My Over Protective Brothers

Chapter 39

A month. It's been a whole month. I finally got my brothers and Bella to stop handling me like I'm some fragile weak link.

The tension has slowly been going away between Cole and I, but we weren't all buddy, buddy yet. It feels nice, knowing that we could still stay civil after everything. After the talk Arden and I had, I had been paying more attention to Cole, even though I slightly hated myself for it.

Arden was right.

Cole looked miserable. No girl would even go near him. I have to say though, lately he's been looking better. The horrible eye bags have slightly faded and his hair wasn't as disheveled.

"Earth to Alison," Arden said, snapping her fingers in my face to gain my attention.

"What?" I mumbled out, pushing her hand away from me.

"Aren't you excited?!" Bella joined in from my other side.

"Excited for?..." I asked, setting my pencil down.

"Our first basketball game of the season?" Arden said, looking at me worriedly.

"I almost forgot about that," I said sheepishly.

"Soccer season has finally come to an end and we finally start basketball," Bella said excitingly. I should be more excited, basketball is my favorite sport and I truly love it.

"Why aren't you more excited?" Arden asked, and that's when Cole walked in. Mikey was sitting a few seats away from me and was glaring at Cole. Cole just glanced at me and walked to the other side of the classroom. "Girl, get him out of your mind. You have a major season to focus on! This is when scouts come to see you."

"You're right," I said. "Let's kick some ass today." Arden and Bella both cheered, causing some attention to be brought to us, but we didn't mind. Arden was looking at me weirdly. "What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said, her small smile growing bigger.

~*~

"Alison! Alison!" My team cheered as we made our way to our locker room. 

"Guys! We won as a team," I said, causing them to shake their heads and continue chanting my name. I let out a sigh as Bella attacked me in a hug and our coach got our attention.

"Great job today ladies," she said, a big smile on her face. "You guys keep playing like you did today and that championship is ours!" We all cheered. Last year, we lost in overtime by three points and this year, we were determined to be showing off a championship ring by the end of the season.

Our coach left us and we all started changing.

"Celebratory dinner?" One of my teammates, Leah, asked. 

"Yeah," I said. "Ask everyone where we should go and if they can come."

It took us all twenty minutes to get dressed, the locker room seems small when you have fifteen girls in it, all desperately trying to get their own space.

We all clamored out laughing, we had decided to eat at the local diner. I saw a hooded figure walking in a distance.

"I forgot something in my locker, I'll meet you at your car," I told Bella and she nodded. I ran after the hooded figure, and that's when I also saw the car he was heading to. I tried to steer myself in the other direction, but it didn't work. 

I grabbed a fistful of his sweater and he turned around. He was shocked to see me, but still lowered his hood.

"Why are you still at school?" I asked.

"I came to cheer you on," Cole said, looking down.

"Oh," I said. We stood there in silence for a few seconds.

"You played great," he said, a sad smile making its way across his face.

"Thanks," I said, sending him my own sad smile. Before any other words could be exchanged, I felt my phone buzz and I saw that it was Arden calling. "I have to go," I said slowly. Turning around, I was ready to leave, when Cole grabbed my arm. I stopped, but stayed facing the opposite direction.

"I'm sorry," he said dropping my arm, it fell to my side with a thud. I let out a breath as I turned around, but he was already a great distance away from me, sliding into his car.

~*~

I walked into my house later that night, still confused about what had happened earlier with Cole.

"Alison?" I looked up and saw a worried Mikey. I gave him a small smile and went up to my room. He was coming upstairs behind me, I didn't mind it that much since I assumed he was going to his room, but when I walked into my room, he followed.

I guessed that everyone else was asleep or out, since I didn't see or hear anyone else.

"What do you need Mikey? I'm pretty tired," I said, turning to look at him.

"Are you okay?" I sighed.

"I've told you a thousand times. Yes, I am okay," I said, sitting on the edge of my bed with a thud. He joined me. "Why do you guys keep worrying about me? It's been a month, I'm okay," I whispered out.

"I just don't want it to be like last time," he whispered out.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "If this is about mom, I was a little kid. It was natural the way I acted, we were all feeling the same-"

"It's not about her," he said quickly, cutting me off. 

"Mikey," I said. "I don't want to talk about that."

"Alison, you were sexually harassed, and almost raped if it wasn't for Sam and I," he said.

"It was at a party two years ago, move on from it."

"You weren't the same after that-"

"I got help. I went to therapy, I talked about it and I'm okay now. I don't know why you need to bring it up. I don't know what that has to do with this," I said, raising my voice a little.

"It's why we're overprotective, Alison. We failed as your big brothers to protect you, and we knew we had to protect after mom left, but after what happened two years ago, we swore to always be there no matter what. Even if you hate it." I felt his gaze on me as I sat there in silence.

"I get it," I said, looking at him, sending him a genuine smile. "And thank you for everything you guys do, but I really am okay. So how about you guys tone it down a bit?" His face broke out into a smile.

"Deal."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

One more chapter after this. <3