilty about something or he's disgusted by something. Stellan takes a wild guess considering what happened that evening- it was guilt. thinking back to when they were kids, their mom had bought them both toys- wooden robot for Stellar, and a monster truck for Royce. Royce being the 10 year old brat he was, was filled with jealousy and stole his brothers toy. Leading to a fight between the two, pulling the arms of the toy robot, it had eventually broke and Stellan cried for hours. Royces eyebrow twitched for a whole week, until he repented and gave his baby brother his monster truck as a peace offering.

"I know you were defending me, but what you said to her was pretty harsh. I've heard people tease her a lot about her height, I assume it may be a sore spot for her."

"Ugh I know." Holding his head between his hands he groaned thinking about the way Ellie had given him the look of disgust. Asking himself why he even cared and didn't know the know the answer. "I heard her talking about you and it's like my older brother instincts kicked in. Don't regret it that much though, felt like she deserved it"

Stellar was confused. Ruby seemed like a decent person, Stellan always thought of her as cute, and her eyes poured every emotion out and that frightened Stellan never knowing how to react when she spoke to him. Along with his overall fear of speaking in general, because of his constant stutter around those he's not comfortable with. But what could she have possibly said?

"What did she say?"

"She said you glare at everyone and I have a stick up my ass"

Stellan now realized it wasn't really about him this entire time. Ruby hurt his ego and he's masking it with the whole older brother act. Rolling his eyes he glared at Royce.

"Are you serious? That's it? I mean yeah I get what she's saying, all I do is stare at others since I'm too afraid to speak. But Jesus to bully her about this? She just hurt your precious ego you dick."

In complete shock because of his brothers reaction Royce was angry that his efforts at protecting his brother were not being appreciated. "What the hell dude I was having your back!"

"Yeah you did, the first time. But to repeatedly attack her is just uncalled for."

"What's up with you? Do you even know this girl? She could be a complete bitch"

"Just because I don't talk doesn't mean I don't see how she interacts with others. She's a cool person, she even has tried to start conversations with me."

"Whatever. I just saved your life and now I'm the mood to strangle you. Go to sleep moron." Before walking out the door Royce winked at his brother, then closed the door. Stellan's chuckle filled the silence of his room, and he went back to sleep.