A Fresh Start

Bridge Over Troubled Water

"What the hell did you do that for!" I turned to face Sebastion who had obviously regained the ability to speak. "He was getting between me and my fruit punch obviously" I said as I turned away from him to go back Ben's friends. I didn't even get the chance to walk away, as Ben had made a reappearance. "Where'd you guys go? I was looking all over!" Ben said confusedly, I made to respond, but was cut off by Sebastion, "Nowhere, we just got held up grabbing drinks." "Oh, ok then" Ben said, still looking slightly confused. "Well are we ready to go then, it's getting close to eleven, and mom will worry if we're late." "Yeah, I think we are done for the night" Sebastion said as I nodded in agreement.

As we made our way out the door I heard a voice calling out to me: "Hey, Sebastion's new toy!" I whirled around feeling the rage rise up in me for the second time that night. Sure enough, it was the same drunken idiot from before. "Can't you just go back to living your pathetic life and leave us alone?" I said angrily, "Nope I can't, see sometimes a bitch just needs to be put back in her place. All you are is something nice for Sebastion to look at, stick to what your type is good at, it's your legs not your mouth that should be falling open." I started towards him fists clenched, mad beyond belief, but before I reached him I found myself caged in a pair of arms watching a fist plunge into the asshole's face, effectively shutting his vile mouth. I looked back to see that it was Ben holding me back and I stopped fighting him. "Let's get in the car Marie" "But Sebastion-" I protested, not wanting to let some guy fight my fight and get hurt in the process. "Trust me Marie, he knows how to handle himself, plus that guy is totally wasted. Tell me what's going on." With that, the whole story came pouring out, including the vile comments about Ben's sexuality. After my explanation Ben's already enraged expression grew downright murderous. This time it was me who held him back until he calmed down. "I'm sorry Ben" "Please Marie, I'm not just mad about the homophobia, the fact that he thinks it's ok to treat you like that, over me no less, is the bigger issue here." I felt a warm feeling in my heart at both of the boy's willingness to protect me, but something was nagging at the back of my mind. "Ben, if that's not why you're upset then why didn't Sebastion want to tell you the whole story?" "Marie, one thing you have to understand is that Sebastion has always seen himself as my protector, even though he's actually younger. It's just in his nature I guess." He smiled at his description before continuing, "When we were in grade school I was small and got picked on pretty bad, at least until Seb found out and scared them off. When I came out it wasn't that big of a deal thanks to where we live, but every now and then an incident like that would happen and Seb sort of slipped back into that role. I love my dad and he's great, but he also works a lot, which only made me and him more dependant on each other." He sighed and looked out the window "Just remember Marie, Sebastion protects his family, and that's exactly what you are now."

Just as Ben finished speaking the passenger door opened revealing an extremely angry looking Sebastion. "Woah, bro are you ok?" Ben asked, looking at his bruised jaw and swollen knuckles. "I'm fucking fine Ben just drive" Ben lifted his hands up in mock surrender and started the car. "Sebastion are you okay?" I asked turning my head to look at him, only for him to turn to the window with a muttered "fine" as his only response. I rolled my eyes and caught Ben's gaze in the mirror, he furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head as if saying "what are you gonna do?" The rest of the ride was spent in tense silence with none of us speaking. I was happy when the car pulled up in front of the cheery yellow house. I got out quickly to prevent Sebastion from giving me the slip, and sure enough upon seeing me bar his entry from the house, his brows furrowed. "Sebastion we need to talk." "What is there to talk about Marie?" "Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that I was sexually assaulted, slut-shamed, and humiliated all in the same night. Or maybe the fact that you jumped some guy to defend my honor. And don't even get me started on the fact that he kept bringing you into the insults. So you tell me Sebastion, what the hell do we have to discuss?" I stood there out of breath and furious, my emotions volatile and uncaged, waiting to see what his response was going to be. I was shell shocked when his posture drooped and a look of guilt passed over his face. "You think I don't feel horrible that this happened to you. I have no idea how to leave you alone, and even worse, I don't know how in the world I'm supposed to protect you. I can punch the living daylights out of the idiots that hate on my brother, but I can't stop every male in that room from undressing you with their eyes try as I might, and I know you can take care of yourself, I just, couldn't stand the thought of you having to deal with slime like that just because you're gorgeous." I felt my heart leap and my stomach got tingly as per usual when he looked at me, but I mostly, I just felt an overwhelming need to comfort him. Before I knew what I was doing I had pulled him into a tight hug, and I felt him tense before relaxing in my hold. "You can't protect everyone, and that's how it should be, you don't have to." "I don't know how to stop Marie" My heart almost broke at his expression. "It's all going to be fine Sebastion." I don't know how long we sat in each other's embrace, but I do know that something shifted that night, and it was never going to go back to how it was before.

The rest of the weekend passed in relative comfort. When I came down to breakfast on Sunday morning I was greeted by the sight of Gloria chewing Sebastion out "We have told you time and time again, violence is never the way to solve your problems." Gloria was saying "Mom you don't understand this guy, he had his hand up her dress" Damn it, I must have had the worst timing in the history of worst timings. "HE WHAT?" Gloria turned around, only to see me standing at the bottom of the stairs. She immediately rushed over to me and was fussing over me, after assuring her I was fine for the hundredth time she turned back to Sebastion, "What sort of party did you take her to?" Sebastion seemed to shrink under her withering gaze "Well, that small group of friends sort of expanded and-" "You took her to one of those fudging ragers didn't you" "Uh, well-" "BEN get down here!" Gloria's face was getting progressively redder and I decided to leave before the situation got any worse.

Later Gloria came up to my room. "Marie I'm so sorry that happened to you, if I had known what those boys were planning- urrrg, if they weren't my sons-" I cut her off before she could get too much further. "Gloria it was horrible, but honestly there are always going to be sexist, drunk, pigs whether I'm in Florida with living the rich life, or here with some of the best people I've ever met." Gradually a smile spread across Gloria's face. "Honey every time I talk with you I feel like your mothers in the room." Suddenly I was reminded of the promise I had made myself when I found out who I was moving in with. "Gloria do you have any idea why my parents would do such an awful thing?" I immediately saw Gloria become more closed off, but never the less she answered, "Sweety your dad inherited the company so young, on the heels of his dad's death, and he was always under so much pressure. I remember when I came to visit your mom was so upset, they were being forced to make some deals with people who were less than legit. I know your mom didn't want to do it, but the business was sinking and your father was desperately clinging to what he had left of his father." Comprehension dawned on me as she spoke. "Drug dealers." "Yes, and after some time your mother grew more closed off. I know that neither of your parents ever wanted to hurt anybody, and they certainly didn't want anything to do with drugs. They were good people who got in too deep." I could tell that Gloria was still hiding something, but this was the closest to closure I had received, and for that I was thankful. She was the last remnant of my parents I had left and I knew I needed her in my life.